** BluRay Diode GB **

[Archane]

Oh thats going to be beautiful, I can't wait to get mine. so from what i'm reading I need to build a circuit that putputs about 4.5v around 35ma is that right?

 

[Daedal]

I'm telling ya, man. I lit the match. I saw smoke at first and thought, No freaking way... Then it ignited. I giggled. Loud. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I did of course, have to sharpie it.
It was one of the ebay PS3 modules. I got it on ebay from wiivendor I think... Sure I know there are differences in tolerances, and will take your word that it's highly unlikely. I suppose I got a fluke diode or tapped into a zero point energy field unknowingly! Maybe it was pyrokinesis on the match, and psychosomatic on the skin!!

I SWEAR, I was SO excited about it, I was going to do it again and video it.
But, it blew. So I honestly have no idea how it happened. I'm fairly sure I was using the 2 CR123's and a resistor in series with it. It may even have been direct. I was having a LOT of trouble getting it to lase anywhere near as bright as I thought was comparable to the pictures I'd seen. Even taking into account the difficulty in photographing that wavelength.
Thinking back, I think I was using a cheapo pot. that was in the little assortment pack from radio shack. The one I blame for frying the diode. I think it failed at some point, because that sucker was HOT when I disconnected the diode when it died. Really really hot.
I did of course use a lens. I used the magnifying bit in my SwissChamp for both the skin sting and the match light. I was NOT able to reproduce this with the second one, and from the sounds of it, I'll have to start saving to get something that is capable of doing these things in green or red. Or wait for a blu-ray burner to become more affordable.
I wouldn't lie to you guys!

Sting? With a BluRay? What were you using? An engineering sample? These run over $10,000 you know... :-? :

You can't get a BR hot enough to light a match... I would bet money on it... not a diode from a reader... impossible. These things are so sensitive that powering it at 60mA could kill it right away... To get the kind of burning power that would 'sting' your skin you're looking at several times that power... Which is not possible... Also, to light a match you'd need AT LEAST 40mW of power... And that would take a little while too when collimated to a needle-head sized dot... the diode would die before getting there, let alone staying alive through the burning process... :

--DDL

Damn! That sure sounds hard to swallow but... lol... I can't believe you managed to push a PS3 diode that far ;D

Maybe these can go the distance then?

I did use an OEM 405nm and push it to 25mW... OMG... THAT was one hell of a freaking beam! It was semi-visible... VERY faint... little dist specks would glow so much when they hit the beam

Although, that was a one-time deal kinda thing... it laster about a month of almost continuous use... and then called it quits... was a pretty sweet deal to ;D

Anyway... I'm gonna try to get some 405nm diodes that don't have the stuff for IR and red... these ones are the hot ones that can do quite a bit of power as well

--DDL

 

[Daedal]

I'll try to get a picture but remember, what I see is the beam hitting a piece of typing paper which always lights up under UV. Last night, I was most concerned about mA and mW. That blue dot on paper may be deceptive.

Mike

The camera can't figure out the bright spot.

Nice picture mike

Looks like you got the first one working already

--DDL

 

[Daedal]

Oh thats going to be beautiful, I can't wait to get mine. so from what i'm reading I need to build a circuit that putputs about 4.5v around 35ma is that right?

In the Exp. and Mod.s section there is a thread called something like 'DIY laser diode driver' by yours truly...

If you read through it you will find everything you need...

The LM317 needs ~3V for itself, and the diode needs ~5V... a 9V battery will do excellently due to battery sag and all that.

The current limiting configuration will also control the current very well and be very stable to use with the BR LD...

GL;
DDL

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

My input to the basic DDL current source is a gel cell charged to 6.8 volts.. I have a 47 mfd cap directly soldered to the LD leads.
Please folks -- read the posts about a current source. I'm getting ready to go over the 40 mA hill ;D ;D ;D

Mike

 

[zerafiel]

Is the voltage rating of the caps used across the LD important? I was going to get some 47uF 6.3V tantalums but thought I should check down first. It seems the higher the voltage rating, the lower the impedance. Can anyone shed some light or do you guys just use what ever cap is convenient?

