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Burnt Diode?






Ah, just a basic, Digital Multimeter VC97 AC DC? Those are actually pretty cheap.
 
Well, if you're planning on sticking around in the hobby, a decent soldering station and basic tools are a must have, even for simple troubleshooting.

Luckily, they're really cheap.
 
Okay! I will buy those for sure then! I love new intellectual pursuits. (Like Myers Briggs personalities, astronomy, lasers, ya know.) So, for now, get ahold of Gary, explain the situation, he'll probably tell me to send it back. Then he will most likely send me another one and try and see if that works. If that doesn't, probably buy another diode. Until then I'll probably one of those Blue Ice hosts and buy another diode for that one. Thanks a ton for all your help, I'd still be clueless to this laser business without ya. *Applauds to LPF*
 
After doing some reading on the diode on Ebay, they're saying that some of the advertised "2 watt" diodes will actually blow right off the bat with more than a 1.8A driver, could this be the case?
 
I take it you didn't use a test load on the driver before hooking it up. Would have been a good idea.
 
Did you put the driver on a test load before attaching to the LD?
Do you have a lpm?
Did u put the lens in backwards?

Edit. Beaten to it :-)
 
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The driver was tested before shipment and was found to be operating normally. I would be happy to test it again and let you know the results. :)

However if the driver was powered without a load or the connection to the diode was intermittent, it could have been damaged.
 
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Bristol said:
After doing some reading on the diode on Ebay, they're saying that some of the advertised "2 watt" diodes will actually blow right off the bat with more than a 1.8A driver, could this be the case?
Click to expand...

Yes, I have had some diodes fail or vastly underperform at that current. In fact I tested an M140 the other day at 1.8A and it only produced about 300mW.
 
Bristol,

I received your driver and it tested normally with the recommended batteries:

8184404605_3c7179475e_b.jpg
 
Hey guys I just saw this thread and I had exactly the same thing. In my case it was not the batteries and it was not the driver. I switched out the 1.8 A driver for a 1.3 A one and had the same thing. Bright flash then dim output each time I turned it on.

I bought the diode from DTR and was very careful with it; ESD, soldering <1 sec, shorting caps, etc. I tried two different drivers and 5 different AW IMR/ panasonic NCR18650A batteries and still the same issue. I even sent it back to DTR because he wouldnt believe it was not a power issue...

As it stands he has no idea what is wrong and neither do I. Im inclined to believe it is a faulty diode and will try to decan it when I get it back. :beer:

Edit: My diode was also getting hot very quickly...and I did check both drivers on a test load before use.
 
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That sounds interesting. I actually have seen a couple faulty diodes myself (clif knows all about it XD) so I know its possible.

Bristol, I have just about all the tools needed to do testing on the diode if you would like me to take a look at it for you. I wouldn't even mind testing the whole laser for you at all since I hate to hear that someone new to the hobby is having issues like this and I have experience with SL drivers and have built and used several of your exact laser. The only thing I would ask is that you prepay shipping both ways.
 
As I mentioned in a previous post some of these diodes will not handle 1.8A current or are faulty right out of the projector. I have discovered two LED and one extremely low performance diodes in the latest projector that I harvested. These were carefully handled like all the others and were binned using a regulated bench power supply.
 
By any chance have you came across any with messed up glass windows? I just had this problem myself with screwy brand new diode.
 
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