You happened to stop just +13mW above my laser's output.:crackup: Good game Exerd.
It was only a matter of time for when I got beat.
There seems to have been a simple misunderstanding. 701mW is just what the diode plotted at ~460mA. I plotted all the way to ~750mW. I am now listed as running my handheld at 701mW, but that is just one number along the way in my plot. :thinking:
CTM, you really need to disassemble your laser, check your amperage before your diode burns up, and don't take your 600mW+ laser to school! WOW. Look what almost happened, and that's while doing nothing irresponsible. It could have happened anywhere with it in your pocket, but I'm sure your mind was set on getting to your class on time while there.
Something is getting bumped on these pots upon assembly. That's my guess. I just re-assembled my laser. The small amount of extra wire is a snug fit, but didn't appear to be entangling or even getting smashed down on the pot. Yet, what I just found tells me that something is very different about the setting. Upon turning the laser on, output climbed towards 700mW!!! Yikes. Off goes the switch on that one and now it comes apart. This is with amperage tested before re-assembly, so something changed upon assembly. I pulled it apart, and cannot see how the extra wire can have turned the pot, but it is my best guess that it somehow touched it.
It's all coming apart, and I'm going to re-test amperage on the flex drive now and see what it is outputting. But I have to build a test load first, as I'm not using my diode as the test load. I'll stop by Radioshack and grab some 1N4001 diodes and assemble one. I'm also going to check the diode for damage, though I turned the unit off as soon as I looked at the meter screen, which was about 4 seconds after the power on.
Daguin, I know what you mean about usage timing. All this means piddly squat to some people without a diode life time. But, I think that having people use their pointers, and then have them attempt to put together all those instances that they pressed the button, and then figure a total time, is about as unscientific as you can get. Sure, it will get an approximation, but I believe the diode kill fund is as good as it will get for a scientific approach to testing this diode. The plotting is useful here just to show some basic variance. It's too bad Igor's died at 420mA. :thinking:
Here's the conundrum. This plotting graph here shows us how different these diodes can be from drive to drive, which also demonstrates how useless a diode kill fund might be, since each is so different.
The way I look at it is, it's a hobby. Set the thing where you want to risk it, and hope your gamble pays off. All the science in the world may not prove a thing about your diode as an individual.
I have to leave right now and make a 2 hour round-trip drive, then I'll mess with everything once I get back to the shop. I will post back with details later tonight about what's going on.