 

[Archane]

Yeah DDL I used your design on my new MDXL (thanx Senkat for the LD's, and thank you DDL for the circuit) i'm just trying to make sure the numbers are right for the PS3 diode. I know it needs a much much lower ma than a red, i'll try to cruise that post again, maybe I missed something

 

[Gazoo]

Please do NOT run 1.2 amps into this diode...it is too sweet to be killed.. ;D

 

[Zarniwoop]

Got mine running at 41ma on a proto-board - case is tomorrow's fun.
It starts lazing aroung 35ma, so I guess I could go to 45 but I hate to push it.
It's amazing what a brightness difference there is on various materials.

As for the red, everybody said you'd have to re-focus, but I'm amazed how much. At about 3ft, when one color is a speck, the other is about quarter-sized.

Here's a pic lighting up glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling in my son's room.

 

[Zarniwoop]

And one just pointing at a tape measure that happens to fluoresce:

 

[yuip]

I've popped in to report that I have received my units. I haven't even opened the box, and probably won't until I have every part and piece of equipment laid out in front of me. I'm really frightened of ESD'ing these.

It seems that the three units I ordered must be crammed in there pretty tightly. It almost scares me to think of how small the assemblies must be.

I love the pictures you guys I have taken so far, that deep violet color looks stunning!

Good luck with everyone's projects, and thanks again to Daedal for arranging all this!


Edit: What is a good housing for these diodes? I saw the Elly Blu-Ray mod a few months ago on CPF and was wondering if that is a good way to go. If not, I guess I'll be building a Daedal circuit and cram everything into a project box, unless anyone has some other suggestions.

 

[rubberband]

my god these look sooooo awesome i can't wait until the second gb starts. i killed 2 unit's before due to my ignorance to propper driving and i finally have a good driver ready to go. if someone buys my dorcy i will be ready to go. my god i can't wait

 

[Gazoo]

I wanted to post a picture of what the beam actually looks like. I took it with my webcam, and then altered it to show the appx. true color because most cameras pick it up in blue. It will not look this bright to your eyes unless you are looking towards the beam. But it is beautiful and is very close to what you can expect...running with 40ma's of current.

 

[marks47]

my god these look sooooo awesome i can't wait until the second gb starts. i killed 2 unit's before due to my ignorance to propper driving and i finally have a good driver ready to go. if someone buys my dorcy i will be ready to go. my god i can't wait

Don't feel bad. I just killed my third one. It's just a glorified LED now.

I have found out the HARD WAY and BLOWN A THIRD (#*&$ing DIODE that VOLTAGE MATTERS no matter WHAT anyone on these forums says.
Forget the load/no-load BS, do NOT run the Meredith instruments regulator on a nine volt battery unless you plan on putting a resistor in parallel to suck off some of the voltage!!!!
I'm sorry. I know this will not be a popular thing to do, but since these BR diode discussions are scattered across at least 2-3 threads, I'm repeating the post there, too.

 

[Gazoo]

Sorry to hear this...but everyone should always test with a load before hooking up any LD.

Did you try measuring the current on the test points of the regulator...using the voltage setting of your meter? I am sure you can still use the diode as a test load. I have a few dead red LD's I use. If it was me, I would want to know why the Meredith regulator caused this to happen.

I have been thinking about canning the idea of using the 7805 as a current regulator and using the LM317 instead. I am very familiar with it and I trust it.

 

[marks47]

Sorry to hear this...but everyone should always test with a load before hooking up any LD.

I have been thinking about canning the idea of using the 7805 as a current regulator and using the LM317 instead. I am very familiar with it and I trust it.

Don't trust anyone. Esp. myself.
Fourth diode blown. Started at 11ma and tried turning it up slowly... Never even lased. The max. on the circuit I had (smashed to bits now) was 123ma. Giving up. Would like quotes for a pre-built unit. I will send the housings if it saves time/money. Feeling pretty rotten now... REALLY REALLY bad. just bad place.