broken laser :( what to do!

[ReaperZ]

Hey guys, i bought this OEM Laser from Dagiun a while ago however the link doesnt work, maybe expired?

http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1210988492



basicially its a 165mw green CNI laser,

however yesterday this piece fell off my workbench and destroyed the lens inside im assuming




do they all use generic type 'lens' in them ? how easy would it be to obtain a replacement part, i have no idea how to get it apart, im assuming obtaining a whole new 'top piece' would be the easiest option?

Help !

 

[styropyro]

That's probably an easy fix. Some CNI lasers have a lens glued on at the end of the laser module, and that may have just come loose. Some water based glue could fix that. It might be a deeper issue in which some taking apart could find the problem.

 

[ReaperZ]

if i could figure out how to get it apart :S

heres a shot looking into it, im assuming it glued or i need some way to grip the piece inside to unthread/screw it?

 

[Dark_Horse]

The lens is usually on the other-side of the silver-disc, under the aperture-cap.

There are usually 3-set screws, very tiny, tapped into the very last groove of the heatsink fins. These screws will have to be loosened and the cap removed, then you should be able to see the lens. I doubt the lens is broken, just needs to be reattached.

The hardest part will be finding the small Hex-wrench for the screws.

 

[ReaperZ]

The lens is usually on the other-side of the silver-disc, under the aperture-cap.

There are usually 3-set screws, very tiny, tapped into the very last groove of the heatsink fins. These screws will have to be loosened and the cap removed, then you should be able to see the lens. I doubt the lens is broken, just needs to be reattached.

The hardest part will be finding the small Hex-wrench for the screws.

ahh your right!

i have absolutely NO idea where id find a hex driver that small though :s i can barely even make out if it is a hex or not! will have to examine under a lens lol, but i imagine they are as you say

 

[HIMNL9]

Don't know for USA measures, but as example, for Euro measures, surveillance cameras set screws goes down til 0,5mm (and was a damn pain to find one, when i needed it )

a possible alternative can be a mini-toex wrench, like the oned that DX sells for PSP and cellphones dismantling ..... they are cheap quality and don't last too much, but if found the right one is impossible, can always made a try with one of them

 

[Dark_Horse]

I have a couple that fit the screws in my Aries-host, I bet yours are the same-size. PM me your address and I will send one to you.
Barry

Edit: These little wrenchs measure .035" across the flats, (.889mm?).

ahh your right!

i have absolutely NO idea where id find a hex driver that small though :s i can barely even make out if it is a hex or not! will have to examine under a lens lol, but i imagine they are as you say

 

[ReaperZ]

yeah its the Aries host

i live in new zealand but ill PM you anyway, up to you if you send it or not lol

thats good to have those measurements though, maybe i can continue to hunt for something local too!

I have a couple that fit the screws in my Aries-host, I bet yours are the same-size. PM me your address and I will send one to you.
Barry

Edit: These little wrenchs measure .035" across the flats, (.889mm?).

 

[ReaperZ]

Dark_Horse has agreed to send me one of his !!

TOP PERSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i cant thank him enough for it i rang tons of local places and all with no luck

 

[Dark_Horse]

These little wrenches are hard to find. I had to order every available hex-wrench under 1mm, (both metric and inch), from McMaster-Carr. Luckily, i ordered a couple of each size.

Now I need to find some replacment-screws for this size.

 

[ReaperZ]

just thought id say that the TINY wrench arrived, WOW so small!!

have managed to undo the screws, now i feel powerful , removed a small scratch on the lens as well would love to obtain some replacement lenses as spares

however i have already been defeated!!! no glue

 

[ReaperZ]

ok so after glueing the little lens back in, and re-assembling everything .. the output is stuffed!

its HUGE!!! with the top half of the laser attached, its about a 5+ metre radius at a range of 15 feet. but there is definately a difference between with that lens and without one.

so i tried with a different lens, just holding it varying distances in front of the laser unit and this worked perfectly!

now i guess my question is, would glue over the lens/under the lens cause it to distort considerably ? or is it more likely the lens is cracked/stuffed ? is it more likely to be my useless glueing skills or the lens itself from being dropped. the top part of the unit did land on concrete in my garage

Thanks !

 

[RA_pierce]

If you are able to adjust the aluminum plate that the lens was glued to, re-attach the lens and adjust it to the appropriate distance for the best collimation.
Do not use super glue, as the fumes will "fog" up the lens.
Also, be careful not to leave fingerprints or particulates on the lens. Clean it if necessary.

