Re: **UPDATE**Destructive Gear PYRO 100 Review.
I received another e-mail from DG...
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dgear@destructivegear.com wrote:
Hi Larry,
We are going to go ahead and send you a replacement laser.
Be on the lookout for the tracking number when available.
Please confirm this address for me:
<My Shipping Address Removed -----LQ>
When we receive a complaint like yours, we have two objectives:
to make the customer happy and to understand the nature of the problem so it does not occur again.
Our problem is that we cannot get the laser you sent in to exhibit the behavior shown in your videos.
Mode changes can occur when the laser is too hot or too cold or when the voltage drops too low.
We tried running for long times to heat the laser but do not see the mode change.
Another possibility is that it's not the mode changing but the focus lens is not glued well.
Sometimes we test by knocking the laser quite hard against our hands or a book so the laser does not scratch.
I knock this one very hard and it still works fine.
The other possibility could be that the laser is just not aligned correctly and the beam sometimes scatters against the edge of the lens.
But we test the beam spot at different distances and it appears perfectly round.
So it's a big mystery.
I am thinking maybe the laser was "doubly" warmed by regular use in addition to being in a warm room.
But you also say the problem occurred when you go outside.
Also, mode changing is actually more likely to occur in the cold (10 degrees C) than in the heat.
This ends up confusing us. So we will just send you a new one and hope it goes better.
I am thinking maybe the one from your video will change the mode again in your specific environment.
Do you think if we returned this laser to you in addition to the replacement you could try it and see what
happens, and then return one to us?
Thanks,
Teping Chang
Destructive Gear
I replied back this morning:
Yes, The address is correct.
And Yes, I would also be willing to continue testing of the original laser.
I can get more videos, and pictures of the split beam in an outdoor (Dark Cool) setting.
I have no problem doing that for you.
I will get more batteries so we know everything is fresh.
I can confirm that it is NOT voltage sag causing this.
Or at least it's not coming from the battery.
There is always the Possibility that some component on the driver board is heating up and reducing voltage to the Pump Diode.
Once you could plainly see the beam was Split, I removed the battery, opened a new package, and put a fresh battery in.
When turned on the beam immediately jumped modes back to TEM01.
I would almost bet the Ranch that this is temperature related.
Whether if it's a component on the driver board, the pump diode itself, or a problem in the Crystal Matrix, that is the real Mystery.
At first the beam is nice, round, TEM00.
As the laser warms, the Dot begins to develop a "Tail".
It looks a lot like a small green "Flame" off of one side of the main dot.
This "Tail" becomes Longer, and Longer and brighter.
Eventually the beam is 2 times Wider than the original dot.
If you look carefully at my videos, you eventually see that the "Tail" is now a Dot making at FUZZY "8" shape on the wall (TEM01)
Can you see it when you view the vids??
I really need to get you a video of a Cool laser outside, at night.
There, looking at the beam only, without the brilliance of the DOT making things hard to see, you can plainly see 2 small side by side beams.
Actually this was how I FIRST discovered that something was strange about the beam, and that the laser may have issues.
What I noticed was HOW MUCH BRIGHTER the beam was over my Nova X-105!
It was Brighter, however, it appeared brighter because it was Wider!
As I slowly spun the laser in my hand, the beam got Brighter, then Dimmer....
THAT was when I noticed the 2 separate beams.
Anyway, I will get as much info for you as I can.
Not a Problem.
Stay Tuned...More Exciting Action to Follow!
LarryQ