Reds are reliable, and going to be pretty much at spec. 405's are reliable and anywhere from 40-70mW. pretty much all the cheap greens i've got have been temperamental. If you really want a reliable green, spend a few bucks more and opt for a higher power one. Then you might actually end up with one that will do 5-10mW reliably.
I tried to pot mod my green laser pen (this one was different, judging by the shiny, instead of bead-blasted butten) by taking it apart since I don't have a dremel handy, but when I took off the cap, no brass was showing. This one had the brass assembly unit deep within the laser and the rest of it used a plastic housing--must be a cheaper version .
I looked up on youtube the pot-mod and unfortunately listened to some idiot as he took his apart (only video in which his internals were like mine) and he took off this plastic disk with a clear bubble in the center.
The video shows briefly what's inside once he removes the cap, and then he gets the disc @ 1:21.
Now my laser has no defined dot, just a big blob, and it's ruined. I'll have a dremel over thanksgiving break, but for now is there any easy way to get the plastic disc back in? Should I just order one from dealextreme instead now?
I tried to pot mod my green laser pen (this one was different, judging by the shiny, instead of bead-blasted butten) by taking it apart since I don't have a dremel handy, but when I took off the cap, no brass was showing. This one had the brass assembly unit deep within the laser and the rest of it used a plastic housing--must be a cheaper version .
I looked up on youtube the pot-mod and unfortunately listened to some idiot as he took his apart (only video in which his internals were like mine) and he took off this plastic disk with a clear bubble in the center.
Vid here:
The video shows briefly what's inside once he removes the cap, and then he gets the disc @ 1:21.
Now my laser has no defined dot, just a big blob, and it's ruined. I'll have a dremel over thanksgiving break, but for now is there any easy way to get the plastic disc back in? Should I just order one from dealextreme instead now?
Bought one yesterday for $7.77. Price is just too good to pass up. I'm hoping it's as overspec as people here say, but even if it's near or at spec I'll be quite pleased.
not worth pot modding i just watched my friend try to get the module out of the host and he just completely destroyed his laser, just focus the lense and leave it at that it will light matches out of box
video proving that all you need to do is focus the lense: YouTube - video-2010-10-23-20-17-23
'Pot modding' is pretty much pointless on all lasers these days. In general, most manufactures of cheap lasers already have them pushed as far as they'll go when they leave the factory. The few i've attempted it on have all ended up either at a lower output than original, or dead.
405nm pen = 71mW.. Now the strongest of these i've gotten.
532nm pen = 3mw 532, 3mw IR.. As i've said before. the 405 pens are awesome. The greens are really hit or miss though.
Which seller did you buy the 405s from on Ebay? There seem to be a few from "LA, USA". There is itemquickship, emall2010, and laseryork. Thank you.
Now itemquickship seems to be out of stock.
Oh well, just ordered two 405s (Item number: 200425109948) and a 150mW green module (Item number: 200533799355) from laseryork. Will report back when they are received.
I just got one of the "5mW" 405s from itemquickship. Took about a week to get here.
I'm very thrilled with the preformance. I don't have an LPM, but in good darkness the beam is very faintly visible; hitting something flourescent like a piece of white fabric or paper produces a very bright dot. Came in a standard black newwish host with a silver button.
For the price, I couldn't be more pleased. Just ordered another four to give out as gifts :wave:
I bought two @ $7.77 from itemquickship and two @ $8.44 from laseryork. They came in the same exact packaging and same exact return address, same apartment, different names. Roommate undercutting the other ? :twak: Review forthcoming.
If you read this thread, you'll see that it's pretty much impossible to get these hosts apart without destroying them. Other than that, you'd need a new driver.. The few i've dismantled of mine, all maxed out at 85mA or so. 445's don't even start lasing until around 200mA. The duty cycle would also suck. 445's are hot little beasts, and these pen hosts offer very little heatsinking.
So.. if you can manage to meet all these criteria it would be possible:
1) get host apart without destroying it.
2) find a boost driver with switch and footprint indentical to the stock driver that will put out at least 4V and 300mA off of 2 AAA's.
3) not mind <30 second on times.
. 
