FS: $200 1.7 Watt CREE R2 445nm W/ Charger/3Ah battery

[rhd]

The question that hasn't been answered is - what driver is/was in these?

Single cell driving implies a boost. 1.7W of claimed output implies a good boost.

So - what's in these to justify the power claim? My gut here says something is sketchy. I'm happy to be wrong, but the fact that these have been shown to LPM at less than 900mW makes me think that they never were 1.7W to begin with.

I'll tell you what I think - my gut says that these are being driven with whatever stock LED driver was inside the host to begin with, OR it's the $15 O-Like "1W driver".

I'll half way tempted to buy one second hand just to find out. Maybe someone who currently owns one can just check? Take some photos? Show us what the build style/quality was like? I think the 1.7W claim was never legit. This just feels like a Sparkles repeat.

RDTech, if I'm wrong, I'll retract my statement and offer you my sincerest apologies.

 

[Mohrenberg]

WOW !!! I just read through this thread:

http://laserpointerforums.com/f44/closed-40101-5.html

Read all the way through it, It'll will open your eyes !

:scared:

Not mentioned in that thread is the second visit from 2 FDA special agents from the criminal investigations department from Kansas City. Happened just a week or two after my last post in that thread.
I ended up having to hire a lawyer. Haven't broke the law since, it's too expensive.

 

[RDTech]

It was made with a Flex Drive V5 and a A140 Diode, 445nm COATED glass lens. These should never be used for longer than 1 min or so. They all have such horrible efficiency. They radiate more heat out, and without a fan like the others I manufacture, they will hurt the laser diode when kept on longer. They need to COOL off for a min or more between uses. I have sold just a few of these I had here and no problems. I have an ophir LPM which tested the output. I have had my personal SH-032 host for almost 1 year, outputting 1.55 Watts with no degradation thus far. I wish to keep a good rep here. The only other problem since you state it seems to go up to ~800 or so mW, is the battery is not fully charged. Even thought is is a boost drive, it requires like 2.3 amps to drive it. I now use 4000mAh and 388mAh 18650 batts without protection on them for power. Mitch

 

[qumefox]

I don't think you'll get 1.7W out of a single flexdrive even with a efficient lens like a g1 or g2.. definitely not with a 3 element 445 lens. My guess would be ~1.4W off a maxed flexdrive with a 3 element, or between 1.5W and 1.6W with a G1 or G2 lens.

 

[rhd]

It was made with a Flex Drive V5 and a A140 Diode, 445nm COATED glass lens.
(...)
Even thought is is a boost drive, it requires like 2.3 amps to drive it. I now use 4000mAh and 388mAh 18650 batts without protection on them for power. Mitch

I don't think you'll get 1.7W out of a single flexdrive even with a efficient lens like a g1 or g2.. definitely not with a 3 element 445 lens. My guess would be ~1.4W off a maxed flexdrive with a 3 element, or between 1.5W and 1.6W with a G1 or G2 lens.

Agreed. That's exactly why I was sceptical. Had this been a dual flex drive build, I'm sure the dual boost drive would have been advertised. Had it been a single flex drive, it never would have metered 1.7W to begin with. (neither with a 3 element, nor a G1/G2)

And while we're on the topic of BS, there's not a 4,000 mAh 18650 in existence that you could be powering your builds with - not that that would make these claims any more reasonable if there were.

 

[Petacat]

I never ran the laser for more than 20 second bursts with plenty of cool
down time, and a total of no more that 30 times or so. It stayed in the
Hardigg Storm Case with the rest of my collection. I don't burn except to
see how a laser does against a CD case, which only takes a few seconds.
My wife will not put up with the stink! In short I almost never used this
laser except to look at it sitting next to my others. If Saki302 didn't burn
it up when I sent it to him, I don't know what the problem could be.
maybe the battery.
RDTech has been real nice about this, and has sent me his address so
that he can check it out.
There really is not much use for these lasers we collect if one does not
burn stuff with them, except the joy of making them, and just having them.
You can not use them as star pointers, they would be terrible self defence
weapons, and to use them outside in the city would just get you into trouble.
So I just enjoy haveing something that reaches towards mechanical and
technical perfection. Something I dreamed about having back in the 1950s
while I watched Science fiction shows on our black and white T.V.

 

[saki302]

I was the one who tested it to a peak of 865-870mW on a radiant alpha meter.

Basically, the package arrived, I opened it, grabbed a charged battery out of my parts box, and LPM'ed it right away. Total run time on my end, maybe 20 to 30 seconds x 2. (The pic I took was a test with the supplied battery, just in case- that one came in at 810mW).
My Yobresal still meters a touch under 1.1W, so my meter's still working fine.

I didn't take it apart, so I can't comment on the drivers or construction. The heat sink is not bonded to the host body, so you have to be careful when adjusting focus. It's actually rather loose in there.

I Hope RDTech can fix this one up for you- it's coming back Priority mail tomorrow, you should have the tracking via paypal shortly if not already.

-Dave

PS- Petacat, I wanted a laser ever since I saw Star Wars, back in 1979

 

[Petacat]

Well, there you go ! Thanks Dave.
Yes, Star Treck ,and Star Wars are probably
half the reason for this hobby !