Dragon Lasers 589nm 50mw Handheld

[ChaosLord]

Recieved mine and just fired it up. It's just as expected... awesome! Thanks again for doing this!

By the way, you sir know how package something for transit. If only every one else would do half as good, I would ever worry about damages, ha.

Have a good one!

 

[KapHn8d]

Received mine, fired it up... worked great. Amazing laser and just what I'd hoped for... however, I ran into an unexpected issue. I took the batteries out and put them on the charge to go to dinner hoping to play a bit more later. I lightly threaded the tail cap, not tightening it all the way, so as not to lose it on my workbench while away. When I got home, expecting to lightly remove it with very little force since I had just barely even threaded it to begin with, I found it completely bound. It took rubber grip assistance and pliers to remove the tail cap that was arguable not threaded more than a few light fingertip turns before I left. Now, the cap will not attach and the laser is basically unusable. This is IN NO WAY the fault of Jeff or related to the group buy... but for all the seemingly awesomeness of the Spartan host, I have to say the thread are the cheapest excuse for machining of the unit. It seems so solid and well constructed, but the tail cap connection is like a crackjack toy... flimsy and far from durable. If my ridiculously light fingertip pressure (and careful attention to not crossthreading my brand-newly purchased coveted 589nm laser) causes a mechanical failure of the thread connection, there is a quality issue in the host. Full disclosure, I'm totally pissed. I'm not upset at the GB - which was the best I've been in to date - and certainly not at Jeff - who was absolutely excellent in the process - but in the cheap-ass build in the threads and my expectation for more out of the unit.

Thanks for the awesome GB. Now I guess my recourse is to work with Adam to send my host back to China and get a replacement that isn't plagued with a skimpy, flimsy, worthless, tailcap thread for an otherwise very well built and seemingly awesome host.

My laser is non-functional until I get this sorted.

Congrats to all that got a unit without this issue. I'll be with ya soon... I hope.

/c

 

[Sigurthr]

If you were super brave you could also look into having someone professional (lazeerer maybe?) de-host the module and rehouse it in a more thermally competent host. Just my $0.02. With proper cooling this laser will perform leagues above what it is capable of straight from DL.

 

[IsaacT]

Yeah if my unit had problems I would TOTALLY rehost it. Imagine a custom host of your own design and yellow photons shooting out of it. Just imagine....

PS - Or you could clean up the threads(maybe re tap them?) and then use thread lube on them and hope for the best.

 

[starlight]

Revived mine yesterday only had time to use it for a minute but it is freaking incredible. Work has me busy until Saturday night and then I'll get to enjoy this awesome laser some more. Thanks a ton to Jeff for putting this together and keeping everything smooth and simple would recommend him to anybody for help.
KapHn8 any chance your host threads are OK and getting a new tail cap a possibility? Also examine to see if the threads can be fixed enough to make it usable I feel terrible you ran into this issue so soon after getting it......hope you get it resolved quick and correctly.
I will post some pictures over the weekend of my new favorite toy

 

[KapHn8d]

It does appear to be a tailcap problem. I emailed Adam about ordering a new tailcap and we'll go from there... I suppose worst case scenario, I could file out the threads and just hold it on with my hand when using

Oh well... the laser is gorgeous. Looking forward to seeing it again. lol

/c

 

[Jmillerdoc]

I wish you would have emailed me first. Anyways, I've got one here without any issues i will swap with you. Just mail it back to me and i will mail you this other one here. I will deal with Adam over this.

 

[KapHn8d]

I wish you would have emailed me first. Anyways, I've got one here without any issues i will swap with you. Just mail it back to me and i will mail you this other one here. I will deal with Adam over this.

Don't worry about it, Jeff. You upheld 100% of your responsibility with the group buy and I'm not unhappy with the laser itself, just the tailcap connection. It's expensive to ship things to/from China and there is no reason for you to be the intermediary here - especially if I'm purchasing another tailcap or sending the unit back for replacement. Depending on what Adam says, it may be easier to look into the suggestion of having it reconstructed in another host. Besides, it took a lot of effort to get the tailcap off - which was clearly crossthreaded by me due to some poor machining on their part and poor assumptions on my part when I screwed it on with my thumb and forefinger thinking I was doing no harm - and is cosmetically damaged on the surface where I used pliers to remove.

Thank you for the offer... enjoy your two units and post up some pics. I am not losing sleep over this and I'm sure I'll get it sorted out eventually.

Cheers!
Clayton

 

[Jmillerdoc]

Well, the offer stands.....

 

[Jmillerdoc]

Alright everyone, LPM results? Someone has surely LPM'd their laser by now. I am really curious to see how your results compare to mine.

 

[KapHn8d]

I metered mine with 3 different batteries. The highest spike I saw was around 114mW, but there was some hunting between 40 and 65 before averaging in the high 30's to mid 40's. It is incredibly difficult to maintain a stable connection holding a strip of aluminum foil on the back of the laser to test it, but I was curious. I was concerned because when I had a steady "on" with my ghetto-foil-switch, it metered rock solid at 14mW for a good 15 seconds before climbing back into the 30's. I am assuming all this is the poor electrical connection I'm providing during the test. I am very willing to speculate this is in fact the 50mW laser advertised with the factory switch.

Sure is a pretty color though...

 

[RayJay]

Sure is a pretty color though...

I was about to say the same thing

 

[Jmillerdoc]

Last 5 just arrived

 

[Jmillerdoc]

Okay guys, here's the deal. What appears to have happened is these are freshly milled hosts and they never took the time to de-burr the threads on the endcap. I have carefully inspected each of the last five and note that they are very rough with burs everywhere. I think a little fine grade steel wool on the threads will do the trick. I am going to work on one of them and see what the result is and if it turns out well I'd be glad to do it to the rest if nobody objects.

 

[crazyspaz]

Well Kap, you had better just send that laser to me...broken tail cap, probably useless, but i MIGHT be able to do something with it

 

[Jmillerdoc]

Yeah, been inspecting these closely and what appear to have happened is they didn't complete the final step in brushing the threads after cutting them. I am going to use a fine brass Dremel brush to finish one off and see how it works. Im pretty meticulous and feel i am able to do all five of these should everyone want theirs done. It should fix any future problems like Kaph had. Let me know.