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FrozenGate by Avery

gonna try a 375nm pointer build...

styropyro

styropyro

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I keep a list of saved searches on eBay for various laser things...always hoping to get a deal on a one off part. In particular, I've been looking for a 375nm diode for at least 5 years now, and the cheapest I've seen them go is for around $900 (plus some 375nm coherent cubes that I missed for ~$400). The thought of an invisible, but fluorescence inducing ray seems awesome, and as far as I know there has never been a UV laser pointer built. (No, your 405nm eBay "5mW" retina fryer doesn't count :p)

Today I got an email with this listing: SPECTRA-PHYSICS LASERS 3B LASER PC14678 375nm 36mW | eBay

I could find no info on this part, but I bit the bullet and bought it anyway. I'll tie myself to ground and tear this thing apart, and hopefully pull out a nice 375nm diode.

From what I could find, Nichia is the only manufacturer of 375nm diodes, and their diodes are case neutral (yay!!!) and also have a built in zener for reverse and over-voltage protection (yay!!!!)

I've been away for a while, and I have missed out on those new 488nm diodes which I am insanely jealous of, but this should make up for it.

I didn't make this thread only to brag about my potentially awesome deal, but I am also wondering if there are any nice boost drivers on the market now. If I can't find anything I'll just sacrifice one of my other builds for a microboost drive, because those have been very reliable for me and should handled the 5.4V forward voltage just fine.

I'll update y'all after I receive the module and tear it apart, and will make a video showing the process of turning it into a laser pointer. It's about time I break my internet hiatus. :D
 





I owned a 355nm DPSS unit a long time ago, and while it was technically invisible, practically every material would fluoresce enough to show where it was shining. It's hard finding materials that don't get excited at that wavelength. I imagine 375nm will be similar.
 
Hmmmm...See here....http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/astral-driver-sale-boost-buck-buck-boost-linear-etc-101560.htm

Your timing is perfect...Astral Superdrive LV looks promising !!! Hmmm...Blast those 375nm photons thru Fluorescent Fog....if such a fog can be generated...Good luck...

Added Thought...Hmmmmm....???? Once the beam propagates thru such a Fluorescent Fog (FF) ( If it can be generated )...the beam path would excite only that " FF " ...BUT...would persist a short time....so....the beam path geometry would remain...visible...and slowly drift away.. the straight line geometry twisting and deforming..as a function of the air currents...Might be a wild effect ?????...Might work with 405nm line also ?????.......

Hmmmmm ????????
Halloween is coming....Hmmmmm ?????? Wouldn't That freak out the neighborhood....Hmmmm...Old Hippies might think... "OH Crap....I knew this would happen someday....I'm have'en a relapse Acid Trip " Hahahahaha....That's would be fun !!!!!

And yes...It takes a demented mind to come up with this stuff !!

CDBEAM
 
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This seems like it'll be a cool project.
It seems like there aren't many options for low current high voltage boost drivers right now. There should be some new drivers coming soon that will work - Astraldrives. There's a sale thread. I'm a little bummed that I didn't stock up on a few microboosts myself.

I've wanted a <300nm laser or LED for visualizing DNA (dyed) during a gel run. If it wasn't unsafe, it would be really cool.
 
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CDBEAM777 said:
Hmmmm...See here....http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/astral-driver-sale-boost-buck-buck-boost-linear-etc-101560.htm

Your timing is perfect...Astral Superdrive LV looks promising !!! Hmmm...Blast those 375nm photons thru Fluorescent Fog....if such a fog can be generated...Good luck...

Added Thought...Hmmmmm....???? Once the beam propagates thru such a Fluorescent Fog (FF) ( If it can be generated )...the beam path would excite only that " FF " ...BUT...would persist a short time....so....the beam path geometry would remain...visible...and slowly drift away.. the straight line geometry twisting and deforming..as a function of the air currents...Might be a wild effect ?????...Might work with 405nm line also ?????.......

Hmmmmm ????????
Halloween is coming....Hmmmmm ?????? Wouldn't That freak out the neighborhood....Hmmmm...Old Hippies might think... "OH Crap....I knew this would happen someday....I'm have'en a relapse Acid Trip " Hahahahaha....That's would be fun !!!!!

And yes...It takes a demented mind to come up with this stuff !!

CDBEAM
Click to expand...
That's a really good idea! I tried this nearly a decade ago by squeezing highlighters into my fog machine fluid and it had no noticable effect. But I'm a chemist now dammit and I can come up with something much stronger. I have a lot of fluorescein and analogs around and can try using that for an air glow. it's not phosphorescent so it won't leave glow trails (well it will for roughly 10 billionths of a second) but it still might make a cool effect. Hopefully propylene glycol will act as an adequate solvent and not quench the fluorescence.

I will also look into this astral driver.

RA_pierce said:
If it wasn't unsafe, it would be really cool.
Click to expand...
Don't forget what forum you're on :D and I'm sad I didn't get more microboost drives too.
 
Should be interesting!

UV is a little more fun than IR seeing as it visibly fluoresces just about everything. Looks bright blue when you point it at plain white paper for example. Should be fun! Could be great if you're into collecting minerals or anything like that too. Probably has some niche chemistry lab uses too.

Here's 325nm on white paper:

976-hecd-laser-001.jpg
 
diachi said:
Should be interesting!

UV is a little more fun than IR seeing as it visibly fluoresces just about everything. Looks bright blue when you point it at plain white paper for example. Should be fun! Could be great if you're into collecting minerals or anything like that too. Probably has some niche chemistry lab uses too.

Here's 325nm on white paper:

976-hecd-laser-001.jpg
Click to expand...
Where? or a joke over my head:eg:
 
No joke. I can testify that there is an image posted. :thinking:
The image is of a nice HeCd pointing at a piece of paper and creating a lovely blue bright dot.
 
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