Green laser pointer is not dot anymore - broken?

[Turang]

I've bought a 30mW green laser from dealextreme about half year ago.
DealExtreme: $20.75 L-030 30mW Mini Flashlight Style Green Laser (CR123A)
It has been working well without problems.
So one night, I was pointing it to the sky, I was shaking it horizontally and in a blink of and eye, the dot became very blurry and it had a ring around the dot.
There is a picture that you may think that it is a dot, but from far away, the dot is like a messy light spot... um I can't describe it any better :undecided:

I have lots of pictures what I can show you guys.
I've uploaded them in imageshack.
ImageShack Album - 9 images

Oh yeah, I'm a new with lasers and here and I've been playing with the lasers but I dont have any projects or something. Besides.... <1mW is illegal in my country :scowl:

I hope somebody can help. :thanks:

edit: Oh and by the way, is there so big difference on 30mW and 50mW, because my 30mW can't light any matches even with focused on the focal point, it just burns the ignite material and starts smoking, but it does not ignite it. And 50mW can do it in a short period of time.

 

[Blord]

The laser is still working and the dot is visible. I think some dirt has come into the laser. You need to clean all optical surfaces.

 

[Turang]

The laser is still working and the dot is visible. I think some dirt has come into the laser. You need to clean all optical surfaces.

I have taken the focusing lens off and cleaned everything.
I'm sure this hasn't anything to do with dirt or dust

 

[udanis]

It really sounds like one of the lens is dirty.

Or possibly that there is damage to dpss system. But that's a long shot for that kind of dot defect

 

[Turang]

It really sounds like one of the lens is dirty.

Or possibly that there is damage to dpss system. But that's a long shot for that kind of dot defect

I have taken the lens of and cleaned it with a compressed air, then I cleaned it with a lens brush. The lens is clean. Checkout the picture WITHOUT the lens. I can see the green little square there behind the lens when I take it off. I think that is damaged or something, I think something happened to it. I think it somehow damaged when I shaked it. Besides the dot became like that in a blink of an eye. The shape of the dot/light doesn't change at all. So there is no dust. I'm sure. But is there any solution to fix damage?
I think I can't buy a new one anymore because the customs had gone more strict with the laser pointers, and even this went to customs, but they failed sending it back to dx and it came to me :thinking: FAIL

I don't know any other way to clean it. something else is wrong with this laser.

 

[Coherent Light]

Do You hear any rattle when You shake it?

 

[Turang]

Do You hear any rattle when You shake it?

Only batteries rattle a little. When I take it off, nothing unusual.
Can it be possible that the "crystal" is damaged? I mean the green little square on the diode... sorry I'm new at this

 

[Coherent Light]

It's possible that one of the crystals shifted slightly since You say the optics are clean. I would still go ahead and remove the Lens again and clean it and the output side of the ktp very very carefully with alcohol.

My 0.02 unless anyone has a better suggestion.

 

[Turang]

It's possible that one of the crystals shifted slightly since You say the optics are clean. I would still go ahead and remove the Lens again and clean it and the output side of the ktp very very carefully with alcohol.

My 0.02 unless anyone has a better suggestion.

I'm lucky that I have alcohol left a little. Now I cleaned it. Nothing changed.
This is so strange... :undecided:

 

[Coherent Light]

I don't see how any debris could have penetrated further into the module. Silly Question can you focus it at all? Also see if You can tighten the module halves as seen in Your picture here.

[/URL] Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/IMG]

 

[Turang]

I don't see how any debris could have penetrated further into the module. Silly Question can you focus it at all? Also see if You can tighten the module halves as seen in Your picture here.

Yeah you just turn the black piece, it moves forward or backward. That is the focusing lens. there is a image of it separately

 

[Coherent Light]

I was asking if you were able to focus the whole splash into a smaller spot/mark. The other suggestion was to see if the two halves of the brass housing are tight. I believe there should be some glue holding them together, but it could have degraded over time. If it did it's possible a chip of glue got inside.

Don't take it apart until a more senior member advise you on that.

 

[Turang]

I was asking if you were able to focus the whole splash into a smaller spot/mark. The other suggestion was to see if the two halves of the brass housing are lose...

The halve is so tight I can't even take it off... I've tried it before.
And when I focus it, the dot on the middle only focuses, the ring doesn't affect to the focusing at all.

 

[Coherent Light]

I'm at a loss atm. From all you said it still seems to be dirt/contamination of one on the optics. Maybe there is a member near you that can take a look at it for you!!

 

[RA_pierce]

Looks like dirty optics.
Could be a piece of dust or a smudge on the crystal facet.
It might not be likely at low power, but it is possible that something was burned onto the crystal that cannot be removed with compressed air.

Without taking a close look at it, it will be hard to determine what is wrong.
If it is possible, your best bet would be to buy a new laser. This one looks f*cked.

 

[Turang]

Looks like dirty optics.
Could be a piece of dust or a smudge on the crystal facet.
It might not be likely at low power, but it is possible that something was burned onto the crystal that cannot be removed with compressed air.

Without taking a close look at it, it will be hard to determine what is wrong.
If it is possible, your best bet would be to buy a new laser. This one looks f*cked.

I don't want to buy lasers because I know it will be taken by customs.
Is there any "Punishment" if you try to order specific quantity of illegal stuff?