FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

[IgorT]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

i payed too a couple weeks ago and in last days no news, plz igor we trust you but you know is not nice not to hear any news, maybe a post for telling us the situation

Sorry, guys, for making you worried.. First i reduced my online time, to focus on the work, but when i wanted to get back on, i suddenly couldn't.

I did have the option of setting up my new comp on Thursday, but then i would now still be working on batch #3.


I took on too many orders at once, trying to get the custom lens money together faster. I thought i could handle it all, but it came at a certain cost..

When i have a normal batch - 6 orders, i usually get ~20 emails a day. And as you all know, i write long, detailed answers.
Now i first had a batch of 12, which covered the 6x diode purchase, then i had a second larger batch of 17 orders! In the middle of the second batch, i started the GB countdown. Then more orders came in. I got completelly overwhelmed by it all.

The usual 20-30 emails a day transformed into 60-80! I could spend all days long doing nothing but answering emails! But in the end most of you also want to get the laser, not just talk about it.

Don't get me wrong, i don't mind answering questions, and i like talking to each and everyone of you.  But i also have to MAKE your lasers in the end.

So i decided to make work the main priority, problem is, now i have hundreds of unanswered emails, and they all need my attention!

To make it all a bit more stressfull, the customs decided to step in. Since i had more orders, i also had to place more orders for parts, and that is part of the reason they noticed the packages - there were too many at once.


So it was a lot of work, and a lot of complications to top it off, but it's almost over now, only the battery situation needs fixing at this point.


I really hope most if not all of you are reading the thread for updates, in which case most of your questions should already be answered. I will try to attend to everyone individually as soon as i possibly can. But i have more work to do today, this time it is not lasers, it's my real work, which has been neglected a bit, because of the lasers!


Anyway, all is well now, you're all getting your stuff, and you're gonna love it..

 

[rangedunits]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

Youre backlogged too? (Dx)

 

[IgorT]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

Ok, i am answering emails as fast as humanly possible!

As for the batteries, these here are protected: http://www.batteryjunction.com/protected-14500-lithium.html

Problem is, i usually advise against these. They have BAD OD tolerances, and sometimes get stuck in the battery tube (some are too fat). Also, if i understand this correctly one costs as much as two at DX!


I think my packages should be processed on Monday, so i should have them on Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest. So if you guys can wait a couple more days, i'd rather include the properly fitting TrustFire batteries...

But the gray UltraFire batteries can also be used, if nothing else is available. Just sometimes you need to push them out of the battery tube. But some "shaping" can often help with this. I described the procedure a couple of times i believe.

 

[IgorT]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

Ok, i think i answered all the critical emails, if i forgot one, please write again, so it comes out at the top..

Right now i have some work to do...


P.S. Now that i have a good computer, G-Mail won't be giving me trouble anymore, so any conversations i asked you to move to my business email or PM can be moved back to G-Mail. I have better overview there, as i can label them and sort them into groups.

 

[IgorT]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

Youre backlogged too? (Dx)

My problem is not as much DX as our anal customs..

DX shipped a bunch of my packages just before Chinese New Years.. But they shipped them all on the same day, so they arrived at the customs on the same day. That's the problem. Until now my DX packages would pass customs without a single problem every time. But when they saw 10 at once, they decided this can't be for personal use, and demanded official import documents, forcing me to import all of it on my company.

A resulting problem is, that if i import this on my company, i have to sell it through my company, or i would cause discrepancies, and get in trouble with the tax-mafia (aka IRS).

So i guess this means the next few orders will be official products of my company..


After i realized what was going on, i immediatelly changed the shipping addresses in my DX account for all the unshipped stuff. I changed the shipping addresses to various and friends and family members, to hopefully make customs forget about it a bit for a while.

I used to do this at the start, but somehow DX packages were almost never mollested by our customs. So i became too relaxed, and stopped cycling the shipping addresses. That, and the fact that i placed more orders than usual, and that some of the stuff was backordered, caused multiple packages to arrive on the same day, and now my wallet is already trembling in agony.

