Another first time build

[Jon709]

no problem, if your interested I've got some nice hosts with large heat sink and that take large battery's for sale, theres a link in my sig if your intersted.

I'll definitely take a look!

That S4/M140 and C6 build are beautiful to just wanted to say

 

[awillis2589]

Well thanks you. I've got some more but need to make some reviews so I can link them to my sig. Especially my 9mm build and my freak m140 in my stainless steal host. There's a picture of the freak diode in my lpm tread though.

 

[Jon709]

Well thanks you. I've got some more but need to make some reviews so I can link them to my sig. Especially my 9mm build and my freak m140 in my stainless steal host. There's a picture of the freak diode in my lpm tread though.

I would love to use a similar host like the C6 & S4 but I am not sure if I will be able to run what I need because I don't think I will be able to get enough power with a single battery.

I was thinking about just picking up a m140 in the copper housing & leads, G2 extended lens w/ focus ring & X-drive set @1.8A off of DTR.

Now all I need is a host w/heat sink big enough to fit 2 decent batteries and get some extra wiring to finish up the solder work.

Should I get a good burn and laser out of this set-up?

 

[awillis2589]

Well if you where to get one of the host I'm selling that dtr package would be great for it as the heat sink is so big you can fit the entire module inside and then all you would need to do is solder one wire to the top part of the side clicky switch and take the ground wire and place it between the host and head and screw the head down and it will get the ground like that. Then throw in some 25500's in it and laze on. I had a 9mm in one for a while then moved it to an even bigger heatsink.

 

[neo64]

I would love to use a similar host like the C6 & S4 but I am not sure if I will be able to run what I need because I don't think I will be able to get enough power with a single battery.

Wouldn't a single 18650 be enough if you'd be operating at circa 1.9A? Obviously it depends on your intended usage for the laser..
I think you'd probably get something under an hour of lasing

 

[awillis2589]

You would have to run a boost driver to run a single cell setup. Not really worth it. Your better off using two cells and using a buck driver as they make less heat and have no problems making high power. I definitely recommend the x-drive.

 

[neo64]

let's see if I have learnt something these recent days since my interest in laser construction...

I'd have to run a boost driver if I'm using a single 18650 because the Vf of the diode is higher than the battery voltage, correct?

Thanks for your tip!

 

[Th3dArKn3o]

wow, jon709 you might want to do some research on your own as this noob isn't quite giving good info about the m140 or the 9mm.

Thank you for your shallow minded comment !
Can you show me what I said wrong in my posts ??
If not you're the noob here ...

 

[awillis2589]

let's see if I have learnt something these recent days since my interest in laser construction...

I'd have to run a boost driver if I'm using a single 18650 because the Vf of the diode is higher than the battery voltage, correct?

Thanks for your tip!

correct!

The Limits of an M140 Diode are ~2A (for longer life 1,8A) more will kill it if you get an rare diode with good cooling maybe it will survive 2,2A but not for long !
@2A the M140 will output around 2500mW (with G2 Lenses) but it really depends on the diode a rare diode will go to 2600mW and more a lousy just to 2100mW at 2Amps

The new 9mm Diodes are much better I've seen someone pushing it to 2,6Amps and more hitting like 3400mW peak on the lpm ...

well lets see just about no one pushes a M140 to 2A besides for testing its limits. you cant assume the efficiency of any diode so guessing that a diode would do 2.5w being pushed at 2A wouldn't necessarily be true. As before a couple people pushed a 9mm to the limit's but pretty much for testing purposes only. so to tell someone all this who doesn't know much about lasers and is still learning does them no good.

the best way to test a diode for the optimal current would be to use a bench power supply a labby heatsink and an LPM to find it's best current and then to build it in your host. but most noobs don't have the equipment to do such a thing so you usually stay in the acceptable ranges for diodes.

