A Look at Ryan's First Build - 1.8W 445nm C6

[GAtkins]

What's up with the new user name?

Glenn

 

[DarkSide]

Pics?

 

[Ozzy357]

Photobucket used to be good until they started pushing the "pro" account. Ive have an account with them since 2006 :scowl:

 

[RyanElectro]

Am I the only one seeing the pictures deleted or moved error? :thinking:

Fixed!

Lots of time when noobs are asking dumb questions about which laser to buy someone will tell them just to DIY because its cheaper and apparently simple. Which i have never really believed but look forward to building my own laser just for the satisfaction. Were your mistakes solder heat related or something else. Would you recommend being very good at soldering before attempting a build? Also if you were to start over would you try it first with a cheap diode and driver?

Because I watched many soldering tutorials like this, my soldering started off pretty good. My mistakes were using cheap parts like a CREE driver, which are really meant for LEDs. When I used quality parts like Moh's driver and DTR's diode, everything work much better. So I've learnt to not use cheap components like that ever again. Other mistakes include wrong order of assembly of brass ring into pill, then driver instead of driver into ring, then pressed into pill. Also, certain specific things like having good negative ground to the host. It's really something you have to learn hands-on.

What's up with the new user name?

Glenn

To avoid confusion; on other forums ppl mix me up with another user

 

[DTR]

Nothing like feeling of finishing your first build. Great job.:beer:

 

[ElectroMagneticFreak]

Wow, thats really amazing... nice work! Did you build it while you were in residence in your dorm? It must be hard not to attract too much attention at your school with a beam like that!

 

[RyanElectro]

Nothing like feeling of finishing your first build. Great job.:beer:

Sure is satisfying! All thanks to your diode though Can't wait to build another. I'm thinking a really nice SS host

Wow, thats really amazing... nice work! Did you build it while you were in residence in your dorm? It must be hard not to attract too much attention at your school with a beam like that!

Well, I tried the first two builds over the weekend thinking it'll be all good and fun but I ended up failing hard LOL. So I took a break and went back to res, came back from class on Monday found DTR's package in the mail and bam went straight to work on it and was completed Tuesday morning

And I keep it on the down low, no one knows but my roomie LOL

 

[yathern2]

That's a really nice job there! I've been obsessed with lasers for the past 6 years at least, but only now have decided to build one as opposed to buy. I wanted to start with something easy, so I used moh's JAD kit, and a good M140.

My problem is... the driver is set at 1.8A. If 1.6 is pushing the limit on this build (mine uses the same host, and probably worse heatsinking) will mine be safe enough to run? Now I generally wouldn't run it for more than like 20 seconds at a time anyways, but would it be wise to turn down the current?

Also- how would I do that? Its probably not like a potentiometer right?

 

[RyanElectro]

That's a really nice job there! I've been obsessed with lasers for the past 6 years at least, but only now have decided to build one as opposed to buy. I wanted to start with something easy, so I used moh's JAD kit, and a good M140.

My problem is... the driver is set at 1.8A. If 1.6 is pushing the limit on this build (mine uses the same host, and probably worse heatsinking) will mine be safe enough to run? Now I generally wouldn't run it for more than like 20 seconds at a time anyways, but would it be wise to turn down the current?

Also- how would I do that? Its probably not like a potentiometer right?

Thank you! Moh's JAD kit is a really good kit and is heatsinked well. You won't need to worry about overheating as long as you keep a tight duty cycle at that high current. I'd say 60s/60s

 

[GAtkins]

Change the 2R2 resistor to a 3R3.

Glenn

 

[yathern2]

Thank you! Moh's JAD kit is a really good kit and is heatsinked well. You won't need to worry about overheating as long as you keep a tight duty cycle at that high current. I'd say 60s/60s

Thanks so much! That is a huge relief! I always like to play it safe when it comes to lasers, even my first 100mW greenie I wouldn't run for more than 30 or so seconds at a time for... who knows what reason.

 

[Mohrenberg]

That's a really nice job there! I've been obsessed with lasers for the past 6 years at least, but only now have decided to build one as opposed to buy. I wanted to start with something easy, so I used moh's JAD kit, and a good M140.

My problem is... the driver is set at 1.8A. If 1.6 is pushing the limit on this build (mine uses the same host, and probably worse heatsinking) will mine be safe enough to run? Now I generally wouldn't run it for more than like 20 seconds at a time anyways, but would it be wise to turn down the current?

Also- how would I do that? Its probably not like a potentiometer right?

Nearly impossible.

The driver itself uses SMD resistors to set the current. To change the output you'd have to remove the resistor and replace them with the right ones to adjust the output.

That would be easy, except for the fact that the driver is glued into that pill with arctic silver thermal epoxy when it's pressed into the pill.

Trying to remove it is so hard, it usually ends up ruining the driver, or the brass ring it's soldered to.

But if you do manage to get it out, the answer is exactly what gatkins said. Replace the "2R2" resistor with a 3.3 Ohm resistor and you'll have 1.62A.
The resistors are 2512 sized SMD resistors.

 

[waterface]

OMG, i need to have one of these! How much does the kit cost+parts to build. Is it a hard project?

 

[Henrique]

Good Laser! Congratulations