Blu-Ray Current

[climbak]

I would be willing to do some testing, but the power meter I have easy access to only goes up to 20mW. We have an attenuator for it, but it's fairly unreliable. I'd say I could get within about 10% of the actual power, but I feel that is horribly inaccurate compared to what some other members can do. By the way, my long term test diode is now running at 100mA and we will turn it up to 110 here soon.On a side note to anyone who hasn't been paying attention to my updates, this diode has no real heatsinking other than what it comes with from the sled and is in a constant on setting so it isn't terribly representative of a diode meant for a laser pointer that has to go through heating and cooling cycles much more often.

 

[GooeyGus]

I've had a PHR running at 120 for a few weeks now :-?

I say start at 110 and work up from there

 

[climbak]

I am about to turn my 803T pointer up to 115 or 120. I'm having a severe want for more power after seeing all the news of the 6x diodes being driven to 200+mW

 

[apex007]

I'm running my PHR-803T at 125ma now. No problems so far, just watch the duty cycle. My diode is only heatsinked by the Aixis housing it sits in. I kept it on for over a minute at 125ma and it hardly warmed up.

I would love to know what the max safe current really is for these diodes, however I'm happy with it set at 125ma. 90ma definitely wasn't enough. 100ma still didn't seem like enough. 125ma is real nice

 

[GooeyGus]

BTW, If you want I could test some diodes. I have a scientech 364 power meter and a 'bench-top' LM317 driver powered by a DC adapter so I dont keep killing batteries.

 

[V1.15]

BTW, If you want I could test some diodes. I have a scientech 364 power meter and a 'bench-top' LM317 driver powered by a DC adapter so I dont keep killing batteries.

When I send the one to be opened I will add a test victim as well... I still have not made it to the post office with that one that needs an opening service to you yet... but I will... eventually :

 

[apex007]

I just checked my current draw on my 803T build and it's now reading in the 135ma range. I set it at 125ma, it has magically risen +10ma. So I'm not sure why, or what's happening or if this is normal as my single CR123A drains. Either way, it's working fine.

I should mention my setup again:

PHR-803T diode
DrLava low-range flex drive
1xCR123A 3.7v lithium battery

I'm going to switch to some other CR123A's and see if it's something with the battery. Otherwise I don't know how the current draw could be increasing on its own. Gremlins in my flashlight?

 

[apex007]

Ok, interesting. Maybe I'm going about reading the current incorrectly. I'm not reading it at the diode, since my unit is assembled and closed. I'm reading it at the butt of the flashlight with the cap off. Am I going about this incorrectly?:

What I'm doing is:

1. setting my multi-meter to the 200ma max range
2. Testing my setup by putting the negative probe to the negative end of the battery and the positive probe to the case
3. Results with 4 CR123A lithium batteries of different charge levels:
Battery1, reading 3.72V........current draw of 140ma
Battery2, reading 3.73v........current draw of 138ma
Battery3, reading 3.81v........current draw of 133ma
Battery4, reading 4.13v........current draw of 120ma

I'm guessing that there must be a big difference between reading the current draw at the battery vs putting the probes directly between the diode and the driver. But I thought it would read the same current throughout the circuit. Obviously, as the batteries drain, the current draw increases in this boost circuit.

So how do I accurately know how much I'm actually feeding my diode??

Maybe I'm not actually driving it as high as I thought and there's way more room to crank it up!!

 

[roSSco]

When using a boost circuit you will need the meter in series with the LD to get an accurate current measurement.

The method you outlined will work when using the LM317 circuit though.

 

[apex007]

Ah, then I'm screwed. No way I'm taking apart my careful assembly and unsoldering anything to get an accurate read.

It pops balloons like a champ and doesn't overheat. I'll leave it at that.

 

[Spyderz20x6]

Ah, then I'm screwed. No way I'm taking apart my careful assembly and unsoldering anything to get an accurate read.

It pops balloons like a champ and doesn't overheat. I'll leave it at that.

Lol

 

[Spyderz20x6]

How long should it last at 120mA with a good heatsink?

 

[climbak]

It depends on the particular diode. Probably a fair amount of time, but you never know till it dies. I have mine running around there or higher. Not quite sure. I had the driver set to 90mA, but I turned it up and don't want to desolder everything to check it.

 

[Spyderz20x6]

It depends on the particular diode. Probably a fair amount of time, but you never know till it dies. I have mine running around there or higher. Not quite sure. I had the driver set to 90mA, but I turned it up and don't want to desolder everything to check it.

Thanks!