- Joined
- Aug 14, 2010
- Messages
- 177
- Points
- 18
Hey Guys :yh:
I decided to build my first pocket Red handheld Laser
It was a quite difficult and frustrating build due to the set up I choosed but I was determined to keep it under 40$.
Heres some pictures of the build.
I got my diodes from Cajunlasers
I started by modding and installing the driver in the C3 pill:
I removed the "R27" resistor and put in a 0.5 Ohms resistor to get the desire current. I also added a 100uf 6.3v cap to protect the diode.
To install the 17mm driver in the ~18mm pill I had to take out a brass ring that used to hold a much smaller driver.
That was a PITA!
To fill that 1mm gap i used a strip of Al that sits inside the driver pocket and soldered tiny pieces of wire (in the Neg pins on the component side) that go downwards to give the Neg connection between driver and pill and to help fill up the gap. Then i used hot glue to keep the driver in place so i could screw the pill into the head.
Before I connected the driver to diode i test it inside the host with my testload set to 3 diodes, not 4!
I`d like to thank lazereer about this and much more info he gave me through out my build. Really apreciate it :beer:
The battery life time looks good and I think the Vin has to be higher than 3.8v, not sure.
Then i pressed the diode into the heatsink and decided to use a few washes to counter sink the diode and add mass.
Two of them fit nicely in the hole.
The back is now perfectly flat so i used a big washer to add more mass and lenght. I held them in place for a while with some Artic Silver and regular white thermal past to "glue" them toguether.
Since the driver is Not Neg continuos i used a piece of plastic to keep the heatsink from touching the pill and also add the final lenght needded be able to screw the head almost completly in to the body.
I used clear tape to keep the sink and pill together and to insulate the sink from the host. it didn`t have any scratches but i decided to play it safe.
Without the tape the heatsink wasnt snug in the head so little heat could escape, thats why I didn´t mind insulating it and i never run it for more than 30sec anyways...
Heres the back view of the driver. The tiny wires that I mentioned
comming through the sides are not visible because I trimmed them.
I filled the room with smoke and took a few beam shots :evil:
In person, this red laser and my 500-600mW blu-ray seem to have the same beam brightness.
I think this red beam is less visible than the 200mW LCC i had a couple of years ago, but the dot is way way brighter and its hard to look at. I wish i had both to compare them :undecided:
More beam shots soon.
Thank you for looking! :beer:
I decided to build my first pocket Red handheld Laser
It was a quite difficult and frustrating build due to the set up I choosed but I was determined to keep it under 40$.
The Spec`s:
- Diode: LPC-826
- Lens: AR Coated acrylic
- Driver: "4-pack" 17mm for LEDs (check out lazereer`s review)
- Current: 495mA with expected power output of 300mW
- Battery: 14500 3.7v Li-on
- Press fit heatsink from Eudaimonium
- 3/4 Silver focus adapter
- Duty cycle: 30sec on/off
- Diode: LPC-826
- Lens: AR Coated acrylic
- Driver: "4-pack" 17mm for LEDs (check out lazereer`s review)
- Current: 495mA with expected power output of 300mW
- Battery: 14500 3.7v Li-on
- Press fit heatsink from Eudaimonium
- 3/4 Silver focus adapter
- Duty cycle: 30sec on/off
Heres some pictures of the build.
I got my diodes from Cajunlasers
I started by modding and installing the driver in the C3 pill:
I removed the "R27" resistor and put in a 0.5 Ohms resistor to get the desire current. I also added a 100uf 6.3v cap to protect the diode.
To install the 17mm driver in the ~18mm pill I had to take out a brass ring that used to hold a much smaller driver.
That was a PITA!
To fill that 1mm gap i used a strip of Al that sits inside the driver pocket and soldered tiny pieces of wire (in the Neg pins on the component side) that go downwards to give the Neg connection between driver and pill and to help fill up the gap. Then i used hot glue to keep the driver in place so i could screw the pill into the head.
Before I connected the driver to diode i test it inside the host with my testload set to 3 diodes, not 4!
I`d like to thank lazereer about this and much more info he gave me through out my build. Really apreciate it :beer:
The battery life time looks good and I think the Vin has to be higher than 3.8v, not sure.
Then i pressed the diode into the heatsink and decided to use a few washes to counter sink the diode and add mass.
Two of them fit nicely in the hole.
The back is now perfectly flat so i used a big washer to add more mass and lenght. I held them in place for a while with some Artic Silver and regular white thermal past to "glue" them toguether.
Since the driver is Not Neg continuos i used a piece of plastic to keep the heatsink from touching the pill and also add the final lenght needded be able to screw the head almost completly in to the body.
I used clear tape to keep the sink and pill together and to insulate the sink from the host. it didn`t have any scratches but i decided to play it safe.
Without the tape the heatsink wasnt snug in the head so little heat could escape, thats why I didn´t mind insulating it and i never run it for more than 30sec anyways...
Heres the back view of the driver. The tiny wires that I mentioned
comming through the sides are not visible because I trimmed them.
I filled the room with smoke and took a few beam shots :evil:
In person, this red laser and my 500-600mW blu-ray seem to have the same beam brightness.
I think this red beam is less visible than the 200mW LCC i had a couple of years ago, but the dot is way way brighter and its hard to look at. I wish i had both to compare them :undecided:
More beam shots soon.
Thank you for looking! :beer:
Last edited:
