9mm Diode Abnormal Output

[mwang]

Hello.

So I bought an Arcane build (9mm 445nm diode, driven at 2.35A) from TheJoker301. Everything went well, and Joker was extremely courteous and fast at replying to my messages.

I received the laser in the mail today. However, the first time I turned it on, I noticed that the dot was extremely weird (seemed like some concentric, small blue rings). So, I took off the lens and looked at the raw output of the diode. Below is a picture of that:

Here's a picture of the diode housing. Seems pretty snug in there.

Obviously, this is not normal and there may be some dust or something on the diode. However, I couldn't see any dust or anything else that looked abnormal on the diode. Do any of you have any ideas of what may be going on, and what a possible fix can be? Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[shokkunlasers]

definitely looks like dirt on the diodes window
the diodes die is most likely fine

I'm no expert in cleaning those others fly in

 

[Tmack]

With my experience something causing that much of a ripple you should be able to see.

I take a q tip and spin it gently around the window. It takes about 20 tries to get it so there are no strings left from the quip, but if it moves you know it's just something removable.

 

[Shakenawake]

if it is not a problem with the diode window it won't be possible to fix without replacing the diode.

the window can sometimes be cleaned. the diode can be de-canned, something I've never done and don't recommend.

I'm not sure you can do either of these and still get your diode replaced, so I would tell TheJoker about it, then try to clean the window if he says he will replace it if that does not work.

I have had success cleaning my diode windows with distilled white vinigar and q-tips.

soak one end of one in the vinigar, then lightly touch another q-tip's end to the soaked end of the first such that only a minute amount is absorbed, then use this end to clean the window, maybe doing a few turns afterwards with a dry end

 

[mwang]

I see it now, tried cleaning with isopropanol and distilled vinegar, but both did not succeed in moving it. I'll keep on trying, but it seems to somehow not be able to move.

EDIT: Should I try acetone? I think it may be too strong though.

 

[DTR]

Yea it is probably a dust particle or something on the diode window. Try the qtip with alcohol or vinegar then wipe quickly with the wet side then with the dry side and blow it out preferably with some canned air. You may need to repeat a few times to get the output cleaned up.

 

[Shakenawake]

bummer. does the window appear damaged when you hold it to the light? maybe the die is the problem, which probably means new diode. even if you could de-can it to fix the problem, you don't want a de-canned diode

 

[shokkunlasers]

Keep trying
For now you could use other solvents if you have normally you can remove everything from glass except burn spots
If that doesn't work you could also break the window carefully and let the pieces fall out but that's very dangerous for your diode

 

[mwang]

EDIT:
The issue has resolved itself, although in a horrible way. When I was cleaning it with a q-tip, the diode window broke and fell into the can, killing the diode. It seems like that "piece of dust" was not a piece of dust; it was a small crack in the window. I spent 30 minutes getting the pieces of the window out of the can, but in the end, when I turned it on, the laser did not work anymore. There wasn't even an initial flash, like how I remember one of my red diodes LED'd. It just didn't turn on.

 

[honeyx]

EDIT:
The issue has resolved itself, although in a horrible way. When I was cleaning it with a q-tip, the diode window broke and fell into the can, killing the diode. It seems like that "piece of dust" was not a piece of dust; it was a small crack in the window. I spent 30 minutes getting the pieces of the window out of the can, but in the end, when I turned it on, the laser did not work anymore. There wasn't even an initial flash, like how I remember one of my red diodes LED'd. It just didn't turn on.

Sorry about your lost. Hope you can replace it.

However when looking at the first pic with the beam output it doesn´t look to me like a crack but like someone already tried to clean the window with a q-tip but didn´t got the dirt completely off.

In such cases I´m using acetone to clean the window. But this has to be done very carefully witout any preassure and repeated a few times till the window and the output gets really clean.

 

[Encap]

Hello.

So I bought an Arcane build (9mm 445nm diode, driven at 2.35A) from TheJoker301. Everything went well, and Joker was extremely courteous and fast at replying to my messages.

I received the laser in the mail today. However, the first time I turned it on, I noticed that the dot was extremely weird (seemed like some concentric, small blue rings). So, I took off the lens and looked at the raw output of the diode.
Obviously, this is not normal and there may be some dust or something on the diode. However, I couldn't see any dust or anything else that looked abnormal on the diode. Do any of you have any ideas of what may be going on, and what a possible fix can be? Thanks in advance for the help.

If it was defective from the outset/from the first moment, you should have asked the Joker to replace it at no charge. Did you contact him about the problem before you started "cleaning" it?

 

[Thejoker301]

If it was defective from the outset/from the first moment, you should have asked the Joker to replace it at no charge. Did you contact him about the problem before you started "cleaning" it?

Actually he sent me a pm .. But I was a sleep. He did not wait for me to reply .. So ..

 

[Encap]

Actually he sent me a pm .. But I was a sleep. He did not wait for me to reply .. So ..

Was sure you would have tried to help, that's why I asked the question.

Too bad he didn't have the patience to wait for your reply before messing with it.

 

[Thejoker301]

Was sure you would have tried to help, that's why I asked the question.

Too bad he didn't have the patience to wait for your reply before messing with it.

Yes

Anyways we talked and we will solve it together :beer:

 

[Shakenawake]

Too bad he didn't have the patience to wait for your reply before messing with it.

yeah, especially because I told him he should, but maybe the situation would have the same end result anyway

 

[Photonz]

I wouldn't blame him for breaking it while trying to get the window fixed. Several members repeatedly told him to try to clean it and after that didn't work they told him to continue trying.