450nm Gatling laser large spot when unfocused smaller dot when focused a bit

[Lagomorpha]

Hey all. I just received a 450nm Gatling laser on Saturday and at first the dot was small, as it should be and now it's larger and gets smaller when i adjust the focus. I dropped it from a couple feet and I am wondering if that may be part of it. Landed on the rug so it wasn't a super hard landing, but I was wondering if there is any way to fix it or if it's stuck like this? If it is, there is no big deal, but I'd like to fix it if at all possible. This also happened to both my violet 405nm 301s but I am mainly worried about my fat. I know they are cheap lasers, as mine was basically free, but if it works, it works. Does anyone know WHY or how this would happen?

Anyways, thanks for your time, here are a couple pics of the dot at fairly close. The top is focused and the bottom is unfocused.

 

[GSS]

I'm not sure if I understand your question?
The laser is made to focus wide or tight with the front knob.

 

[Lagomorpha]

The dot on lasers when you don't twist it at all is generally pretty small and gets larger when you twist to the right unless it is something that is very close up, and in that case when twisted looser, it gets quite a bit smaller.

 

[GSS]

That's sounds how it's suppose to be. The beam starts to diverge as it leaves the tip, but if it hits a piece of wood at say 12 inches away you have to adjust it tight to that piece of wood at that 12 inches if you want it to burn. It all depends to how far the laser is hitting a target.
There's also a reverse focus where you can focus the beam to a very tight thin line about 3 or 4 inches away from the tip and it expands rapid after that.
That reverse focus tight thin beam thats close to the tip is actually the best burning spot.

 

[Kyle L]

Laser pointers with adjustable focus, do this by design, as you turn the focus adjustment you will notice the lens moving farther/closer to the laser housing.

Further the lens is away:
Fine beam up close & wide beam at distance.
(Depending on amount of focus applied)

Closer the lens is:
Finer beam at a longer distance
(Depending on focus applied)

In my experience, those blue Gatling laser tend to have a high divergence (dot getting wider over distance)
Although that could have by my sample.

Happy lasering!

 

[GSS]

^^^^^^Bingo^^^^^!!!

 

[Lagomorpha]

Groovie, thanks all. I am still curious as to how or why it was one way and then started suddenly being another way, but if there is no answer, I'm cool with that too.
Edit: Oops, the top is focused and bottom is unfocused. I didn't mean to mix that up.
I fixed it.

 

[Kyle L]

Groovie, thanks all. I am still curious as to how or why it was one way and then started suddenly being another way, but if there is no answer, I'm cool with that too.

These laser are made to the lowest quality standards in my opinion, but have also seen very happy customers of these lasers. As for the change, This can be due to the lens heating up possibly and causing damage, diode or lens not secured properly. Could be a whole host of things. I mean if it was free? I'd be very happy haha!

Happy Lasering!

 

[Lagomorpha]

These laser are made to the lowest quality standards in my opinion, but have also seen very happy customers of these lasers. As for the change, This can be due to the lens heating up possibly and causing damage, diode or lens not secured properly. Could be a whole host of things. I mean if it was free? I'd be very happy haha!

Happy Lasering!

For sure. Honestly, I am really happy about it, and with how I purchased it, the price was definitely right.

 

[GSS]

These laser are made to the lowest quality standards in my opinion, but have also seen very happy customers of these lasers. As for the change, This can be due to the lens heating up possibly and causing damage, diode or lens not secured properly. Could be a whole host of things. I mean if it was free? I'd be very happy haha!

Happy Lasering!

Yes they use maby used diodes and low quality drivers but this one I just had from Crackula has a good amount of mass and some nice machining.
The divergence and spot was great so it just goes to show they probably come with miss matched parts and other than the mechanical blueprints being the same, they put whatever diode/lens they have laying around.. For $40 you have a ok laser and host that can be re used with some work if your crafty..