Alright this mini guide is for those of you out there who have no torch other than a minimag or got a minimag after seeing the video and now everyone here is telling you not to use a minimag but this is how to make use of your minimag with minimal fuss.
The minimag cannot fit daedal's simple circuit unless you have smt components or sth.
But it CAN fit the next simplest circuit. A capacitor and a resistor. Or if you prefer just a resistor it is even simpler.
Here is how you do it...
Fit your laser diode into the front part of the Aixiz housing. The minimag has a 2 part socket for the light bulb. Remove the photodiode pin or bend it down so it curls around and fits into the depression of the top socket. Socket the LD checking polarity.
Where does the resistor and capacitor go??
Resistor
The bottom of the minimag has a hidden storage compartment for the extra bulb.
Remove the battery connection spring and take out the red ruber tube containing the spare bulb.
Stuff the resistor of choice(as low as possible because the other steps will introduce abit of contact resistance) into the tubing.
Bend the wire sticking out on the first side to the outside of the red tubing.
Bend the wire on the second side and connect it to the spring.
Stuff the red tubing back into the hollow making sure the first wire contacts the metal part of the hollow well.
To ensure that the current passes through the resistor and does not bypass it through the spring to the threads to the minimag metal tube. Roll a thin insulating strip of paper or dielectric(homemade capacitor??) and fit under where the spring makes contact with the bottom cap to isolate it. Now the current will have to travel through the resistor and limit the current reaching the diode.
Insert batteries and test out the diode. You might want to use high resistance first so you don't blow the diode. My initial resistance was so high my diode barely lased. Change to lower resistance as you go along. Check the current passing through your setup with the minimag bulb as dummy load.
Capacitor
Well if you are lazy there is really no need for a capacitor since batteries are pretty regulated. It is also dangerous for your diode if you do not solder your capacitor to your LD.
To fit the capacitor. Simply solder it to your diode checking polarity. You will have to remove the top half of the two piece socket to fit the capacitor or if is a small ceramic cap you can barely fit it under the top piece but the two pieces won't be able to connect properly. The capacitor can fit beside the aixiz housing as well since there is a gab between the housing and the minimag head.
But the top piece is not important so remove it to make space for your cap. The socketing of the LD pins to the bottom half of the socket should be sufficient to hold the bottom half in place.
To hold the aixiz module in place.
Use a grommet as per Daedal's guide. But I have no rubber grommet or what not. A washer might do if the hole can it the aixiz lens adjustment. Or stuff some soft padding betwee nthe aixiz module and the minimag head. Best is a metal sheath since there is no heat-sinking other than the aixiz module.
What you can do if you have noting available. Make a hold in the minimag plastic lens fit it over the aixiz lens adjument but such that the rest of the housing CANNOT fit through the hole.
Remove the reflector.
Screw the head of the minimag until the plastic lens fits just over the aixiz module.
Screw on the minimag lens cap to hold the module in place.
Tighten as necessary so that the module doesn't move around. There are two threads which you can use to tighten the module.
Switch
Us the bottom screw cap as a twisty switch. With correct adjustment of the top threads, I can turn my minimag laser on and off just by turning back the bottom cap by half a turn or a few turns. The cap WILL NOT fall off and the laser will not turn on accidently if you adjust it right. Do not use too high a power since there is no heatsinking besides the aixiz module. Install your own heatsink using your own creativity since there is quite abit of space between the aixiz module and the minimag head.
You don't have to go and get a dorcy or make a large driver circuit to make a safe burning laser. A minimag some resistors and a cap and some hidden compartments would suffice
The minimag cannot fit daedal's simple circuit unless you have smt components or sth.
But it CAN fit the next simplest circuit. A capacitor and a resistor. Or if you prefer just a resistor it is even simpler.
Here is how you do it...
Fit your laser diode into the front part of the Aixiz housing. The minimag has a 2 part socket for the light bulb. Remove the photodiode pin or bend it down so it curls around and fits into the depression of the top socket. Socket the LD checking polarity.
Where does the resistor and capacitor go??
Resistor
The bottom of the minimag has a hidden storage compartment for the extra bulb.
Remove the battery connection spring and take out the red ruber tube containing the spare bulb.
Stuff the resistor of choice(as low as possible because the other steps will introduce abit of contact resistance) into the tubing.
Bend the wire sticking out on the first side to the outside of the red tubing.
Bend the wire on the second side and connect it to the spring.
Stuff the red tubing back into the hollow making sure the first wire contacts the metal part of the hollow well.
To ensure that the current passes through the resistor and does not bypass it through the spring to the threads to the minimag metal tube. Roll a thin insulating strip of paper or dielectric(homemade capacitor??) and fit under where the spring makes contact with the bottom cap to isolate it. Now the current will have to travel through the resistor and limit the current reaching the diode.
Insert batteries and test out the diode. You might want to use high resistance first so you don't blow the diode. My initial resistance was so high my diode barely lased. Change to lower resistance as you go along. Check the current passing through your setup with the minimag bulb as dummy load.
Capacitor
Well if you are lazy there is really no need for a capacitor since batteries are pretty regulated. It is also dangerous for your diode if you do not solder your capacitor to your LD.
To fit the capacitor. Simply solder it to your diode checking polarity. You will have to remove the top half of the two piece socket to fit the capacitor or if is a small ceramic cap you can barely fit it under the top piece but the two pieces won't be able to connect properly. The capacitor can fit beside the aixiz housing as well since there is a gab between the housing and the minimag head.
But the top piece is not important so remove it to make space for your cap. The socketing of the LD pins to the bottom half of the socket should be sufficient to hold the bottom half in place.
To hold the aixiz module in place.
Use a grommet as per Daedal's guide. But I have no rubber grommet or what not. A washer might do if the hole can it the aixiz lens adjustment. Or stuff some soft padding betwee nthe aixiz module and the minimag head. Best is a metal sheath since there is no heat-sinking other than the aixiz module.
What you can do if you have noting available. Make a hold in the minimag plastic lens fit it over the aixiz lens adjument but such that the rest of the housing CANNOT fit through the hole.
Remove the reflector.
Screw the head of the minimag until the plastic lens fits just over the aixiz module.
Screw on the minimag lens cap to hold the module in place.
Tighten as necessary so that the module doesn't move around. There are two threads which you can use to tighten the module.
Switch
Us the bottom screw cap as a twisty switch. With correct adjustment of the top threads, I can turn my minimag laser on and off just by turning back the bottom cap by half a turn or a few turns. The cap WILL NOT fall off and the laser will not turn on accidently if you adjust it right. Do not use too high a power since there is no heatsinking besides the aixiz module. Install your own heatsink using your own creativity since there is quite abit of space between the aixiz module and the minimag head.
You don't have to go and get a dorcy or make a large driver circuit to make a safe burning laser. A minimag some resistors and a cap and some hidden compartments would suffice
