Help in Alaska! Looking for fellow AK members for a Laser by Sunday.

[SnowCobra]

Hello All, I'm trying to figure out a way to get the brightest laser I can afford ($80 range) by this Sunday for my New Years party out in the sticks. I posted here thinking that purchasing on web is not likely to be successful by then without a face to face. I suppose if someone packaged and shipped one today, it may arrive but the post will likely eat up the cost to make it work. From my toiling research, I'm thinking a 532 greater than 150mw but this would be my first "real" pointer so I have no idea.

Help?

 

[paul1598419]

Your real problem here is the time frame you want this laser to arrive. If you were set up to build a laser yourself, I would suggest the Mitsubishi 638nm laser diode # ML501P73 which can be had on eBay for $20 or less. Set to 1.2 amps it should give you a bright red beam. But, this diode has terrible divergence issues making it give you more of a line than a dot in the far field. It still makes a nice looking beam in the sky, however.

A better, but more expensive option would be the NDG7475. I built a 520nm 1100 mW green laser using a diode I paid $84.00 for on an eBay auction. It is extremely bright and the divergence is worlds better than the Mitsubishi red diode. There are also some blue 445nm diodes available, but because that wavelength is so low it doesn't look as bright mW for mW next to the other laser diodes I have mentioned.

Good luck.

 

[SnowCobra]

Excellent info, I have been researching how to assemble one as I have some cool hosts I could use but you are correct, not gonna happen any time soon. I messaged another member that may be here locally but no response.

Ill definitely look into these diodes and drivers for a more long term solution anyway. Thanks!

 

[paul1598419]

If I can help you in any way, just let me know. I can give you links to diodes and drivers, modules, etc. Hope you get what you are looking for.

 

[SnowCobra]

Perfect! Thank you! I really need to get my hands on some inexpensive starters so I can determine what I want. Thinking about the sanwu pointers first, 100mw and 200mw.

Ill keep in touch when I figure out what it is I need. If there is somewhere that sells like combos or kits, that would be cool to link. I saw survival lasers and J something on the forum but that's it. I also don't know where to get decent Batts. Looks like 1860 is the way to go.

 

[paul1598419]

I buy all my 18650s from Liionwholesale.com. They have some very good deals on closeouts or promotional batteries. They test every cell before sending it out to you and I have tested all the ones I have purchased from them and they are all at or above the stated capacity with the dynamic internal resistance always below 75 mOhms. They send the batteries out discharged as it is safer, so you will have to charge them before using them.

If you are going to get the #304 532nm lasers they have for sale, don't. You can get the same laser for $5.00 on eBay. Just search 532nm laser pointers and look for the #303 ones they have for sale. If you want a cheap charger and a cheap battery, it will cost you more like $10.00, but it is the same laser that Sanwu sells for much more.

 

[SnowCobra]

I'll check it out! So are we using lipo at all? Or just lion?

 

[paul1598419]

Sure. You can use any type of rechargeable lithium batteries you want to use. If you aren't going for over 3 watts of power, you should stick to protected cells as you won't need to pull a lot of current like you can from unprotected cells.

 

[SnowCobra]

Paul, I just got a brilliant idea, can I harvest the diode out of one of my big construction lasers? I have an extra rotating laser that's red.... I also have my eye on a few flashlights I have as hosts...

 

[paul1598419]

Hmmm. It depends on what you mean by "big construction lasers"? Some IR lasers, like an 808nm one, can look deep red by actually is much more powerful that they look because 808 nm is not very visible. What is this laser used for?

 

[SnowCobra]

I have 3 red self leveling laser cross lines and then the one spinning beacon level. It came in a case with red laser safety glasses, the beacon and a receiver. Its the kind you setup and it spins a line all the way around the room. Im thinking either that one or of the cross lines would have to be pretty powerful. The cross line lasers have two diodes each and must have some kind of diffuser to make the line. I bet the diode is pretty good.

Its not gonna help me by sunday lol but just an idea.

 

[paul1598419]

Depending on the wavelength you would like to build, these red laser diodes are quite inexpensive. The 650nm ones that are single mode diodes are the LPC-816, 826, 836 and 840. They are all under $12.00 each with the lower the number, the lower the price. There are single mode 638nm diodes too, but the ML501P73 multi mode diode is also inexpensive, so rather than tear apart a working laser, why not just order a new diode to use for this? I would.

 

[SnowCobra]

Your Logic is sound, Just for experience and familiarity, was hoping maybe they were special in some way. Makes more sense to buy a specific diode lol.

 

[paul1598419]

No, these types of lasers are usually just low power diodes. It isn't necessary to have much power to make a line or a cross, so they don't. You can get brand new diodes for cheap which is much better than using harvested diodes, IMO.

 

[steve001]

I have 3 red self leveling laser cross lines and then the one spinning beacon level. It came in a case with red laser safety glasses, the beacon and a receiver. Its the kind you setup and it spins a line all the way around the room. Im thinking either that one or of the cross lines would have to be pretty powerful. The cross line lasers have two diodes each and must have some kind of diffuser to make the line. I bet the diode is pretty good.

Its not gonna help me by sunday lol but just an idea.

Rest assured any laser level drvice sold in the USA outputs not more than 5mW.

 

[SnowCobra]

Rest assured any laser level drvice sold in the USA outputs not more than 5mW.

Ya I was afraid that might be the case. Seems like they would have to be more to project a bright line in daylight. Plus it's not a "pointer" so they have different rules I thought.