 

[Th3dArKn3o]

correct!



well lets see just about no one pushes a M140 to 2A besides for testing its limits. you cant assume the efficiency of any diode so guessing that a diode would do 2.5w being pushed at 2A wouldn't necessarily be true. As before a couple people pushed a 9mm to the limit's but pretty much for testing purposes only. so to tell someone all this who doesn't know much about lasers and is still learning does them no good.

the best way to test a diode for the optimal current would be to use a bench power supply a labby heatsink and an LPM to find it's best current and then to build it in your host. but most noobs don't have the equipment to do such a thing so you usually stay in the acceptable ranges for diodes.

I push the M140 in my Build at 1,9Amps all the time and it outputs just fine and stable ~2400mW I had my M140 before @2,2A for testing reasons but my M140 dims over 2A very quickly !! (So it doesn't made any sense going over 2A)

And I didn't said every M140 will output 2,5W if driven at 2Amps I said only a rare diode will go that far ...

I have many years of experience with electronics of all kind and I have a very good sort of equipment to test and build electronic devices so calling me a noob is very impolite dont you think ?!

 

[awillis2589]

OK but your telling some that's still learning 2A is acceptable for a M140 which really isn't unless it is tested. Also it is rare to have a diode make 2.5w at 2A but I've got one that does more at only 1.8A. And what LPM do you have for testing these power levels?

"But anyways I looked back and forgot you started a thread about a custom build you did so your not really a noob so sorry about that but some of the info you where sharing wasn't quite consistent with info you should be giving to someone how it entirely new to lasers."

 

[Jon709]

I decided to go with the M140 set-up from DTR I mentioned just trying to find a host body, heatsink, and batteries now

Again thanks for all the help to anyone who has chimed into this thread so far!

I find that most new users now days on forums don't get the warmest of welcomes all the time so thanks.

 

[Th3dArKn3o]

OK but your telling some that's still learning 2A is acceptable for a M140 which really isn't unless it is tested. Also it is rare to have a diode make 2.5w at 2A but I've got one that does more at only 1.8A. And what LPM do you have for testing these power levels?

"But anyways I looked back and forgot you started a thread about a custom build you did so your not really a noob so sorry about that but some of the info you where sharing wasn't quite consistent with info you should be giving to someone how it entirely new to lasers."

I fully agree with you that a newbie shouldn't go over 1,7-1,8A But he asked for the absolute limits of these diodes and I just wanted to share my experience with him It should be clear that going to the limits is dangerous for a newbie in every way (just like someone who just gets his driver license want to drive a Porsche to its limits) ...

Anyway I did my measurements with an 3W Laserbee from a friend !
As soon as I get my Ophir Setup I will make tons of measurements including at least 4 new builds

BTW >2,5W with 1,8A must be a freak diode you're lucky praise your freaky diode

 

[awillis2589]

True that might be the absolute limit but I wouldn't even dare to go that far. But yeah its a nice freak diode that I could probably push farther but like it on the safe side. There a picture of me lpm in my 5w lpm in my sig, and this was with ***fire cells and survival laser driver at 1.8A so I could probably do a little better with Aw imr cells.

 

[Jon709]

From what I have been reading about builds and lpm readings on the m140 it seems to me I could be wrong but from what I seen it was normal to get around 2w-2.2w off of an m140 with the proper lens, battery's etc. and a good driver running @1.8A.

But I decided for my first build i am just goign to get everything I need of DTR and am thinking of going with his Sky-Ray SR5 host and do the mod for it to be able to accept 2X18350's.

So my final list as of now is;

M140 in copper housing w/ leads
405-G2 extended lens w/ focus ring
X-drive set @1,8A
2X18350's
Sky-Ray host and Heat-sink

I hope I am not missing anything at this point. Also do this seem like a decent first build, are there any potential problems I could run into besides blowing the diode if I don't short the leads out at certain points?

 

[awillis2589]

I'm not to familiar with the host beside dtr sells it, but I'm assuming its not much bigger then a c6 so the downside would be shorter duty cycles and not super long run times between charging with the smaller cells. Don't get me wrong 18350's and 16340's are very typical for most builds and inexpensive so having a couple sets isn't uncommon.