488nm diodes price

[HydroSean]

We will have them by next year for 100.00, probably.

I'll take 20:crackup:

 

[CurtisOliver]

Well, the site has been already defined in my post.
This is the exact page with blue diodes: click
You will find the list of different diodes in there.
I have sent a message to info@azimp.ru with a direct question about PLT5 488 pricing.
I don't think it would be useful to post a copy of email conversation because it has been done using russian language.
Lately, I've got the answer:
1 pc. 1650 EUR/pc.
10 pc. 1520 EUR/pc.
25 pc. 1400 EUR/pc.

So, then I have said that if they will drop the price for one unit to EUR 1500 I will order it right now. They agreed.
It took some time to arrive to me because they were requesting the diode from warehouse in Germany (as you can see on the photo -- laser components is the actual supplier, and azimp is playing the role of reseller).
Then, since ~1 month I got my diode, finally.

I am not sure about an ability to order from them living not on the territory of Russian Federation, but for anyone willing to get one of 488nm diodes living here, this supplier/reseller is not a bad choice.
In other hand, I think that forum members may help with ordering these from prophotonix (f.e.) with a slightly lower price and ask to send in their country.

The only thing I have noticed is that nearly all suppliers are leaving enquiries unanswered. Probably because they aren't interested in selling these one by one.

One more detail:
When I was talking about payment with azimp, they have asked me to explain the application for this diode. This was required for laser components, not for azimp. Finally we have ended up with a choice of sending some kind of fake application description, because if you will tell them that you are going to build a pointer, they would probably drop you without any future cooperation.

In this way, even with a semi-acceptable price, these diodes are pretty difficult to buy.

Peace,
Ivan.

Still expensive, but more reasonable than I thought. I do wish it was easier and slightly cheaper to get these diodes. Although I would have to pay someone to mount and solder a driver for me however. I wouldn't want to risk damaging a £1400 diode myself.
Good luck Ivan. :beer:

 

[ultimatekaiser]

Well, because they generally don't sell to individuals they're meant to be bought in trays for companies to put into a product.

Realistically I suppose that other than putting it into a pointer, I don't know why anyone would want one of these... I can buy a coherent sapphire for about that....Which is far more useful.

Although I do gotta admit a 488 pointer is a pretty neat idea.

 

[Ivansuper]

Well, because they generally don't sell to individuals they're meant to be bought in trays for companies to put into a product.

Realistically I suppose that other than putting it into a pointer, I don't know why anyone would want one of these... I can buy a coherent sapphire for about that....Which is far more useful.

Although I do gotta admit a 488 pointer is a pretty neat idea.

Sure, buying a lab unit for some purpose is a more "correct way" of using 488nm.
But, you know, there is nothing more than just no use for 488nm diodes. Just no use in mass production, which holds the price at high levels. But really, this diode is like an any other diode from DTR store or Ebay ... So building a pointer is a common thing even for 488nm. The only wall is the price :yh:

 

[ultimatekaiser]

Sure, buying a lab unit for some purpose is a more "correct way" of using 488nm.
But, you know, there is nothing more than just no use for 488nm diodes. Just no use in mass production, which holds the price at high levels. But really, this diode is like an any other diode from DTR store or Ebay ... So building a pointer is a common thing even for 488nm. The only wall is the price :yh:

Kinda-Sorta. that's not entirely true. Definitely quantity helps with the cost, but laser diodes come in all kinds of different levels of quality and precision like anything else. They're pretty fragile. You can buy red in about every conceivable fashion you can imagine, but that doesn't mean that I red diodes are all considered equal. The reason they cost so much is partially also because they are made to meet much more strict requirements. there are 488 diodes that reach up to much higher costs. But opsl is definitely among the cheapest long life options nowadays. Typically I only see the laser diode see used in places where they need to keep it is absolutely small and energy efficient as possible. I used to have a small lab laser I borrowed that had a corrected 488 diode in it. It was nice, but the Sapphire definitely has a far better overall beam. It was pretty similar to my RCS lasers, but a bit smaller. About the size of a coherent cube-ish.

 

[Ivansuper]

Kinda-Sorta. that's not entirely true. Definitely quantity helps with the cost, but laser diodes come in all kinds of different levels of quality and precision like anything else. They're pretty fragile. You can buy red in about every conceivable fashion you can imagine, but that doesn't mean that I red diodes are all considered equal. The reason they cost so much is partially also because they are made to meet much more strict requirements. there are 488 diodes that reach up to much higher costs. But opsl is definitely among the cheapest long life options nowadays. Typically I only see the laser diode see used in places where they need to keep it is absolutely small and energy efficient as possible. I used to have a small lab laser I borrowed that had a corrected 488 diode in it. It was nice, but the Sapphire definitely has a far better overall beam. It was pretty similar to my RCS lasers, but a bit smaller. About the size of a coherent cube-ish.

