GB #2: LaserMan (Dinodirect) FireDragon 250, 300, 500mW GroupBuy - CLOSED

[Jmillerdoc]

Hi,
I have not yet received my 500mw. I have an LPM so will post a review here ASAP.

Can someone post a link to the site where we actually use our tracking numbers? I have a tracking number but have no idea where to use it.

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[plexus]

My 500mw is enrolee. it cleared through customs yesterday in vancouver so I should get it this week. I was a little worried because my friend had a WL arctic 445 confiscated by customs. he showed me the documentation they sent him saying it did not have the government approved safety features and was over powered for consumer use. so in fact canadian customs do check these things. then again the only safety feature the Firedragon does not have is a delay on start. it does have the key locked power and aperture close.

 

[azzman372]

Hi,
I have not yet received my 500mw. I have an LPM so will post a review here ASAP.

Can someone post a link to the site where we actually use our tracking numbers? I have a tracking number but have no idea where to use it.

Thanks,
Jeff

Universal Package Tracking Service @ Packagetrackr

Try that. Its a really good site that shows u the progress of your item.

Also my package shows that it is in Sydney and it could be delivered today or tomorrow!

 

[bobhaha]

My 500mw is enrolee. it cleared through customs yesterday in vancouver so I should get it this week. I was a little worried because my friend had a WL arctic 445 confiscated by customs. he showed me the documentation they sent him saying it did not have the government approved safety features and was over powered for consumer use. so in fact canadian customs do check these things. then again the only safety feature the Firedragon does not have is a delay on start. it does have the key locked power and aperture close.

It also does not have an interlock pin.

 

[azzman372]

Oh no..........

Note: This is my initial testing so there still is hope that I may have just gotten a defective module.
Speaking of which the model number is LD054

Tested with Included battery. First ever turn on by me

Current draw 1.8A

Tested with Ultrafire 2400mAh battery. Relatively cold start. 5 mins after first test. I stopped it after it dropped past 500mw cause I was relatively pissed...

Current draw 1.5A

Pretty sure bobhahas' one measured at around 2.xA when we measured it.

Another thing I just noticed is that the beam is coming out at a ridiculous angle

I have spoken to Kath about this and I hope something will be sorted out.
I haven't had a pleasant time with Lasersman at the moment but it has nothing to do with Kath as she has been helping me out each step of the way

 

[rhd]

Eeeek. That's not promising.

I mean, I think that's arguably "on spec" though.

 

[azzman372]

Eeeek. That's not promising.

I mean, I think that's arguably "on spec" though.

But arn't they power certified 500mw+?

 

[rhd]

But don't arn't they power certified 500mw+?

They are... I must not be understanding. A peak of 716 and an average of 536, are both 500+.....what's the concern ?? :thinking:

In fact, from the looks of your chart with the included cell, it doesn't drop below 500 until roughly 110 seconds into the test.

 

[azzman372]

Yeah I see your point RHD. Though comparing it to bobhahas' it is +100mw peak and about +50mw average but at ~$150 extra?

I'll be doing more testing later tonight

 

[rhd]

Yeah I see your point RHD. Though comparing it to bobhahas' it is +100mw peak and about +50mw average but at ~$150 extra?

I'll be doing more testing later tonight

Ok... but you can't really compare it like that. I mean, you can't compare overspec figures to other overspec figures, and then try to evaluate a purchase made based on spec-figures. You can really only compare whether your figures matched / exceeded spec.

I mean, that's kind of the nature of how this stuff works. We always expect to get the spec power, but we hope to get higher. If we want to ensure that we get higher, we have to then pay for that higher power. Then over course, this higher power becomes our "spec" power, and we then hope for even higher than that

I guess I was confused because you had mentioned talking to Kath about getting it "sorted out". I don't quite understand that part. You got a laser that peaks almost 50% above spec, and holds above spec for at least a minute and a half. That seems like a *win*, no? I'd hold DD (or LM rather) to their spec, but you can't go holding them to a particular "over spec" spec

That said, I think you really should try using decent batteries. Any time I get a free 18650 with a laser, I throw it out. Try a better cell. I know that my FireDragons, generally consume more than 1.8A.

