Have you ever killed a Laser?

[VirtueViolater]

Great info,
Thanks Paul, price it is
Danny

 

[icecruncher]

Killed my fair share of diodes plus,

However that is one advantage to gas lasers.

Much harder to kill HeNe from soldering and heat or other issues, ciip on connectors, etc.

However you blow a Argon and you are going to know it

My favorite video of this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4gOg-TESKk

 

[Rivem]

On the original topic, I've had plenty lasers die, but not many I'd say I directly killed. Maybe a very old red that had alkalines in it too long. I'll have to get back on this topic when I mess with higher power levels. Still have yet to build anything over ~200mW.

I said I'd update, so here I am.

Was just working on my first laser build in years with a Mits500. I was pressing the diode into a module with my old vice, and a plastic pad that was on the vice cracked. The diode was hit by a chunk of this plastic, but there was no apparent damage. I decided to hook it up to the driver just to check it out, and looks like something broke. It was even more divergent than normal and LED'ed at a low current. Inspecting it through magnification revealed a chip in the emission surface of the diode.

Luckily, I had two, so I pressed the other with a different vice, and good to go. Very nice output.

 

[VirtueViolater]

Bad story with a good ending,
Congrats on the sucessful build

 

[Rivem]

Bad story with a good ending,
Congrats on the sucessful build

Thanks man. That cracking vise sound had me cringing so hard. I was so glad to have the other diode.

I still need to put the module into a host, but I've got it in a temporary one for some quick fun. I'm really wanting it in a pen host, but the chrome leadlights are sold out.