5mW lasers with continuous duty cycles...

[LaySir]

So far the only one I've seen advertised as having a continuous duty cycle is the Wicked Laser Core 5mW.

Two questions:

1) Why do most other 5mW greenies (some that go for much more) only have a 30-90 second on / 20-30 second off duty cycle? I assume that the Core has a special heatsink/something else the other pointers don't have?

2) Can anyone recommend some other good 5mW -- besides the Core (which I'm considering getting) -- that has a continuous duty cycle?

 

[JBTexas]

(1) I wouldn't NECESSARILY trust the advertisement for WL.

(2) While 5mw greens are lower-powered, they are still DPSS devices (I'm guessing that WILL result in more heat than a streight diode / and / or heat is more critical; there is an IR laser pump diode), and 5mw is SMALLER, so there is less room for heat-sinking.

(3) My 5mw LaserGlow Lyra; recommended is 90 seconds on, 20 seconds off. I tend to trust LaserGlow, so 90/20 is probably good for 5mw greens in general.

(4) If you want to GUARANTEE a 100% duty cycle, you would have to experiment / mod a better heat sink. Again, "Pens" don't have the room.

HERE is one; LaserGlow Galileo / Galileo Pro:
Laserglow Technologies - Handheld Lasers, Alignment Lasers and Lab / OEM Lasers
Laserglow Technologies - Handheld Lasers, Alignment Lasers and Lab / OEM Lasers
(And LaserGlow greens are IR filtered, so you get TRUE 532nm)

 

[savingbirds]

I agree with JBTexas, but larger pens may have the heatsinking requirements. Why do you need a 100% duty cycle?

 

[freddle]

Hi savingbirds,
I am also looking for a 10-50mw green laser module to replace the useless red module in a cheapish laser projector. There is basically no room for a heat-sink inside the unit but I am desperate to replace the existing module with a more powerful green one. Its probably not possible to have a continuous duty cycle without some sort of cooling involved. If I just shoved a cheap 50mw module off ebay in my unit and left it on, what would happen?

Cheers!


Fred

 

[JBTexas]

Hi savingbirds,
I am also looking for a 10-50mw green laser module to replace the useless red module in a cheapish laser projector. There is basically no room for a heat-sink inside the unit but I am desperate to replace the existing module with a more powerful green one. Its probably not possible to have a continuous duty cycle without some sort of cooling involved. If I just shoved a cheap 50mw module off ebay in my unit and left it on, what would happen?
Cheers!
Fred

..... .....

(3) My 5mw LaserGlow Lyra; recommended is 90 seconds on, 20 seconds off. I tend to trust LaserGlow, so 90/20 is probably good for 5mw greens in general.

Impossible to say *FOR CERTAIN* without a laser lab, all kinds of research and data, etc.

But if you " ... shove a 50mw green module into a cheap host, and leave it on ... ", it will probably overheat and fail.

 

[freddle]

awesome!!!

 

[Cyparagon]

The 5mW pointers only generate a half watt of heat. Many LED flashlights generate many times that. They do not get very warm at all with extended use. Even with relatively high thermal resistance between the components, the temp of the crucial components isn't likely to be very high. I bet you can ignore the duty cycle with no problem (aside from possibly diminished output from crystal instability). I welcome any evidence to the contrary.

That being said, almost every chinese pointer I've had has failed after less than 60 minutes of total on-time even with a duty cycle.

 

[Illuminum3415]

I agree with JBTexas, but larger pens may have the heatsinking requirements. Why do you need a 100% duty cycle?

The only application I have came across that requires 100% duty cycle is, just like the product info for LaserGlow's Galileo, telescope alignment. In fact, back when I had my Galileo I left it on all night during public star parties as an indicator for whoever looking through my scope to know [without constantly asking me] what they are looking at. It is also much easier to realign the scope [its a manual] to point where I want to point to and won't fog up like the Telrad.

Other probably applications would be aligment for something else, but usually the physical footprint of laserpointers are not that critical, certainly not for a handheld module