7W+ Survival Laser S4X Host w/NUBM44 diode and 4.5A SXD Tutorial

[Lolvo]

Great tutorial. Detailed explanations and pictures!! I've been out of the game a while but I'm looking to pick up a new 445. It seems a lot has changed in my couple years gone...but this build does not look terribly difficult, and it seems like one hell of a package. I've never done a build myself, only minor repair, but this doesn't seem impossible. So I want to use 9mm? As opposed to 12mm as stated in this thread?

Do you have any more shots of this thing in action? I'm looking for a powerful, bright blue, but I want to see how bad the divergence is on these.

Also you can buy the SX4 with the extended and tapered heatsink and with the heatsink aluminum pill, and DTR sells the diode already in the module with the SXD driver and a G2 lens...so I wouldn't need to pick those up on the side, correct? Just want to make sure I'm on the right track for my first build.

 

[Garoq]

Thanks Lolvo! The hardest part about this build for me is bonding the driver to the heat sink pill. The thermal epoxy has a very narrow window between liquid and solid and you have to be careful to make sure the driver is in proper contact and position on the pill shelf as the epoxy cures.

The lenses are 9mm diameter, but the diode modules are 12mm diameter.

Those are all the photos I currently have of the laser in operation, I will try and get some more photos as time permits. It is a very bright blue, but the divergence on these diodes with a G-2 lens is pretty high. A 3-element lens would be the easiest way to reduce the divergence.

You are correct on the parts list, but you want to purchase the driver separate from the diode as you will need to trim the wires to length before attaching to the diode. Also, get the shorter back half option so everything will fit. You may want the external lens spring and I highly recommend using high-current capable 18650 batteries such as the AW brand IMR.

Good luck with your build!

 

[Jon]

This is an awesome tutorial especially for someone like me who is just wanting to build their first laser. +rep thanks a lot :thanks:

 

[Garoq]

This is an awesome tutorial especially for someone like me who is just wanting to build their first laser. +rep thanks a lot :thanks:

You're welcome and thanks for the rep Jon! :beer:

 

[Bradford717]

Excellent tutorial! My build was different though as I used the drilled aluminum pill...sort of backwards setting the module into the tailered copper heatsink first after thermal paste...trim wires....through pill ..brass ring then solder to dummy plate...tips don't get solder too close to the plate....buy 2 in case...the 1st one would not fit ...also check the roundness of the dummy plate pcb board...if it has a flat edge just barely like off assembly line...use fine sandpaper around the edges a time or two..dont solder to the brass ring until inserted into the pill....make dang sure you add the thermal compound around the pill lip....

 

[Bradford717]

Thanks dtr...gary excellent build! This thing will burn at 5 ft away

 

[Bradford717]

I like this build it was a good learning experience but I think I will need a different host for the nubm44 diode it's running down my 5000 mAh batteries in under 5 mins. It is one heck of a burning laser though! At 5 ft I can catch a leaf on fire.

Any suggestions on a green diode with good range for the S4X host?

 

[Ricker]

You're not keeping it on for 5 minutes straight are you?

 

[GSS]

I like this build it was a good learning experience but I think I will need a different host for the nubm44 diode it's running down my 5000 mAh batteries in under 5 mins. It is one heck of a burning laser though! At 5 ft I can catch a leaf on fire.

Any suggestions on a green diode with good range for the S4X host?

Paul tried to tell you those UltraFires aren't even close to the 5000mah rating..No such thing in a 18650..
Get some LG's, AW's or even Efest brands with a true rating of anywhere from 1500mah to 2500mah..You will see a big difference in run times.
Like Ricker asked, I hope your not running that host at 5 minutes straight

 

[Bradford717]

I stand corrected. I had bought a trustfire brand charger and didn't notice it had 2 settings on the side 3.0v and 4.2v. It had been set on 3 so it wasn't fully charging the 5000 mAh ultrafire batteries. The other charger is the one the 2 batteries shipped with a 4.2v targus charger. I have lower mAh rated batteries but nothing below a 5000 mAh rated battery seems to work.

This laser lives up to its name Survival 4-X. It's raining here and it will make leaves smoke floating on top of the water. If I was 10,000 miles lost in the woods...I would definitely want one of these in my backpack!

 

[deadshadow]

I stand corrected. I had bought a trustfire brand charger and didn't notice it had 2 settings on the side 3.0v and 4.2v. It had been set on 3 so it wasn't fully charging the 5000 mAh ultrafire batteries. The other charger is the one the 2 batteries shipped with a 4.2v targus charger. I have lower mAh rated batteries but nothing below a 5000 mAh rated battery seems to work.

This laser lives up to its name Survival 4-X. It's raining here and it will make leaves smoke floating on top of the water. If I was 10,000 miles lost in the woods...I would definitely want one of these in my backpack!

dude... there arent any 18650 batteries with 5000 mah,those are all fakes that are garbage.go buy a nice brand batteries like sony,sanyo,lg,panasonic or efest and will see at least 3x more power on each charge.hell if i even want to save money on batteries i use a good brand batteries extracted from laptop batteries that still have 80%+ of the rated capacity and they work great.

 

[GSS]

dude... there arent any 18650 batteries with 5000 mah,those are all fakes that are garbage.go buy a nice brand batteries like sony,sanyo,lg,panasonic or efest and will see at least 3x more power on each charge.hell if i even want to save money on batteries i use a good brand batteries extracted from laptop batteries that still have 80%+ of the rated capacity and they work great.

Thanks deadshadow, either we are getting trolled or this guy is just a ""
Brad dude your charger is just as cheap as those "5000"mah battery's if it needs a side switch to select voltage charging..
Good luck with those "5000" mah batterys when your lost in the woods:crackup:

 

[deadshadow]

Thanks deadshadow, either we are getting trolled or this guy is just a ""
Brad dude your charger is just as cheap as those "5000"mah battery's if it needs a side switch to select voltage charging..

XD yea i didnt even think about how crap the charger can be,i remember had one chinese charger with a swich years ago and was making stupid sounds like bzzzzzzzz while charging

 

[dden4012]

I swear you guys are just messing with each other with these strange character socks. Just the way it always comes apart there is a pattern.

 

[Bradford717]

Didn't really know any other place that this post should be...just out of curiosity has anyone considered using 2 9v connectors on the S4X host build with the drilled pill (not with shelf) ...soldering one to the blank battery plate and the other to the laser module wires..so you could quick disconnect and change out...I used the (SL-CHS3)
Extended and Tapered Copper Heat Sink with mine and there might actually be enough room. I know those are $25 a piece but all you would have to do is quick disconnect for a red, green or blue. Yeah I know the colors for - and + would be opposite. But not necessarily....http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-9-volt-battery-connector-for-free/
I'd prefer to buy pre made ones from radioshack and just desolder and solder to correct the colors. So the wires aren't facing opposite when connected and could be neatly wrapped with something heat resistant and tucked into the heatsink.
Unless anyone has reasons not to...I may do this and take some pics.

 

[dden4012]

Hey Brad. I suppose it could be done. I use 2 pin JST connectors on my builds that have the room. If you plan on expanding your collection take a look at the 510 module builds on the forum. I have one up you could search "XPL plug and play" or "510" in the search bar at the bottom of the page.

Here is a link to an excellent thread (not mine)
http://laserpointerforums.com/f44/copper-burn-my-cu-510-units-arrived-99971.html