Re: 12x Murder Fund! (Complete!)
yea I think we should have left it where it was. Now it's a zombie and we don't know why, because we introduced another variable by upping the current.
Well yea, i also regret not just leaving it alone, but i did a lot of thinking, and let's see what happened here.
- The diode was tested, the PIV data posted. It did 550mW through the "Nichia lens" at 393mA as seen from the PIV plot as well.
- The diode was set to 393mA cos i was told that was the desired current approx three weeks ago. The cycling was started.
- The diode triggered the counter till 251 cycles, where i paused it due to concern the desired current may have changed while i was away. I waited for input.
- I set the driver for 420mA and turned the diode on for a power measurement, using the TEST switch meant for faster replotting.
- The diode was dead by all standards.
The diode was NOT cycled for ANY amount of time at 420mA, it was just turned ON there for a power measurement.
The events could be understood as a quick replot to 420mA with the findings of the diode being degraded to the point of being declared dead for all intents and purposes, from the cycling at 393mA, with the unfortunate side effect that the sensor was unable to detect this death.
What was different from the first 8x experiment? Why am i worried?
I always plotted diodes to higher currents than i tested, altho i did the higher steps quickly so as not to cause any damage.
But in this case, the diode was not tested on the diode analyzer, where the current would be ramped up slowly, but rather powered up to 420mA directly.
IF the diode was alive and well before this point, it MAY have survived a gradual slope to 420mA on the Diode Analyzer, which has prooven to be very gentle when pushing LOCs and LCCs to 400mW and beyond. (But if it was already degraded close to this point, this would not have saved it from further cycling.)
IF the diode degraded to this point at 393mA, the Diode Analyzer would show this immediatelly, even at a low current.
Problem is, we don't know which happened.
But at the same time, thing is, if the diode popped from ONE powerup to 420mA, it would not have lasted much longer if left alone anyway...
On one hand, what we have here is 4h 11m at 393mA and then poof during a short power measurement.
On the other, something doesn't feel quite right, and i would like to redo the experiment, perhaps at a slightly more reasonable current.
What do we know so far? 8x's can be VERY reliable at 300mA, others can degrade before your eyes at almost the same current. Yet another at 50mA more, well, that one needs retesting ASAP.
Diodes vary. But we knew that. I assumed efficiency is a sign of health and in the case of this 12x it very well may have been, altho with my personal 8x it seems as if it's meaningless.
Also, current increases, as "small" as they may seem, might be harsher than we imagine, especially if the second 8x is degrading as fast as i fear (i don't even wanna think about my personal one)...
In the end, all i wanna do is a re-test. And i'm not asking for donations, the personal CR2 laser is pretty much sold.
In the meanwhile, i could reattach the first 8x diode to the torture chamber and let it run to the end side by side with the second one, while waiting for the 12x to come here.