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FrozenGate by Avery

DVD drive suitability ?

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flyeruk

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I have been given a couple of dvd drives and was wondering if the diodes would be suitable for harvesting. The first one is PHILIPS DVD R/RW DRIVE DVD8701/96
and a HEWLETT PACKARD MODEL GCA-4080N i think its a laptop drive.Both say class 3b on the back. Many thanks
 





I am not familiar with those exact models, but I would wager you could make a bitchin' little laser with those.

Hey they were given to you, so tear them down my friend, get those diodes out and experiment with them.

Nothing ventured nothing gained. ;) have fun.
 
flyeruk said:
I have been given a couple of dvd drives and was wondering if the diodes would be suitable for harvesting. The first one is PHILIPS DVD R/RW DRIVE DVD8701/96
and a HEWLETT PACKARD MODEL GCA-4080N i think its a laptop drive.Both say class 3b on the back. Many thanks
Click to expand...

They say class 3b on the back? are you sure?
 
Ye, its says, class 3b visable and invisable laser radiation when open. I have just stripped them down,but cant tell which diode is which,they both have 3 pins on them.
 
take pictures of the sled showing the diodes if you can please :)
 
flyeruk said:
Ah,slight problem there,i have now removed them from the sleds.
Click to expand...
Ah well good job on the harvesting there. Im not as good at this as the others but If i remember correctly the two sleds i have harvested the higher power burning laser had thicker traces in the plastic strip connected to it.Do yu still have the plastic strips connected?
 
another option is (provided you know what you are doing here) is to connect each one up with your driver set really low, gradually (with a meter connected) turn up the current a wee bit at a time.

The red diode will reveal itself.
 
The strips from all 4 of them,from both drives seem the same thickness. But i have now discovered that two of them have two pins and the other two have three pins. i Couldnt tell straight away as the solder on the pins was so much.
 
Two things, make sure you don't overheat the diodes de-soldering them and wear a grounded wrist strap. Static will ruin them too, and in the winter static is a higher risk than in the summer.
 
I also have this sled,or whats left of it, any ideas which diode is which?
 

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Please be aware that if you power up the IR diode and it's working... without goggles there is potiential to damage your eyes.

as with all lasers.
 
Thanks very much for your help. If i take some pictures of the individual diodes would it be possable to identify them?
 
Not easily... the simplest way to identify them is by simply powering them up. 5.6mm diodes sit in the same can unless they are open. The IR diode will have the same pinout as a red, so it will make testing easy! Try giving each diode ~ 40mA.... just to see which is which. That's what I would do anyways... but I have been known to make mistakes now and then..
 
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