Green laser acting up...

[Seldovia]

As some of you know I built a altoids RGB laser. The Instapark green laser I purchased has been acting up. The light gets really large fluctuations in power (even for a DPSS) and most of the time the dot rests at a very low power, I estimate to be around 0.5mw. Any sudgestions?

 

[The Lightning Stalker]

How long ago did you buy it? Maybe you can send it back as defective.

 

[Seldovia]

I just recieved it. I probobly will have to return it. :/

 

[Speedy78]

Well seing as youphad no heatsink on that module it could be that. How long did you have it on at any given time?

 

[Livinloud]

I was going to say, none of your modules were heatsinked. Epoxy doesn't act like a heat sink so if you used them for longer than 60 on/off you most likely fried them. Only a matter of time before the 650 & 405 follow the 532s path

 

[Seldovia]

I never had it on more than 15 seconds. Also I don't think having no heatsink made the green dim down. It was pretty much like this out of the package. The 405 and 650 havn't had any troubles either. Also I don't know much about heatsinks, but on a DPSS green I heard it's located under the YVO4 crystal. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Livinloud]

No, a heat sink is what you put the module in to handle the heat created by the laser

Example (Diode and module INSIDE a heat sink):

 

[Speedy78]

There will be a Nd:YVO4 and a KTP. They are more than likely glued together on a little brass disc that is glued to the front of the module holding your 808nm diode.

 

[Seldovia]

No, a heat sink is what you put the module in to handle the heat created by the laser

Example (Diode and module INSIDE a heat sink):

Thanks for the clarification. So what do you think I should do with my 532, 650, and 405 for heatsink?

 

[Livinloud]

You cant really do much in an aluminum tin. Thats why most people build them inside flashlight hosts now and replace the P60 drop in (if its a p60 host) with a heat sink

 

[Seldovia]

You cant really do much in an aluminum tin. Thats why most people build them inside flashlight hosts now and replace the P60 drop in (if its a p60 host) with a heat sink

Does it really need a heat sink? They're only 5mw, and don't seem to get very hot.

 

[The Lightning Stalker]

Not the way you're running it. Just keep an eye (finger) on the temps and you should be fine.

 

[Livinloud]

Remember that a true 5mW module isnt as common as you think. The 405nm is probably doing close to 100mW, 650nm maybe 40-50mW and the 532nm should be in the same range as the 605nm

 

[Seldovia]

Remember that a true 5mW module isnt as common as you think. The 405nm is probably doing close to 100mW, 650nm maybe 40-50mW and the 532nm should be in the same range as the 605nm

The 405 is 10mw. The red is most definitely doing around 5mw, and the green is, well, you know what's happening with the green. The 405 is NOT doing anywhere near 100mw. I would most definitely know by now.

 

[Livinloud]

Without a LPM you would most definately not know the power of it. My two $5 405nm ebay pens are doing 84mW and 95mW each. A $5 "toy" is doing almost 100mW and to the eye it looks weak as heck but that's due to the wavelength charateristics. Sorry but w/o a LPM you can't tell me what power they are doing because its physically impossible to know

 

[Freya4]

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