 

[919jack]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

Thanks for everything Igor. Shame about customs. My, uhh, "intuitive" sources say that coming months will increasingly challenge our resolve and the ability of good people to work together. Due to that big new hole in the planet's magnetosphere boy someone is going to have fun with that comment, you know who you are

On a more earthly note, does any experienced IgorT customer know how long I might expect my package to be in transit to the US? (assuming no customs issues)

Thanks

 

[rangedunits]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

Did u endup paying extra $$?

Damm thats not cool.

 

[Th0ughts]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

I know it's trouble, but are we going to get the graphs for the lasers before/during shipping? Shipping is top priority, I was just wondering.

 

[IgorT]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

A small update on the 6x... I mentioned a while ago, that the 6x upgrade cost might change a bit. Right now, it's only $45 more than the PHR laser, even tho at this moment, i can get PHRs at a price, where the 6x's cost me $50 more, not $45 more!


But the problem is this. Look at the attached picture. It shows comparison plots of multiple 6x diodes (14 IIRC). They vary more than i expected. As you can see, some barelly cross 170mW at 200mA!


If i would simply use the next diode in the row, to make your lasers, they would be all over the place! But as you all know, i pre-test all my diodes, and sort them into groups, for efficiency and wavelength and weed out the "weaklings".

Sometimes there are diodes of very short wavelength, which would look dim even at a very high power. A longer wavelength PHR at 120mW could look brighter, than a short wavelength 6x at 190mW! That's how much difference a few nm make for our eyes! Luckily, there are not many such 6x's...

But there are quite a few of bellow average efficiency. And those would need 190mA to reach 170mW!


People ask me for different powers. Some ask for 200mW, others ask for 170mW. I could use the lower efficiency diodes for the 170mW lasers, but that would defeat the idea behind it! The people, who ask for 170mW, do so, to have their diode last longer! If i used the lower efficiency diodes for lower power lasers, then the people asking for 170mW would have been better off if they asked for 200mW!


For now, i have to kill multiple 6x's anyway, to figure out what they can handle. So i will use the weaker ones for experiments. But later on... Well, let's just say, i can't keep on killing a bunch of expensive diodes from every batch i buy!


So something has to change. I don't want to start using diodes at random (just taking the next in row). I always pre-tested them, and always sorted out the lower efficiency ones. I don't want to change that. But with PHRs, sorting out the weaker ones was not a big loss. Here, every single diode costs me A LOT, regardless if it's a good one or a "bad" one!


So there are several options. I can make three groups of 6x lasers. The normal efficiency diodes at original price, the higher efficiency at higher price, and lower efficiency, at a discount.

Since i'll kill several lower efficiency diodes in experiments, i will know more about them soon. There is a possibility, they are actually tough and would make great 170-180mW lasers. I will know more when they die.. :



Anyway, i'll have to think about this a bit, but i hope the reasons are understandable. Look at the comparison graph.. The differences are not as bad as with 4x's, never mind PHRs, but there are definitelly present.


P.S. I think i even found a 6x with a kink! I put it aside for more detailed testing..

 

[IgorT]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

I know it's trouble, but are we going to get the graphs for the lasers before/during shipping? Shipping is top priority, I was just wondering.

Like you said, shipping is top priority. Most of the "graphs" are still just numbers in my "Diode Notebook".. Some are compiled for comparison as you can see above. I only plotted batch #1 graphs so far, i had no time to do the rest.

I will do the individual ones after everything else is done. The graphs will be sent via email, so you'll have them by the time you have the lasers.... Don't worry about that..


Anyway, i need to get back to work. Real work this time! Work which pays with real money, not some "imaginary" PayPal money, which i can't even get out...

I know, i know, PayPal is real money for you, but where i live, it's not worth much more than Monopoly-money.. All i can do is, use it to buy stuff online. That, and spend it on the lens project. The fact that it seems less real to me, made it easier for me to "waste" it on the lens developement. But the work behind it is just as real as my "real" work..  (I'm starting to confuse myself.. :-?)

