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Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filter? And if so, what was the reading?
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Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filter?
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IgorT
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Re: Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filte
Are you talking about the pen?
If so, i've tested four, and all of them had at least one problem. Three were mode hopping, and the only one that didn't, also didn't work with the batteries in the tube... :
The second two metered in at 150mW peak. Hardly any IR measurable and highly divergent at that. The design blocks most of it. I must have explained why at least half a dozen of times by now. I would be MUCH more worried about the green beam hitting my eyes.
The test with an IR filter would decrease the power by 9mW, which means there is no IR in the tight beam. 9mW decrease is the result of the filter blocking 6% of the green (verified by using a filtered CNI laser).
Are you talking about the pen?
If so, i've tested four, and all of them had at least one problem. Three were mode hopping, and the only one that didn't, also didn't work with the batteries in the tube... :
The second two metered in at 150mW peak. Hardly any IR measurable and highly divergent at that. The design blocks most of it. I must have explained why at least half a dozen of times by now. I would be MUCH more worried about the green beam hitting my eyes.
The test with an IR filter would decrease the power by 9mW, which means there is no IR in the tight beam. 9mW decrease is the result of the filter blocking 6% of the green (verified by using a filtered CNI laser).
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Re: Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filte
150mW peak, ok. what was the avg. output, I'm thinking of making a green labby from a pointer.
150mW peak, ok. what was the avg. output, I'm thinking of making a green labby from a pointer.
IgorT
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Re: Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filte
You are actually considering buying a DX200?!? Even after i told you, that four out of four were broken?
The reason the fourth only wouldn't work with the batteries in, but at least doesn't mode hop is because i convinced someone at DX to test it for me.
He tested SIX DX200s before selecting one that wouldn't mode hop... He had to test SIX!
And the one that didn't mode hop, also didn't work with the batteries in, did i mention that?!?
I converted the second two DX200s into more massive body with the idea to make them more stable, but let me tell you right now. You can not expect to get more than 100mW in the long run, no matter how good your cooling.
You can read up on my results here: http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1209508565/0
Page 1 - Transplantation pics, Page 3 - RmX200 results pics, Page 4 - KDX200 results pics, Page 5 - more beamshots...
I put one into a massive aluminum Rominsen body, and the other into the massive KD50 body. And the results were not what i expected.
The more i would heatsink the good one, the lower it would peak. After spending a lot of time in filling a tiny gap between the module and the body for perfect contact, my power went from 140mW to 110mW and climbed very slowly. I had to remove the elaborate heatsinking, and only make partial heatsinking, to make it go to 140mW again, and stay above 100mW for 7 minutes. The body gets very hot by then. I also replaced the driver with a real current regulated one, but it doesn't help stability much. It does come on at the same power every time tho.
The other one in the KD50 body is still mode hopping when cold, then it stops, then after the entire body is hot, it starts mode hopping again.
Maybe if you kept it at a perfectly constant temperature with a Peltier and a constant temperature Peltier buck driver. I have a few and will be making the drivers soon for some experimenting.
happytomato said:
You are actually considering buying a DX200?!? Even after i told you, that four out of four were broken?
The reason the fourth only wouldn't work with the batteries in, but at least doesn't mode hop is because i convinced someone at DX to test it for me.
He tested SIX DX200s before selecting one that wouldn't mode hop... He had to test SIX!
And the one that didn't mode hop, also didn't work with the batteries in, did i mention that?!?
I converted the second two DX200s into more massive body with the idea to make them more stable, but let me tell you right now. You can not expect to get more than 100mW in the long run, no matter how good your cooling.
You can read up on my results here: http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1209508565/0
Page 1 - Transplantation pics, Page 3 - RmX200 results pics, Page 4 - KDX200 results pics, Page 5 - more beamshots...
I put one into a massive aluminum Rominsen body, and the other into the massive KD50 body. And the results were not what i expected.
The more i would heatsink the good one, the lower it would peak. After spending a lot of time in filling a tiny gap between the module and the body for perfect contact, my power went from 140mW to 110mW and climbed very slowly. I had to remove the elaborate heatsinking, and only make partial heatsinking, to make it go to 140mW again, and stay above 100mW for 7 minutes. The body gets very hot by then. I also replaced the driver with a real current regulated one, but it doesn't help stability much. It does come on at the same power every time tho.
The other one in the KD50 body is still mode hopping when cold, then it stops, then after the entire body is hot, it starts mode hopping again.
Maybe if you kept it at a perfectly constant temperature with a Peltier and a constant temperature Peltier buck driver. I have a few and will be making the drivers soon for some experimenting.
