Help finding a DVD-RW burner drive with high power diode

[TheBoyWhoWouldBeKing]

Hey guys. Im very interested in electrical engineering and have already racked up quite a bit of experience in high voltage, and somewhat basic circuits (the grind is real!).
And lately for my next project I want to build a new high power laser. Something under a watt for my first project and since i live in a place where it is incredibly hard to find lasers and laser diodes, because of the outrageous laws here, i have turned to more crude methods. Such as extracting laser diodes from places where they would be used in ordinary technology and ive found that DVD-RW drives contain generally very high power diodes. I have done some research in what KIND of power we are talking about and it seems to be 250-400mw!!!

Now then the part that i actually need help in. I have found that 24x dvd rw drives have a 400mw 650 red laser diode within. However the more I look the more mixed answers i get in the power output. I have multiple sources saying that this is the general power, but all the manufactorers say otherwise. Im not sure who to trust and i cant trust myself to spend 30-40 bucks on a low power laser diode that isnt useful to me.


Could someone please help me find a good dvd rw drive that i can trust has a 400mw laser diode inside?
Incase 400mw is a huge overestimation on the real power of the laser diodes within these the next most powerful thing works too
I have high OD goggles against this wavelength and others too so dont worry too much.
Thanks in advance

 

[paul1598419]

The last 650 nm laser diode I used to get to 400 mW was an LPC840. These are still single mode direct diodes and max out around 400 mW. You might get one that does a bit less, but it should be close.