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First 445nm Build

Fiddy

Fiddy

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May 22, 2011
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G'day fellas,

Im building my first 445nm build at 2W.

Im using a guidesman host with 2x heatsinked flexdrives at 900mA driving a XX-X140 diode.

just figuring out the wiring, here's a proposed diagram that i made.

Wiring445nm2W.jpg


Critisms are welcomed, because i'd rather be flamed than short/destroy/LED stuff :)

Cheers!
 





you can just bridge the case pin to the negative pin.. (i think)
and the diagram is correct..

you could have figured it out by looking at DTR's builds :)
 
Since the guidesman is case negative you could bridge teh case pin to LD- and just ruun the wires back to LD- on the drivers which would provide them ground since on the flexdrive LD- and Batt- share a common ground. I've done this with low power 405 builds but for my 445 builds I prefer to do it the way you diagrammed it. I haven't done a dual build yet but I have a 445 build in a old style guidesman and used the case pin to feed Batt-. One thing you may want to do if you're not comfortable soldering to diodes is to solder a short lead to LD+ and LD- then solder the wires from the drivers to those.
 
Ok, so ive built it using my diagram, and it only comes on for a little bit, has a high frequency hum and turns off? im thinking its a grounding problem any suggestions?


Update: been playing around with the seating on the top half the torch, it seems to be playing silly buggers with the current to the drivers?

still wondering why it hums when in use? is that normal?
 
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Hi,

I drew a little diagram of how I understand the continuous negative system to work in the flex drive.

I followed your wiring in regards to having 2 flex drives, as I havn't done a dual driver build before, but that's how I would wire a single flex drive so I combined the two.

I'm fairly confident that's the correct wiring system, but I'm sure someone will chime in and confirm it soon enough.

Screen%20shot%202011-06-04%20at%2011.44.16.png
 
It shouldn't hum. Not sure why it's doing that. I found my HeNe power supply made a high pitched whine when it wasn't getting enough power. Maybe your battery needs recharging? Also make sure you have the connections correct too. I thought I killed my diode or driver then I realized I soldered Batt+ to the LD's +. Whoops!

Asherz-

That way works too. I have a case negative red diode wired that way to a single flexdrive. With high powered 445s I like running a line to Batt-. Remember if you use a microboost you have to do that since they don't have a continuous ground between LD- and Batt-.
 
Tested the 2 flexdrives and the max mV out i could get was 160mV with the current jumper setting
(which should be a minimum 500mV/mA as stated in the Flexdrive data sheet) and the pot turned all the way anticlockwise.


P6050964.jpg

P6050967.jpg

P6050966.jpg

P6050965.jpg

P6050963.jpg


Does anyone see anything wrong in the photos?
 
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Update:

The power supply is at fault here, it seems it couldnt supply the current needed at that voltage? anyway i used a 18650 battery and the current was correct.

I constructed a 1200mW 445nm in a guidesman host that runs reliably with one flexdrive at ~1A.

I also constructed a 405nm running at 420mA with a Flexdrive in a guidesman host and it has a similar problem, it flashes for a split second when the switch is pushed then turns off straight after (its a latching push button)? im thinking a grounding problem is to blame?

Is it possible the battery cannot supply enough current cause its internal resistance is too high? the battery is a 4000mAh Ultrafire : 2 PCS UltraFire 18650 3.7V Rechargeable Battery 4000mAh | eBay

Ive also tried several of those batteries and they run in the 445nm 1200mW guidesman but not in the 405nm and/or the 2000mW build? Got me stumped..
 
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Nice to see your attempting to build some new lasers :D

although that diode might die on you if it isnt very efficient, if a diode can produce over 1500mw's at 1.5amps with an aixiz lens then its usually alright to pump 1.8amps through it

I have completely given up on my 445 hotlight... I failed at heatsinking my driver to a coin on the back of the heatsink and I accidentally scraped the plating of the driver to its shorting out, PLUS I cant get my batteries to fit :/

Il just use that 445 diode for something else :p I will eventually come up with a new use for the hotlight but until then, I cant be bothered doing anything

BTW is your profile pic of a Honda VTEC's pistons failing :p My cousin had a VTEC Prelude but he didnt experience any problems with it
 
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Fiddy said:
Yup, we will see how long it lasts :)

Dam that sucks, i used these heatsinks on all my drivers: HEAT SINK for laser driver, flexdrive, microboost, etc. | eBay

what batteries are you using?
Click to expand...

The shipping on those little heatsinks is like 13 bucks for me :/

I used two protected cr123a cells like in my LOC build

I think I might use some of these : $5.06 - Pure Copper PC Memory Heat Spreader (8-Pieces) - Hardware Parts

cut em in half and you have a nice little heatsink that costs under a dollar
 
Yeah bit pricey if you just buy them by themselves but I buy heaps of kit off that seller at a time, so the total shipping for the whole order is only $13.

Interesting idea i wonder how good those heat sinks are.

Hmmm i bought a hot light kit and a bunch of LPC-815 & LPC-826 diodes to play with :)
 
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