Re: DC Big Chunk heat sinks are here !
I FINALLY got the time to build a laser with this wonderful heat sink. It is very much "the best of both worlds." It is a great "marriage" of the functionality and versatility of the Jayrob design and the direct "diode to heat sink" design of the Kenom laser host. It is massive. It fits into some very well established hosts. It allows for the direct contact between the diode and the heat sink.
I have to apologize to everyone. I had the setting on my camera wrong. Yes. I still suck at photography :-[
My first impression of the "MXDL Chunk" was that it is very well machined. The finish is nice. The edges are clean, The fit is precise.
The diode pressed easily into the front portion of the sink. Not so tight that it was a problem, but definitely a good metal-to-metal contact. The diode pins are very much exposed on the rear of the sink with the rear "ring" removed. Soldering the flexdrive directly to the diode was easy and clean. I pre-set my drivers before attaching them to the diode, but it would be no problem re-adjusting the driver at this point. The driver is completely exposed now.
After the driver is attached it is a simple matter to add a bit of thermal past and simply slide the rear portion of the heat sink onto the front portion. They even supply a small tube of thermal paste for just this purpose!
The completed heat sink/driver/diode assembly is now ready to be soldered to the power leads from the host and inserted into it.
With the "MXDL Chunk" the front of the laser assembles just as it does using the Jayrob. The heat sink fits down into the bell and the front "ring" is screwed down over it.
The lens nut screwed easily into the front. The size and depth are comparable to the AixiZ module so the fit is the same. The result is a clean, professional looking laser.
If you want a heat sink that is the best of both worlds, you cannot go wrong with the new "Big Chunk" line of heat sinks. I have already ordered a second heat sink from them
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On a related note I made a discovery about the new MXDL host. This has nothing to do with the heat sink, but this is a good place to start spreading the word about the host. The middle section of the MXDL, (the silver portion that makes the battery contact and has the power leads coming out of it), is filled with white silicone. Buried inside that silicone, and inline with the positive lead, is a current-restricting resistor.
In order to use the MXDL, you have to cut the middle of this silicone out, remove the disc, cut the resistor off, and attach a short wire to the "stub" left attached to the battery contact disc. This is not hard nor a problem, but it must be done to use the host with a driver.
Peace,
dave
P.S. This will be re-posted in the "Review" board