You said, it is fragile. So, fragile. Today I have decided to rebuild my 520nm laser pen into something more solid with a good heat dissipation. The problem I faced was a diode pressed into a module (this was done by DTR when I was buying it). So, fragile. First, I took a plastic pen, then got it inserted into the module to hit the diode, applied hammer a few times -- no results. Then I did this again, diode window was broken, okay, on the half way through. Pen was crashed. I took a big bolt, put it inside just like the pen, a few hammer hits, no results, got diode's cap corrupted. Okay, fragile. I did this again with a bigger strength -- diode jumped out of the module, okay. The problem was the fact that the broken window's parts were inside. I knocked him a few times on my table -- not working. Then I took 2 pliers, got it messing with random directions -- no results. I took my needle file and started getting the cap off the diode. So, finally I got it -- opencan 520nm diode.
You know what? I was thinking that this is the end for this little guy. Nope, this fragile thing was working. Moreover, the beam now is more accurate without the window.

PS Don't worry I will not be using hammer and needle file while building a 488nm pointer :shhh:

You know, after all, I still think that exactly for the diodes the reason is in mass production, because the process can be tuned up enough to get rid of any difficulties when building these diodes. There is just no need to "go forth". At this time, gas lasers are still more preferrable because of far more better beam characteristics. So for me it is like "Okay we have built a direct diode 488nm laser, but there is a gas laser (and not only a gas laser, yes) and nobody wants to buy our diodes, okay I don't care, let's just post it with the price of entire planet, don't know what to do with it yet" :yh:

 

[ultimatekaiser]

Probably helps with divergence, but open can diodes tend to dislike being exposed to the air. Theyre sealed to protect the emitter.

The 488 i re-built for a lab nearby was mounted in a little aluminum stand by a retaining ring. It was mounted with thermal paste on a tec, then to a baseplate, which was accompanied by prisms and lenses to correct the beam down to about 1mm circular. Passive cooling isnt very kind to these. The greens dont like it either, but manage. I cant imagine the 488 lasting too long that way? Check what its operating temp is. I'll bet its either 20 or 25C. Which is colder than room temp. Diode life is a function of heat and current. It is shortened dramatically for every degree warmer assuming constant current at its spec'd Iop and no electrical transients. If you want a good life from it, either really short runs, or a tec is highly recommended. Maybe buy one of those cylindrical TECs and put that around your heatsink axially with a thermistor to actively keep it at a set temperature, shedding heat to an aluminum custom host. Only problem is you'd have to know how to make your own driver. Might be worth it in the end though.

 

[Ivansuper]

Probably helps with divergence, but open can diodes tend to dislike being exposed to the air. Theyre sealed to protect the emitter.

The 488 i re-built for a lab nearby was mounted in a little aluminum stand by a retaining ring. It was mounted with thermal paste on a tec, then to a baseplate, which was accompanied by prisms and lenses to correct the beam down to about 1mm circular. Passive cooling isnt very kind to these. The greens dont like it either, but manage. I cant imagine the 488 lasting too long that way? Check what its operating temp is. I'll bet its either 20 or 25C. Which is colder than room temp. Diode life is a function of heat and current. It is shortened dramatically for every degree warmer assuming constant current at its spec'd Iop and no electrical transients. If you want a good life from it, either really short runs, or a tec is highly recommended. Maybe buy one of those cylindrical TECs and put that around your heatsink axially with a thermistor to actively keep it at a set temperature, shedding heat to an aluminum custom host. Only problem is you'd have to know how to make your own driver. Might be worth it in the end though.

Well, true. This is a great idea. But first -- sadly I am bad in creating any elecrical schemes, so it is a real problem to build a controller for a TEC device with a callback system. Second -- peltier element (as to me) would drain the battery dramatically fast. This solution is still better for a lab unit or something stationary. Third -- the datasheet says its max operating temperature is 60 degrees by celcius. Luckily I don't like a hot weather and I have my own room cooler. Why am I saying this? Because every time I am going to power on my lasers, the host is cold enough. I haven't done any measurements, but I am sure that they are around 25 degrees by celcius being in rest. Of course, "pointer style" will reduce the life of the diode, and not only 488nm diode ... The real question I don't know the answer for is the amount of heat this diode will be producing. I do know how much heat 520nm diodes are producing. 488nm is somewhere near in the spectrum, and if the efficiency is not pretty high (I am sure it is not), it would become a portable arms warmer. Yes, this is the only thing I am afraid of. Will see. Surely, I don't mind sending one to forum members for deep testing to bring out some real behaviour of these, but I don't have a free money for another one in a case of blowing up the one being used for testing.

