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FrozenGate by Avery

5W IR from O-Like: is it legit?

Devil_Master

Devil_Master

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Feb 25, 2009
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I've been browsing the O-Like website recently, and I found a page about what they claim to be a 5W 808nm laser.

My first (emotional) reaction: "OMG 5W SO MUCH BURNING POWER!!!11ONE" (yeah, so I can get pretty emotional :D )
My second (rational) reaction: "Hold your horses, remember how the old saying goes: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't true."

And in fact, after I started thinking this over, there are many things that make me suspect that laser to be underspec and overpriced.
1) the price is so much higher than the 3W version, which uses the same identical pictures
2) the price of the 3.2W IR labby from O-Like is even lower
3) if the labby requires a big heatsink with a fan to work, PLUS another fan on the power supply, how can the supposedly 5W laser not burn itself out without any fan? (BTW, now they changed the photographs of the labbies, which now show a power supply without a fan)
4) some posts in the Companies section indicate that O-Like has been decreasing in quality, to the point that some call it "No-Like"

So I was wondering: has anyone tried it? And by that, I don't just mean burning stuff with it and decide that "it's pretty powerful", but measuring the power of the beam, its divergence, and whether it can actually have constant performance without dying due to too much heat. Is it legit? Is it an attempt by O-Like to pull a "wicked" stunt?
 





5W seems fairly reasonable, given the price and host size. It is an IR laser, those have been around for a loong time. Just know that you won't ever see more than a blinding faint red dot.
 
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Whoa I missed that. Don't the 5W IR diodes need about 4 amps?

Edit:
Threshold current (A) ≤1.20
Operating current (A) ≤5.40
Operating voltage (V) ≤2.2
 
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Devil_Master said:
I've been browsing the O-Like website recently, and I found a page about what they claim to be a 5W 808nm laser.

My first (emotional) reaction: "OMG 5W SO MUCH BURNING POWER!!!11ONE" (yeah, so I can get pretty emotional :D )
My second (rational) reaction: "Hold your horses, remember how the old saying goes: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't true."

And in fact, after I started thinking this over, there are many things that make me suspect that laser to be underspec and overpriced.
1) the price is so much higher than the 3W version, which uses the same identical pictures
2) the price of the 3.2W IR labby from O-Like is even lower
3) if the labby requires a big heatsink with a fan to work, PLUS another fan on the power supply, how can the supposedly 5W laser not burn itself out without any fan? (BTW, now they changed the photographs of the labbies, which now show a power supply without a fan)
4) some posts in the Companies section indicate that O-Like has been decreasing in quality, to the point that some call it "No-Like"

So I was wondering: has anyone tried it? And by that, I don't just mean burning stuff with it and decide that "it's pretty powerful", but measuring the power of the beam, its divergence, and whether it can actually have constant performance without dying due to too much heat. Is it legit? Is it an attempt by O-Like to pull a "wicked" stunt?
Click to expand...

The IR hand held only puts out 4Watts.
That sounds about right if the are using an 808nm 5Watt LD
through the optics.


Jerry

You can contact us at any time through our Website: J.BAUER Electronics
 
5W IR diodes are fairly common,

Note as laserbee said it just a 5w diode, output is probably closer to 4w

They claim temp00 which is probably worng...
since in the picture it is burning a line, not a hole...

IR diodes are the most efficient diodes,
so if it has a good driver, it would produce less heat than a 2W 445
 
Thank you all for the replies.
ZRaffleticket said:
5W seems fairly reasonable, given the price and host size. It is an IR laser, those have been around for a loong time. Just know that you won't ever see more than a blinding faint red dot.
Click to expand...
I know about IR diodes in general (and yes, "blinding faint red dot" is an accurate description of their output), I was just surprised about the existence of diodes that actually output 5W, also considering how this thread describes a 5W IR laser as a "piece of junk".
joeyss said:
Yikes that seems like alot of current for a cheap 18650 to use.
Click to expand...
ZRaffleticket said:
nooooo 18650s
Click to expand...
Does this imply that the battery won't be able to provide enough current and the diode won't lase (or will lase without reaching the stated power)?
Billiam said:
Obviously a 5W is going to be more expensive than 3W -.-
Click to expand...
Well yes, obviously. But the power/price ratio is lower for the 5W than for the 3W. That had made me suspect that the price had been inflated, especially since the specs mention the output power as ">4.0W", compared to the 3W labby, which output power is actually stated as "3.2-3.4W".
 
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Personally, I'd be way too scared to use such a powerful IR laser!

The only way I'd go near it is if I could wear 3 pairs of safety glasses!:D
 
IR diodes are pretty efficient - up to 60% in some cases. That means it's dissipating about the same heat as your typical 445nm pointer.
 
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So what would be the point other than having a very HOT beam?
I know most of us buy them for the astetics. And to impress the girls.:D I have a 1W 445nm and want to build a 3W, just because it should produce a stronger beam that I can SEE. I'm still learning so....
How does the dot appear through your safty glasses BTW?
 
This is good for night vision but not much else.
Need some good safety glasses too, OD5 glasses will allow 5mW to trasmitt through the glasses.
 
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