hi, laser flickering problem

[zed]

Hi all, I hope someone will be able to help me.
I own a 30 mw green laser, that I tried to pot mod. It has a screw that instead of tighetening or loosening when turned, it just changes the spectrum. I mean that if I give the screw a full turn, it won't change anything. the problem is that since I've done that, the laser beam is not stable. If I press the button it is bright, then becomes dimmer, then bright again and so on. I'm pretty sure the button is alinged, what else can I do?

 

[Eudaimonium]

Hi all, I hope someone will be able to help me.
I own a 30 mw green laser, that I tried to pot mod. It has a screw that instead of tighetening or loosening when turned, it just changes the spectrum. I mean that if I give the screw a full turn, it won't change anything. the problem is that since I've done that, the laser beam is not stable. If I press the button it is bright, then becomes dimmer, then bright again and so on. I'm pretty sure the button is alinged, what else can I do?

What you were turning is called a potenciometer, or a trimmer, and it's an electronic component which changes it's resistance according to the position you set it at.
Pot moding (short for potenciometer-based modification) will change the laser regulation in such a way that it will feed the laser diode more current.
It might result in more power, but generaly results in diode's premature death or problems that you are experiencing.

Potenciometer modding is generally always a bad idea and not very commonly practised.

If you have a multimeter, you would need to measure the current flowing out of the batteries and adjust the driver so it results in around 100 mA, maybe 120 mA. Not much more or less.
Such current will usually result in around 20-30mW of green light output in common green laser systems, according to their efficiency.

 

[Isoleucine]

What you were turning is called a potenciometer, or a trimmer, and it's an electronic component which changes it's resistance according to the position you set it at.
Pot moding (short for potenciometer-based modification) will change the laser regulation in such a way that it will feed the laser diode more current.
It might result in more power, but generaly results in diode's premature death or problems that you are experiencing.

Potenciometer modding is generally always a bad idea and not very commonly practised.

If you have a multimeter, you would need to measure the current flowing out of the batteries and adjust the driver so it results in around 100 mA, maybe 120 mA. Not much more or less.
Such current will usually result in around 20-30mW of green light output in common green laser systems, according to their efficiency.

Agree. Some laser diodes/pointers are built in a specific way, so that they can regulate a current set to the brightness of the diode. Or the diode is made in a way to utilize the current set by the manufacturer.

As suggested by most forum members, do not pot. mod your laser. It may result in a complete burn-out or dimness. I suggest that you get a new module, and insert it in your housing if your laser is one of these types, in terms of housing:

DealExtreme: $10.10 True Green Laser Pen 5mW

Like a pen laser. To a address the flickering problem... maybe check your batteries? Also, even after you give the pot a full turn, the intense current may have damaged your laser diode.

Iso

 

[zed]

thanks alot guys, but the power is fine. the problem is that the laser doesn't have a stable beam. it is ok for some time, then it "winks" (IE gets weaker and normal again). it can be a small change, or a considerable one. but it never goes out completely.
when the beam is ok, it's the same as it was when I first used the laser.

 

[Isoleucine]

Thinking again, it could be your driver. Linking the pot's location, its obviously on the driver.

If the diode isn't damaged... then its a driver problem.
I suggest measuring the current. I'm no expert, but if the current is set accordingly, then its probably a diode problem.
Its mostly a driver problem, if at first your laser operated as CW, and then it started to flicker after you pot modded the laser.