 

[ultimatekaiser]

Well P=VxA. So a few watts. Not much. 60C is its max temp, but you should definitely not get anywhere near that. Well stay at the specified the run at 25 Celsius. Optimally it should be less than 30C at all times, which Is barely even warm to the touch-if that. Peltier coolers definitely would consume a lot more battery and I did think of that when I suggested it, but there are ways around that. You'd probably need two batteries anyway unless you buck driver it, and I'm sure someone here could help you come up with a circuit. I've long thought of trying to do something like this myself but I've been too lazy/busy. It could also be employed for a lot of higher power builds? Even if you didn't actually make thermal feedback you could just feed a set amount of current to it to help ensure good or at least better temps inside.

It would help with a lot of very high-powered builds. I realize it's not a must, just a simple suggestion as I was brainstorming while I wrote my post. I just want to help you protect your purchase and make the most out of it.

Passive in an aluminum heatsink would be ok, you just wouldn't want to run it for very long. By the time the sink is warm, the diode is much warmer typically. Although you dont have to run it at its operating current either. Could actually probably just run it at 20mW or something, and it would last a lot longer and give it electrical and thermal headroom. This will behave probably similar to the 50mW 520 diodes, but a bit more touchy. Actually would probably go well and one of my trustfire hosts.

Edit: and btw, no. small air argons are pretty much gone from production by now. Ion lasers are mostly dead except for UV ones. Gas is on its last legs except around places that have a deal with refurb companies or something. Solid state is rapidly supplanting them. In fact I think Melles Griot just made their last batch of air cooled ions.

 

[Ivansuper]

Well P=VxA. So a few watts. Not much. 60C is its max temp, but you should definitely not get anywhere near that. Well stay at the specified the run at 25 Celsius. Optimally it should be less than 30C at all times, which Is barely even warm to the touch-if that. Peltier coolers definitely would consume a lot more battery and I did think of that when I suggested it, but there are ways around that. You'd probably need two batteries anyway unless you buck driver it, and I'm sure someone here could help you come up with a circuit. I've long thought of trying to do something like this myself but I've been too lazy/busy. It could also be employed for a lot of higher power builds? Even if you didn't actually make thermal feedback you could just feed a set amount of current to it to help ensure good or at least better temps inside.

It would help with a lot of very high-powered builds. I realize it's not a must, just a simple suggestion as I was brainstorming while I wrote my post. I just want to help you protect your purchase and make the most out of it.

Passive in an aluminum heatsink would be ok, you just wouldn't want to run it for very long. By the time the sink is warm, the diode is much warmer typically. Although you dont have to run it at its operating current either. Could actually probably just run it at 20mW or something, and it would last a lot longer and give it electrical and thermal headroom. This will behave probably similar to the 50mW 520 diodes, but a bit more touchy. Actually would probably go well and one of my trustfire hosts.

Edit: and btw, no. small air argons are pretty much gone from production by now. Ion lasers are mostly dead except for UV ones. Gas is on its last legs except around places that have a deal with refurb companies or something. Solid state is rapidly supplanting them. In fact I think Melles Griot just made their last batch of air cooled ions.

So, I did some testing runs yesterday with this Osram PLT5488. There is only a few things required to arrive to complete the project, but I couldn't sit still with this diode not powered up in my room.
Yes, I was thinking about powering it with a lower current of ~50mA, but then I found some drivers from DTR and their lower limit is around 70mA, which is 5mA below the recommended current for this diode. So, after eating a lot of pills to calm down my nerves, I got the diode and the driver connected together. And once I touched its wires to the battery, it started lasing.
For the brightness it was a far way brighter than 473 spartan 30mW laser, so it defenitely does something near 55mW. Another interesting point, I have tried to keep it running for around 15 seconds and the module itself was not warm at all. It doesn't stand even a near 520nm diodes, because ~100mW 520 diode warms up very quickly being in exactly the same module.
I am talking about 20mm copper/aluminium module (again bought from DTR).
With this behaviour I think the diode won't get even 45 Celsius, and it should work just fine. That's it. Really would like to put my hands on a spectrometer now to measure at least this diode.

Peace,
Ivan.

 

[ultimatekaiser]

My spectrometer is in that range if youd like a readout. Though diodes generally have a wide linewidth.

Glad you got it working. Newer ones are fairly efficient compared to older versions, but it should stay as cool as possible. Be sure to show and tell when youre done!

3 hoorahs for solid state 488nm!

 

[Ivansuper]

3 hoorahs for solid state 488nm!

I'll remember this

I know that USA has its restrictions on lasers now. Since it is already risky, sending this laser to you with a possibility of stopping it by customs is kinda heart breaking

 

[ultimatekaiser]

Yeah, which is a fair point. I forgot you were out of country. I'm sure you can figure something out though. Id reccommend a nice ocean optics. You ca find them in ebay for decent prices fairly often. The narrower the range the more accurate itll be. But keep in mind they need to be calibrated now and then too.