 

[azzman372]

Ok... but you can't really compare it like that. I mean, you can't compare overspec figures to other overspec figures, and then try to evaluate a purchase made based on spec-figures. You can really only compare whether your figures matched / exceeded spec.

I mean, that's kind of the nature of how this stuff works. We always expect to get the spec power, but we hope to get higher. If we want to ensure that we get higher, we have to then pay for that higher power. Then over course, this higher power becomes our "spec" power, and we then hope for even higher than that

I guess I was confused because you had mentioned talking to Kath about getting it "sorted out". I don't quite understand that part. You got a laser that peaks almost 50% above spec, and holds above spec for at least a minute and a half. That seems like a *win*, no? I'd hold DD (or LM rather) to their spec, but you can't go holding them to a particular "over spec" spec

That said, I think you really should try using decent batteries. Any time I get a free 18650 with a laser, I throw it out. Try a better cell. I know that my FireDragons, generally consume more than 1.8A.

Yep I completely agree with you. I'll see what Lasersman say.

In regards to the current draw, I tried several other batteries all resulting in <1.8A draw. Is this strange? They are all fully charged though they are all cheapy china brand ones. In saying that, when we tested bobhahas' 300mw with a cheapy china brand battery it was >2A drain.

I guess we will wait and see what others get

 

[Jmillerdoc]

This may seem like a stupid question but....I have a LaserBee USB and I want to know how you guys are able to post the screenshot of the graph without actually taking a pic of the screen itself....please edjumucate me....I should be getting my 500mw today and I want to give everyone here my results as well...packaged in a pretty graph like above.
Thanks,
Jeff

 

[azzman372]

This may seem like a stupid question but....I have a LaserBee USB and I want to know how you guys are able to post the screenshot of the graph without actually taking a pic of the screen itself....please edjumucate me....I should be getting my 500mw today and I want to give everyone here my results as well...packaged in a pretty graph like above.
Thanks,
Jeff

This is the way that I do it.

Load graph
Print to pdf
Open pdf and export as jpeg/png

Works pretty well

 

[bobhaha]

Or you can just...

load graph
print screen
open paint
paste/save

This may seem like a stupid question but....I have a LaserBee USB and I want to know how you guys are able to post the screenshot of the graph without actually taking a pic of the screen itself....please edjumucate me....I should be getting my 500mw today and I want to give everyone here my results as well...packaged in a pretty graph like above.
Thanks,
Jeff

In regards to the current draw, mine is a stable 2.61A. Peaking at 628mW then sitting pretty stable at 487mW average. I guess Azzman was expecting similar trends to mine.

If you look at my LPM readouts then compare it to Azzman's, you can see mine peaks, then drops off a lot quicker. I only get about 30 seconds of 600mW+ where as you get almost a minute and a half above 600.

I have a feeling you have a different module to me and that your diode is either more efficient then mine, or it has been throttled back to keep it in spec.

In any case, it meets and exceeds its rated spec. But personally if all the 500mW lasers show the same traits.... I don't think it would justify the extra $150 over the 300mW model which we have seen pretty consistent 480mW+ averages.

 

[AlexL]

Hi all,
As you may see i'm new to this forum.
I already played around with lasers in the late 90th.
I remember when i owned a 632nm helium-neon laser for 300$. I sadly don't remember the power.
I'm going to tell you more about it my hello world thread.

But now my question:
Is there any chance left to get the discount of the groupbuy?

 

[plexus]

Hi all,
As you may see i'm new to this forum.
I already played around with lasers in the late 90th.
I remember when i owned a 632nm helium-neon laser for 300$. I sadly don't remember the power.
I'm going to tell you more about it my hello world thread.

But now my question:
Is there any chance left to get the discount of the groupbuy?

Welcome AlexL. I too started out with with a HeNe; a tube I bought in 1986 and built into an nice cylindrical enclosure with a PSU. It was a sweet Melles Griot tube I bought surplus somewhere for around the same price as you. I used the university machine shop to make the enclosure. It was a lot of fun and a learning experience.

I may have a laser like the ones in this group buy for sale. PM me. I bought one in the same host from o-like and it tests out very well. I want to see what the one from the GB is like and i will sell one of them once I determine which I want to keep.