6x Blu Optic

[Hemlock_Mike]

Those of you who have harvested a 6x BluRay diode have most likely noticed a curious optic directly in front of the diode window and mounted to the primary heatsink mounting. It looks like a lens designed to gather the rectangular beam and make it more round.
The picture below shows the output at 60 mA and 2" from that lens. This should be the first step in a beam expander but I havent tried a lens in front yet.

Mike

 

[jayrob]

That's some pretty cool stuff there Mike. Hey did you get the Meredith glass lens yet?
Jay

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

Jay -- I got the lens assy. The lens won't fit an Aixiz or DX but I'm planning to use what you see above with the MI housing. I'll have to run the lathe a bit however

Mike

 

[jayrob]

Jay -- I got the lens assy.  The lens won't fit an Aixiz or DX but I'm planning to use what you see above with the MI housing.  I'll have to run the lathe a bit however  

Mike

Yeah...I have not tried any other way but to use the Meredith module and 5.6mm adapter to house the LD/lens assembly. You may have to settle for that. I can tell you that the glass lens has to sit very close to the LD in order to get focus. Here is a diagram with some added notes:
http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1207011306/30#36
Jay

 

[drlava]

what's the beam size at the exit of that optic, and is it divergent or convergent?

 

[jayrob]

what's the beam size at the exit of that optic, and is it divergent or convergent?

I'm afraid I'm not qualified to answer those questions. I can tell you that it is a 'bigger' beam diameter. And that the focus is pretty much a set point. If you had two dots to mark the difference between 5' focus and 40' focus, the dots would only be maybe 1/32" apart from each other. I have two mirrors opposite from each other in my room. They are 15' apart. This is how I 'carefully' check or compare divergence or dot size. The first dot (15') compared with the 4th dot (105') With this 'crude' test, the Meredith glass lens compares just as well with the acrylic lenses and my RPL's and Nova X105 as well...
Jay

Edit: Oh...I thought you were asking about the Meredith glass lens.

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

That center spot in my picture is .5" and VERY divergent.
Mike