445nm "Evolution" DIY 250mW

[RA_pierce]

Re: 445nm "Evolution" DIY

Its looks great with the blue beam coming out of it! What did you end up doing with the
original green module after you removed it from the pen?

It went into a Chrome pen with the current turned down a bit and the optics adjusted. Perfectly centered beam and 1.1mRad divergence. It's a CNI module. It's awesome with the chrome body. Power output is 130mW+.

 

[Phaser2stun]

Re: 445nm "Evolution" DIY

It went into a Chrome pen with the current turned down a bit and the optics adjusted. Perfectly centered beam and 1.1mRad divergence. It's a CNI module. It's awesome with the chrome body. Power output is 130mW+.

Sounds like a win-win for you.
I'm not so emmersed in the hobby yet that I happenstantially have a spare module needed for an unused host. :cryyy:

 

[meepo]

Re: 445nm "Evolution" DIY

Wow. Does the LED indicator still function?

 

[RA_pierce]

Re: 445nm "Evolution" DIY

Wow. Does the LED indicator still function?

I haven't installed an "emission indicator" yet.
I'm just waiting for some stuff in the mail. Should be here by next week.

 

[meepo]

Re: 445nm "Evolution" DIY

I haven't installed an "emission indicator" yet.
I'm just waiting for some stuff in the mail. Should be here by next week.

I see. I hope you'll post a tutorial for this sweet build, I want to try this myself with my own evo.

 

[RA_pierce]

Re: 445nm "Evolution" DIY

I see. I hope you'll post a tutorial for this sweet build, I want to try this myself with my own evo.

I was thinking about it.
I have a few other DIY projects that are almost finished, just awaiting the emission indicator as well... I considered making a guide for these:

Here is a 130mW green with CNI module (already has the indicator), a 295mW red, a 130mW violet, and the blue Evo:


Here is the red:

 

[meepo]

Re: 445nm "Evolution" DIY

I was thinking about it.
I have a few other DIY projects that are almost finished, just awaiting the emission indicator as well... I considered making a guide for these:

Here is a 130mW green with CNI module (already has the indicator), a 295mW red, a 130mW violet, and the blue Evo:


Here is the red:

I really like what you've done with the warning labels, very nice hosts too. Well, when the time comes, I hope you'll make the tutorials for these. 445nm with the evo host is just deliciousness.

 

[RA_pierce]

The emission indicator is installed. I used the excess output from the diode fed through the module by fiber optics.
Unfortunately, I made a mistake. I aligned the fiber with the wrong axis of the diode's output (the slow axis) which means that the indicator is not as bright as I intended. However, it is a very nice accent and is bright enough to serve its purpose.
Not that you would need a little blue light to figure out that 250mW of laser light is exiting the aperture...
Pictures will follow.

 

[leukoplast]

Re: 445nm "Evolution" DIY

I was thinking about it.
I have a few other DIY projects that are almost finished, just awaiting the emission indicator as well... I considered making a guide for these:

Here is a 130mW green with CNI module (already has the indicator), a 295mW red, a 130mW violet, and the blue Evo:


Here is the red:

Those look like Jayrob pen hosts! I have a chrome one I hope to build with a 445nm tonight. Although I plan to have the output at 150mW or lower.

In one of the chrome pen hosts, what would you suggest the max power to be for a 445nm? Cause if my first build is successful, I will probably make another pen build but with a much higher output 445nm (300-400mW).

 

[RA_pierce]

Re: 445nm "Evolution" DIY

Those look like Jayrob pen hosts! I have a chrome one I hope to build with a 445nm tonight. Although I plan to have the output at 150mW or lower.

In one of the chrome pen hosts, what would you suggest the max power to be for a 445nm? Cause if my first build is successful, I will probably make another pen build but with a much higher output 445nm (300-400mW).

They are Leadlight Chrome hosts bought from Jayrob.
I normally buy my pen hosts direct from Leadlight, but then what's the point of the "community?" :wave: And Jay ships fast.