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Re: Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filte
Yeah... I've heard good things about the dx's too though.... I just dont have $1000 to spend on a greenie.
Yeah... I've heard good things about the dx's too though.... I just dont have $1000 to spend on a greenie.
IgorT
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Re: Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filte
$1000?!?
You can get a good focusable 150mW one, that doesn't only peak at 150 but actually stays there for approximatelly $1 per mW. A bit more. Ir the 200mW version.
They are not using saturated crystals, it would seem, and the massive body is a good heatsink.
But the DX200 sucks! That's all i can say about it. You have no idea how much frustration it caused me. And it's not over yet. I had to return both to get two more broken ones. Electrical problems i can fix, but not mode hopping, without losing half the power.
BTW, i think my Rominsen-DX200 actually peaks very high, but only for a split second or so. Too fast for the meter to actually follow. But i see a flash, which drops and stabilises.
Buy anything but the DX200. I could return the mode hopping one again, but i'm just tired of it. When i get the second Rominsen body with the big head, i'll put it in there, and with a proper driver. It should make it a little more stable and delay the mode hopping for longer. The KD50 body is more heavy, but gets VERY hot VERY fast. The Rominsen aluminum body is actually a better heatsink.
$1000?!?
You can get a good focusable 150mW one, that doesn't only peak at 150 but actually stays there for approximatelly $1 per mW. A bit more. Ir the 200mW version.
They are not using saturated crystals, it would seem, and the massive body is a good heatsink.
But the DX200 sucks! That's all i can say about it. You have no idea how much frustration it caused me. And it's not over yet. I had to return both to get two more broken ones. Electrical problems i can fix, but not mode hopping, without losing half the power.
BTW, i think my Rominsen-DX200 actually peaks very high, but only for a split second or so. Too fast for the meter to actually follow. But i see a flash, which drops and stabilises.
Buy anything but the DX200. I could return the mode hopping one again, but i'm just tired of it. When i get the second Rominsen body with the big head, i'll put it in there, and with a proper driver. It should make it a little more stable and delay the mode hopping for longer. The KD50 body is more heavy, but gets VERY hot VERY fast. The Rominsen aluminum body is actually a better heatsink.
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Re: Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filte
Really, I thought they would be crap. (if they are the ones I think).
I will buy.
Really, I thought they would be crap. (if they are the ones I think).
I will buy.
IgorT
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Re: Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filte
Well, two 150mW have been reviewed by now, and soon CC will get the 200mW version, and measure it.
The 150mW Knimrod got is AMAZINGLY stable. It keeps a high power for 6 minutes at least. Since the diode is only 0.5W, it doesn't even heat up.
The diode in the frankenstein lasers i built is also 0.5W, driven at around 700mA, and i've never felt such a massive body get so hot! Did you check out the pics? I also described the stability i got with the aluminum body.
It's not bad, I don't remember exactly how it went, but it did stay above 100mW for 7 minutes. I think the first two minutes were above 120mW.
I also described my findings along the way. I thought the heatsinking and current regulation would make them a lot better, but the manufacturers obviously don't heatsink them on purpose - so it would peak higher and faster, regardless of how low it drops afterwards.
I expected more power and stability out of my mods, but they are still not bad. But there is no way you could get a DX200 to behave even close to the focusable 150 and 200mW in terms of power and stability.
Well, two 150mW have been reviewed by now, and soon CC will get the 200mW version, and measure it.
The 150mW Knimrod got is AMAZINGLY stable. It keeps a high power for 6 minutes at least. Since the diode is only 0.5W, it doesn't even heat up.
The diode in the frankenstein lasers i built is also 0.5W, driven at around 700mA, and i've never felt such a massive body get so hot! Did you check out the pics? I also described the stability i got with the aluminum body.
It's not bad, I don't remember exactly how it went, but it did stay above 100mW for 7 minutes. I think the first two minutes were above 120mW.
I also described my findings along the way. I thought the heatsinking and current regulation would make them a lot better, but the manufacturers obviously don't heatsink them on purpose - so it would peak higher and faster, regardless of how low it drops afterwards.
I expected more power and stability out of my mods, but they are still not bad. But there is no way you could get a DX200 to behave even close to the focusable 150 and 200mW in terms of power and stability.
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Re: Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filte
THis one right: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12341
THis one right: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12341
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Re: Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filte
Yup, that's the one. Ordered it 20 days ago and it still hasn't shipped. I warned Rain that I would be reviewing it for this forum, so maybe he hasn't got a good one from the supplier yet. Or he's stalling to get enough sales before I expose it as a fraud... who knows?
