FREE DIY open source BOOST driver!!! Tested & working!!

[Hiemal]

I believe surface area is probably the most important in regards to heat dissipation. Tis why all heatsinks have fins!

 

[rhd]

Nobody uses plastic hosts here.

If you can show me a 20 gram metal host and heatsink that can handle the heat produced by a 12mm diode module as well as a 400 gram SAIK heat sink, then I'll concede the point to you.

Otherwise, you're nuts. Heat dissipation isn't just about moving the heat from heat sink to air, it's also about moving heat from diode to heat sink first. A larger heat sink can offload more heat from the diode before needing to worry about surface area for dissipation into the air.

Volume would be a better measure than weight, but I wasn't about to measure the displacement of this host.

Let me know if you're still confused.

 

[tsteele93]

You guys are so silly! Nitpicking each other all the time...

There are so many factors in heat sinking. Materials, mass, surface area, airflow, thermal paste/press fit, etc...

RHD's point is that he has a reasonably powerful laser in a tiny host and appears to be reliable and not suffering from heat issues. It is pretty neat. Imagine the idea of carrying 250+ mW of blue running off a couple of AA's in your pocket just a little while ago.

It's a neat little build.

 

[Jubathoph]

Not sure why this cool thread keeps getting derailed. I would say make it a sticky but there is at least 5 pages of legal blather over IP rights on a product that is open source.

The small 445 host is very cool because it demonstrates how effective the boost is on lower voltages as well as shows how small the driver can be made. Again, RHD do you have a link to that sweet piece of stainless steel?

Thanks

J

 

[rhd]

It's a very small host.

 

[foulmist]

rhd, nice build, but is there any aluminum/copper heatsink in this... stainless steel isnt exactly the perfect heat conductor. If all the heat is trapped inside you might not feel it on the host at all. :beer:

 

[rhd]

rhd, nice build, but is there any aluminum/copper heatsink in this... stainless steel isnt exactly the perfect heat conductor. If all the heat is trapped inside you might not feel it on the host at all. :beer:

Nada.

It doesn't even fit a regular Aixiz module - had to use an alternative module I had laying around from somewhere else.

The math breaks down such that about 2.5W of heat is being dissipated by the driver and diode. IE, a bit 2.75W in, 0.25W out the front, 2.5W being turned into heat by the diode and driver.

That's still 2.5W of heat, but it's nowhere near the ~13 or 14W you might be dissipating with a 2W setup run from 2x cells and a linear.

 

[Flaminpyro]

That hosts walls are so thin you will feel the heat believe me !

rhd, nice build, but is there any aluminum/copper heatsink in this... stainless steel isnt exactly the perfect heat conductor. If all the heat is trapped inside you might not feel it on the host at all. :beer:

 

[foulmist]

so how is the diode held in place? .....

 

[RyanElectro]

I would like to buy 3 of these boost drivers. Who can I buy these drivers from?

Also, these drivers are definitely compatible with A-140 diodes right?

 

[Johnyz]

Regarding Linears:
It's common (for me). You just need a good linear driver, that's all. For example, my Mosquito driver has a dropout of about 0.2 or 0.25V. So even with a Li-Ion at a voltage that represents the bottom of its safe discharge, you've still got enough clearance.

Regarding that... I built a true buck driver with LM3405 and I am actually running it in my 635. It puts out around 600mA and I am getting .5W with it with no measurable heating with a single li-ion. But then you came along with your AMC linear sink driver and I was... out of market. :beer:

I actually looked at these a very long time ago and thought: Hey, let's wait, they may make these but with a lower current per IC for weaker laser/led diodes. Well, NOPE, they made LD's to match these instead. Just a coincidence, but a funny one.

 

[tsteele93]

Yes sir:
CQG S1 World's thinest CREE XP-G R3 1xAAA EDC Flashlight_XPG/XPE Flashlights_Flashlights_Electronics Wholesale online

Well, THAT was expensive!

By the time I dragged myself away from that site I needed financing to pay for everything I ordered!

I like FAT hosts and they have some beauties!

I even bought a flashlight to use as a flashlight!

Nice site, thanks for sharing the resource. They are pricey on shipping, but at least it is DHL.

:thanks:

P.S. my builds are going to have pretty innards! http://www.cnqualitygoods.com/goods.php?id=1127

 

[flucero28]

Just finished ordering all the components to build some of these drivers. How long has it taken for you guys to receive your PCB's after confirmation the order for them has been submitted?

 

[tsteele93]

Just finished ordering all the components to build some of these drivers. How long has it taken for you guys to receive your PCB's after confirmation the order for them has been submitted?

My first order from them, sounds like RHD would be the man to tell.

 

[Mohrenberg]

I Finally got home from vacation last night right before midnight.

The boost boards haven't arrived yet. From the normal wait times, he should have them by now and be shipping them out any day. I will probably have them sometime this coming week, so i should probably get the parts ordered.....

I did have 2 other packages from laen though
I don't think i'll be needing any regular linear boards any time soon.....

800 linear boards and 105 round linear boards...

This was from his "beta" buy, which costs $1 per square inch. Took almost 2 months to get them though.

After this first run of boost drivers, i'll probably make 2 orders. One for the beta buy to get a massive load of boards, and another regular order to hold us off until the beta boards arrive.
I don't want it to be a "flex" situation and be out of boards for a month at a time..

 

[tsteele93]

Wow, that just looks cool!