The 445 is a current hog, so I would say that 100-150mW max for a small build like a pen.
I tried out a 445 ~375mW and ~200mW in the pen hosts and it heats up way too quickly. Also, AAA batteries are too weak to support the diode even with the flex drive.
This is why the 445 went in the Evo instead. It is still "compact" but has a better power source and more mass. Even the 2700mAh NiMH Sanyo rechargeables I use with the Evo drain quickly. These monster diodes are not suitable for pen hosts, if you ask me.

 

[leukoplast]

Re: 445nm "Evolution" DIY

They are Leadlight Chrome hosts bought from Jayrob.
I normally buy my pen hosts direct from Leadlight, but then what's the point of the "community?" :wave: And Jay ships fast.

The 445 is a current hog, so I would say that 100-150mW max for a small build like a pen.
I tried out a 445 ~375mW and ~200mW in the pen hosts and it heats up way too quickly. Also, AAA batteries are too weak to support the diode even with the flex drive.
This is why the 445 went in the Evo instead. It is still "compact" but has a better power source and more mass. Even the 2700mAh NiMH Sanyo rechargeables I use with the Evo drain quickly. These monster diodes are not suitable for pen hosts, if you ask me.

Well, I guess I'll find out quickly how good or bad of a idea it was for me to make a pen build from a 445.

Although I am not looking for a burner, and don't need long duty cycles. I just want something to point around with so I can enjoy the wavelength. Which is another reason I want to go lower on the mW. I might even consider driving it just above LTH. Which from daguin's results, might get me about 50mW.

Now when you say it heats up quickly, does that mean it will get within dangers of killing the diode in a matter of seconds?

 

[RA_pierce]

Re: 445nm "Evolution" DIY

Well, I guess I'll find out quickly how good or bad of a idea it was for me to make a pen build from a 445.

Although I am not looking for a burner, and don't need long duty cycles. I just want something to point around with so I can enjoy the wavelength. Which is another reason I want to go lower on the mW. I might even consider driving it just above LTH. Which from daguin's results, might get me about 50mW.

Now when you say it heats up quickly, does that mean it will get within dangers of killing the diode in a matter of seconds?

It does heat up pretty quick, however I can't say if it's at risk of burning up. These diodes are temperature sensitive, though, and the power will drop as the diode warms up. It's always best to keep it within the recommended operating temperature. For diodes it is usually 10-35 centigrade, IIRC. I haven't seen a spec sheet for this particular diode, though.


Also, updated original post with a photo showing the emission indicator working.

 

[leukoplast]

Well, I got my parts and began testing out the laser. I haven't installed it in the pen yet cause I wanted to adjust the current on the fly to give me the mW output I desire.

So as I am testing it out, even when ran at 440mA for just a split second, the Aixiz module heated up instantaneously. A couple more seconds and it would have been too hot to touch. These freaking diodes are power horses!

Although now I have ran into a problem. The rkcstr driver pot isn't adjusting the current. So the thing is stuck at 440mA. And with this kind of heat buildup it would simply be unusable in a pen with no real heatsinking. Perhaps I am not adjusting it right or something, I dunno. I PMed rkcstr to see if I am doing it right. I am thinking maybe it needs to be a connected to the power source in order to adjust the pot correctly. So far I have only tried adjusting while the driver+diode were not connected to anything.

Anywho, sorry to hijack your thread I am just so excited!

 

[meepo]

Oh man, I really hope you post a tut for this. What a sweet build!

Also, why won't the original emission indicator work?

 

[RA_pierce]

Oh man, I really hope you post a tut for this. What a sweet build!

Also, why won't the original emission indicator work?

The original emission indicator was on the driver.
The one I installed is "extra" light from the diode fed by fiber optics through the module.
The clear "plug" in the Evo host is not cut right on the inside so the light does not pass through the way it should. This makes the indicator dimmer than I wanted it to be. Later I may fix it.
It works, though.

 

[Prototype]

This has been bugging me for a while, but the whole point of an emission indicator is so that you can see that the laser is in operation, even with safety goggles on, but the indicator is usually an opposite color from the emitted laser beam, so why have one the same color as the emission? If you didn't want an empty hole, couldn't you have just left the little clear bit in there?