 

[ben74]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

You do know you can send money from Paypal to your master or visa account :-X

Oh i sent you a email too.

 

[gtangel]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

Hi everybody,
I just received my 175MW 180MW BR laser from Igor!!!!
I want to share my opinion with you guys.

The laser is AWESOME, the power is mind blowing!
I'm no pro with lasers, but I recognize quality when I see it.Its even better than my green laser from ..... (a well-known company)!The size and weight  compared to my green one(150mw) is just hilarious...
It's my first laser from Igor but definitely not my last!

That's it for now, I will continue to ''experiment'' with my laser!

Photo:Observe the power!(Made with my phone)

 

[IgorT]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

Yes, i know that, but my VISA is my business CC. If i send money onto it, then i also have to put out an official invoice fom my company to the buyer.

But since i now have to import parts on my company, i will be forced to sell some lasers as official MindTech products anyway. That's one money i will be able to get out.

Otherwise, i got your email, i'll get back to you as soon as i can. HORRIBLY busy right now, please understand.



Anyway, someone asked me for more pics of how i build my lasers. Here is a picture of my constant current boost drivers, right after etching. I use a toner transfer method which i modified a bit to give me perfect results. I have almost no rejects. On this board, only one had too much copper eaten away at one spot, and could not be used.. The rest were all fine.

This is the top of the boards, there is a bottom side with more components, that's why it can be so small - only 12x9mm..


This is the hardest part of it all - making the drivers. I am gonna have the PCBs made in a factory from now on. This was the last board i hand-etched... (i hope)



I could save a lot of time, if i didn't make my own drivers, but it is these tiny things, that make my lasers so stable. The current never changes more than 0.2-0.3mA from full to empty battery, meaning you get the exact same power every time you turn it on, on an empty battery still same as on full!

Then the battery protection circuit kicks in, and shuts it down, which can be a bit scary the first few times, as there is no warning, no power drop or anything, the power stays at the max until the very last moment.

 

[gtangel]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

the photo is huge:S can someone tell me how i can make it smaller? :-[

 

[IgorT]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

Hey Angel!

Very glad you love your laser!

Are you sure the power is 175mW? Please check what the box says. I always write it on the inside of the flap. The black number on the flap is the last power measurement i take before packing, with the laser at room temperature..

The box opens where the blue tape is, and that flap has a number on the inside. Check it. If memory serves me right, you got 180mW...


As for the picture, i resized it for you and shaped it to fit the forum attachment size better.. It's in your email, use that.


Enjoy your laser!



P.S. Don't get scared, when it suddenly shuts down in a week or so. It just means you need to recharge the battery. It can be a bit scary the first few times it happens, but it's just the battery protection circuitry kicking in...

 

[Traveller]

Re: FS: >110mW PHR, >140mW 4x & >170mW 6x Blu-Rays

...that the 6x upgrade cost might change a bit ... i'll have to think about this a bit, but i hope the reasons are understandable. Look at the comparison graph.. The differences are not as bad as with 4x's, never mind PHRs, but there are definitelly present.
------------------------------------------------------

Hey,

first off, I'd like to say that I am very impressed with the effort and methodical way you go about testing and preparing your lasers, from diode to custom-made(!) driver to fit -n- finish   :-? ;D

This is also the very reason why I am already planning on a Red from you instead of looking elsewhere  

Secondly, I think you should "bin" your diodes just like the CPU and GPU manufactures have been doing since day one. They also tend to split up their production into three separate, clear divisions (economy, performance and enthusiast). Logically, said companies charge more for their entusiast processors then their economy lines, etc. In the end, most of us will aim for the "performance" sector, but some will want to have the non-plus ultra and finally, there will be those that want/ need to budget but still want to own an IgorT "handcrafted" Laser  

Finally, I think that the variance is still quite amazing (170-220mW) and so it is easy to imagine the 170s going for economy 150mW "everlast" models and the 200+ for the will-pay-top-dollar-for-that-last-mW enthusiasts...!