Is the heatsink that fell on the ground damaged?

ok so after glueing the little lens back in, and re-assembling everything .. the output is stuffed!

its HUGE!!! with the top half of the laser attached, its about a 5+ metre radius at a range of 15 feet. but there is definately a difference between with that lens and without one.

so i tried with a different lens, just holding it varying distances in front of the laser unit and this worked perfectly!

now i guess my question is, would glue over the lens/under the lens cause it to distort considerably ? or is it more likely the lens is cracked/stuffed ? is it more likely to be my useless glueing skills or the lens itself from being dropped. the top part of the unit did land on concrete in my garage

Thanks !

 

[HIMNL9]

You can use super-glue, with some care and a trick.

First system, is get the special mix for optic use (but it cost a lot and don't have sense, for an hobbyst)

Second system, is this one, that i use all the times:

first of all, get a 12V PC fan (also an old one, if work and is clean) and a wall AC-DC adapter that can give 8 or 9 V, and connect them (the fan must run at reduced speed and make air flow, but not too much)

1) clean very well the lens, possibly with acetone or isopropyl alcohol (both are lipides solvents), using a microfiber or cotton tissue, (better if two, one for clean and one for dry), and dry it carefully, without touch it with the fingers (from this point, never touch the lens again with the fingers, also just the borders ..... use pliers)

2) put the lens in place, and with a thin wire or a thin pointy object, take a very small quantity of super-glue and place it on the border of the lens, when it touch the holder, paying attention that it don't go over the lens (use a magnifier, if needed) ..... if necesary, put only one point of glue, then do the step 3, then repeat, so the first point keep the lens in place when you manage to complete the glueing process.

3) place the lens and holder assembly, without move the lens from its position, over something that hold it lifted from the work plane, but not closed at the bottom, like, as example, a pair of toothpicks, or similar (so the air flow can pass both under and over it, this is important), place the fan near it, and let it dry completely the glue under a constant air flow, also for a pair of hours, for be sure that all the cyanoacrylic acid is gone, then repeat the glueing part until you have glued well all the lens (and, ofcourse, never exceed with glue ..... well glued don't mean encapsulated ).

It's the interaction of the cyanoacrylic acid deposition with the particles of fat (fingerprints and so on) and mist on the surface of the lens, that opacize it, and this happen usually when the glue dry in a non-ventilated ambient ..... if you clean well the lens, use small amount of glue and keep a light and constant air flow over the glued part, 99% of the times it don't happen (if you don't soak all with super-glue, ofcourse )


Edit: by the way, the positive lens at the end of the green module, usually, is different from the ones for diodes ..... the diodes ones have FL of 3 or 4 mm, the green modules ones, usually, from 10 to 15 mm of FL ..... what type of lens are you using ?

 

[ReaperZ]

If you are able to adjust the aluminum plate that the lens was glued to, re-attach the lens and adjust it to the appropriate distance for the best collimation.
Do not use super glue, as the fumes will "fog" up the lens.
Also, be careful not to leave fingerprints or particulates on the lens. Clean it if necessary.

Is the heatsink that fell on the ground damaged?

the heatsink doesnt appear to be damaged in any way its a very strong host!
i think it must be a case of the lens being fogged or having some fingerprint/glue on it.

regardless of the distance the lens is from the laser (the original one that it came with) the output is still large and garbled.

You can use super-glue, with some care and a trick.

Edit: by the way, the positive lens at the end of the green module, usually, is different from the ones for diodes ..... the diodes ones have FL of 3 or 4 mm, the green modules ones, usually, from 10 to 15 mm of FL ..... what type of lens are you using ?

Thanks for that info HIMNL9, i think i will try to find some water-based glue first as this will be easier

i dont know what type of lens I'm using .. its just whatever lens came with the cni laser, which focuses to infinity.

when i tested with another lens that focuses usually at a range of 5-6cm, i could place this lens a fair distance from the laser unit without the heatsink on(as the heatsink has the garbled glued lens in it) (at a distance of approx 1foot) and the laser works perfectly.

 

[HIMNL9]

Wait, your laser still have the expander lens intact, right ?

I mean, you're talking about the front lens, but the expander (the little negative lens just in front of the crystal assembly) is still intact and in the correct place, right ?

And about the FL of your lens, you can see it, also approximatively ..... try to focus the image of a lamp (distant some meters from the lens) on a white wall ..... when you get the image of the lamp focused on the wall, the distance from the lens and the wall is approximatively the FL of this lens.