100mw 520 module from techhood/ebay

[RedCowboy]

I won a 100mw 520nm module from techhood on ebay, I have bought quite a lot from techhood but this module is clearly underspec.
I also tested the TTL input and still it would not do more than 39mw.
If you buy from ebay be prepared to deal with crap like this.

520nm 100mW Mint-Green Laser Module/TTL | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 520nm 100mW Mint-Green Laser Module/TTL at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[paul1598419]

I don't see the ubiquitous ten turn pot on the driver for this laser. I am wondering how hard they are driving it. The listing you linked to has ended, so I guess there may be other sites showing this same setup.

 

[RedCowboy]

I also looked for a pot and there is none, also output started around 42 and over 5 minutes dropped to 35mw so it may be defective.

The diode is getting 215.5ma

I know we all have had to deal with this when buying from China, my message to everyone is get a LPM and test everything you buy, many of my 200.00 a piece advertised 200mw 532nm dpss modules are actually doing 125mw and I'm pretty sure I bought some of them from techhood.
That's not to say I haven't gotten some good deals from techhood, but buyer beware are the words of the day.

 

[paul1598419]

Huh. Looks like that driver was made to drive two diodes. Might want to try the other side just to see what current that puts out. Maybe they hooked up the wrong side.

Also, what voltage are you supplying to the driver? It should be +12 volts.

 

[RedCowboy]

Yes 12 volts ( was using 3 x 18650 series ) and I also did a run up on a variable and it's just as happy ( regulating 215ma out ) at 10.5 - 14v

It does appear to have a 2nd channel but it also drives the little fan ( 65ma ) and it's already set at the diodes knee.

I powered the diode directly and at 275ma it's down to 31mw, actually it's knee starts right about 220-225

All I did out of the mailbox was give it 12v and it was doing 42mw to start and falling to 35mw after 5 min.

I have bid up many other buyers at his auctions trying to win when I didn't really need the item and my reward is more crap...........

I have 100 dollars worth of these worthless red copper modules and I didn't even try to return them I just ate it for not knowing any better, but this one he needs to make right, this is all his screw up, for 18 bucks I was temped to say the hell with it and throw it away but it's 100% his fail so I requested a refund.

 

[paul1598419]

That sucks. At least it wasn't very expensive.

 

[RedCowboy]

Yea I know, the 18 dollars is chickenfeed and it was a bargain but when I overpay at auction ( albeit rare ) I have to pay, so when I win at a bargain I expect my goods to be as if I paid full ticket, seems like it's when I score a deal that these Chinese send out a defective unit..........I scored some 7a75 diodes a while back and 2 out of 4 had dirty windows, yes I got them at a bargain but they were listed as new, I let that slide too, but this is cut and dry, it's not as advertised and I can't help but to feel like they knew it when it shipped out, so this way the seller says OK you get a refund and all it cost them was a broken/defective unit and their shipping which they get a deal on, crummy way to get out of giving me the win.

 

[GSS]

Red it looks exactly like the 505?? I got from Existotem for also $18. Mine was suppose to be a 532 at 50mw to 80mw.
I received I believe a 505 that wont even mark a black plastic bag..
On the bottom pic I took of the really thin front cap cover.

 

[RedCowboy]

Can't even buy the 100mw osram diode for that price yet they advertise it, makes me wonder if any of these meet spec.............of course the 50mw osram 520 will do 100mw but not the one they sent me, techhood offered to refund half my 18 dollar purchase price and I accepted just to be done with it.

The little 35mw beam is a nice beam, probably a 5 or 10mw diode overdriven as I drove it directly from 0 to 280ma and they do have it maxed out at 215ma to get the 35mw as that's where it peaks and it starts to turn back right at 220.......actually it's stressed at 215 starting around 40mw cold and dropping to 35mw in 5 minutes, much like my 5mw 515 pen that I pot moded to 31mw LOL Yea, looks like a 5mw 515 passed off as 100mw, almost unbelievable that they would do this but here it is.

-----EDIT-----

I hot glued the little lump to a battery pack for temporary purposes and it's a dead ringer for my pot moded 5mw 515nm pen that's doing 31mw............yep they maxed out a 10mw 515 diode and called it 100mw.......why am I not shocked ?

 

[GSS]

I'm thinking mine is a 505??
The one on the right is a 532.

 

[RedCowboy]

Heck it could be a 505 because it looks a little different from my other 520's
It's an absolute match ( by my eye ) for my pot modded 5mw direct pen that was also advertised as 520nm but clearly is not, probably is a 5-10mw 505nm diode, well now we know they will do 35mw at 215ma

Tough little SOB dipped down to 31mw at 280ma and I stopped there then backed it down, hell my pen is likely torqued to it's max....oh well it was only 20 bucks but it was advertised as 5mw not 100, has held up quite well so far and a nice little beam at night, now I have a back up if I ever blow the pens diode.

 

[GSS]

Oh yeah for $18 shipped, you get a nice sink, a AL module and a fan with %100 duty cycle.
Still wanted a possible 80mw 532 and Existotem assured my next time I order they would send the 532..

Oh I just saw your edit, could be a 505??

 

[RedCowboy]

Yes my eye can't really tell 515 from 505 as I don't have any known of either, I have many 532 and 520 also some 525 so I don't know if these are both 515 or 505 but they do both look the same and different from 520.....way different ( blue shift ) from 532, hell I can see the green/yellow in 525 vs 520 which is more green/blue and these are even further blue shift so 515 or 505 most likely.

 

[CurtisOliver]

I think Peter has solved your problem. It might be a 505 module that is hitting nearer to 507-508nm. That way it wouldn't look that dissimilar to those 510/515's.

 

[RedCowboy]

Sure it could be anywhere between 505-515 but the main point is that it's a maxed out 5-10mw diode sold as 100mw but straining it's guts out to do 35-38mw

That's just a bit sketchy if you ask me, hell advertise it as 35mw but to call it 100mw tsk tsk

You know some people think it's a 100mw and never know the difference.

Imagine if they used a 120mw 520nm diode and pushed it to 200, I suppose they would call that a 500mw industrial lightshow laser module with ultra low divergence...........239.99 super sale, normally 369.99 ..............Hurry while supplies last.

 

[CurtisOliver]

That's the problem.

You know some people think it's a 100mw and never know the difference.

Most won't know, or have any way of knowing. 35mW at that part of the spectrum is bright, and could easily fool a person into thinking it's more than it really is. Lol, yes they probably do that tbh. At least, you settled for some money back. If you genuinely think its a 5-10mW diode overdriven, then it most likely is not a 505 module. Instead could be a 510 diode.