For a review of the pen-style DX200 with Kenometer readings see this thread here. The test that got me 240mW of power out of it also buggered the crystals. I can barely get 120mW out of it now, that's why I jumped at the 200mW baton style. Read the thread for the story & YouTube vid.
Cheers, CC
happytomato said:
Yup, that's the one. Ordered it 20 days ago and it still hasn't shipped. I warned Rain that I would be reviewing it for this forum, so maybe he hasn't got a good one from the supplier yet. Or he's stalling to get enough sales before I expose it as a fraud... who knows?
For a review of the pen-style DX200 with Kenometer readings see this thread here. The test that got me 240mW of power out of it also buggered the crystals. I can barely get 120mW out of it now, that's why I jumped at the 200mW baton style. Read the thread for the story & YouTube vid.
Cheers, CC
IgorT
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Re: Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filte
Well, i would recommend against it, unless you're happy with 100mW or less of mode hopping green.
Even after improving everything about the only good one i have, i can still only get 130-140mW max out of it. And it still has unpredictable behavior sometimes.
But it is actually my favorite green at the moment. Mostly because it is smaller than my CNI (like X-series) and i'm not as worried about hurting it, so i can carry it around more. And the massive aluminum Rominsen body means, that i'm not worried of using it for minutes at a time. It now stays above 100mW for 7 minutes, where it would drop below 100mW in less than a minute before..
These lasers used to be good. CC had a good one.. Then even his went bad..
Well, i would recommend against it, unless you're happy with 100mW or less of mode hopping green.
Even after improving everything about the only good one i have, i can still only get 130-140mW max out of it. And it still has unpredictable behavior sometimes.
But it is actually my favorite green at the moment. Mostly because it is smaller than my CNI (like X-series) and i'm not as worried about hurting it, so i can carry it around more. And the massive aluminum Rominsen body means, that i'm not worried of using it for minutes at a time. It now stays above 100mW for 7 minutes, where it would drop below 100mW in less than a minute before..
These lasers used to be good. CC had a good one.. Then even his went bad..
IgorT
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Re: Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filte
I'm afraid it isn't..
The DX200 will be 100mW after warming up anyway, and that's if you're lucky.
Reducing the current might help mode hopping, or it could actually make it worse. Some of these lasers mode hop on low batteries. Others mode hop when cold, which is not that bad, as they warm up by themselves. Others mode hop when hot, which is bad.
If you're really unlucky (like me), it will mode hop when cold, then it will stop as it warms up, and in the end it will mode hop as it warms up again..
ben74 said:
I'm afraid it isn't..
The DX200 will be 100mW after warming up anyway, and that's if you're lucky.
Reducing the current might help mode hopping, or it could actually make it worse. Some of these lasers mode hop on low batteries. Others mode hop when cold, which is not that bad, as they warm up by themselves. Others mode hop when hot, which is bad.
If you're really unlucky (like me), it will mode hop when cold, then it will stop as it warms up, and in the end it will mode hop as it warms up again..
Re: Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filte
I have one (1) DX 200 which blows me away. It consistiently outputs 166-176 532nm, even a few minutes after power on, and its just a frigging pen! The IR component seems to be only ~15 mw (with that long cap tunnel), but taken off, I can measure 28mW 808. you can actually see some very faint cherry red when the batteries run low. I have one amazing DX200, thats for sure. But yeh, I had a sucky one, and have heard stories.
I have one (1) DX 200 which blows me away. It consistiently outputs 166-176 532nm, even a few minutes after power on, and its just a frigging pen! The IR component seems to be only ~15 mw (with that long cap tunnel), but taken off, I can measure 28mW 808. you can actually see some very faint cherry red when the batteries run low. I have one amazing DX200, thats for sure. But yeh, I had a sucky one, and have heard stories.
IgorT
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Re: Has anyone metered the dx 200 with an IR filte
Man, your DX200 is better than my CNI >150!
When did you buy it? I just got another New Wish model using the identical module inside, and it is again mode hopping and under 100mW in just a few seconds after the 159mW peak...
This is the fifth of this type of laser, that has given me problems. Well, one of the five is actually ok since i put it into the massive Rominsen body.
Oh, and how are you measuring the amount of IR? If you use an IR filter, do you know it's transmissiveness for green? I have never measured more than a few mW in these lasers...
Man, your DX200 is better than my CNI >150!
When did you buy it? I just got another New Wish model using the identical module inside, and it is again mode hopping and under 100mW in just a few seconds after the 159mW peak...
This is the fifth of this type of laser, that has given me problems. Well, one of the five is actually ok since i put it into the massive Rominsen body.
Oh, and how are you measuring the amount of IR? If you use an IR filter, do you know it's transmissiveness for green? I have never measured more than a few mW in these lasers...