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FrozenGate by Avery

GB: PL520 murder fund

The voltmeter display on my power supply reads a little low, add .1V onto the readings I took.

I'm setting up a system for the 50 hour run on the first diode that will record the data every 5 hours to the computer so I don't have to check it :p
Data on the second diode will likely be up tomorrow.
 





ARGLaser said:
The voltmeter display on my power supply reads a little low, add .1V onto the readings I took.

I'm setting up a system for the 50 hour run on the first diode that will record the data every 5 hours to the computer so I don't have to check it :p
Data on the second diode will likely be up tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Splendid! :beer:
I guess from there you'd be extrapolating the data to get an idea of how long it might last?
What current will you be doing the long test on? The diodes seem very resilient, and you may not see anything over just 50 hrs if the current isn't high enough I think :thinking:
 
Previously he mentioned 350mA as a possible current and I agree. If after 50 hours there isn't a measurable difference at that current we can be safe to assume that the current is not damaging and the diode will last a very very long time. Even if he cranked up the current and found the the diode degrades quicker it would be extremely difficult to be able to figure out how long the diode will live at any given current. I highly doubt any level of degradation would be linear against current so even knowing how fast it degrades at a given current wouldn't mean anything for another current. Basically the goal would be to figure out if 350mA is damaging or not.
 
I see. Hmm, so the feel is that 350mA should be a typical current of these diodes to achieve something around 125mW? And any current below that would just mean that the diodes will last longer...

Well, if nothing significant happens after 50hrs, would it then be good to conduct a 500mA test? Since that was the max power output of the diode, we'll know what's the minimum run-time expectancy of the diodes. Most will of course, not run these diodes at the max. But who knows... if a 500mA long run doesn't show up anything, then this may be the first diode that everyone runs at max power! :p
(man, if that's really the case, only those with LPMs will actually be able to do that!)
 
I would agree that a power increase would be good if the first test doesn't measure anything. Also the point of testing multiple is also so that we can get an idea of what they can handle so that those without LPMs can build with the diode and not risk just blowing it up instantly.
 
I think the ideal current is 350mA even if it happens to handle 500mA just fine. Higher wavelength, more heat and shorter battery life is not worth a couple of extra mW's imo.
 
For me, I am going with 300mA. I don't want to have to plop down another 145 dollars if mine doesn't like as much current. 300mA should still give me more than 100mW, and will also keep me right at about 520nm.
 
Okay, I have a rig set up for the long run, analog digital converter to send the power signal to the computer which will be recorded. Wavelength and temperature wont be recorded, as I don't have a system that I can easily set up to record that. The TEC should be able to keep it at around 26-27 degrees.
I'm just testing it out with an A140 diode over night before putting a PL520 in it :p
 
Horrible news... My drivers got delayed from unforeseen circumstances and I got bored and decided to do some more testing on my diode. I had the whole rig set up and turned it up to 350mA and turned around to grab a clamp to hold it in place and at that instant my cat jumped up on my desk and knocked the whole thing over... my diode got a nice spike and poof.
 
NOOOO!!!!!!! Oh my god that sucks!!!! The most expensive Diode I have ruined was a 9mm, at ~100 dollars. Is the cat...........

*whispers*.....alive?
 
ApexProxy said:
Horrible news... My drivers got delayed from unforeseen circumstances and I got bored and decided to do some more testing on my diode. I had the whole rig set up and turned it up to 350mA and turned around to grab a clamp to hold it in place and at that instant my cat jumped up on my desk and knocked the whole thing over... my diode got a nice spike and poof.
Click to expand...

Yikes, did it short or did the the current knob get cracked up?
 
My PSU wasn't touched so I think the terminals shorted. The cat is fine. I had my TEC powered up at 9V 5A so its lucky she didn't get hurt.

Time to go cry in the corner now...
 
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Was that your only diode? I know some of the loaded ones around here buy their "diodes in twos"(Laser Rap Part 2).
 
I plan to do 2 builds with these eventually. One handheld and one TECed. If it's at all possible, some more TEC testing would be decent, though I don't know what else you could really do.
 
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