Higher voltage a big issue, if so driver mods?

[PeterD]

I have an CR123a 3.0volt battery. The rechargeable version is of course the 16340 but it lists with a higher voltage, 3.6-3.7volt.

Will this damage the driver board. If so,
1. How easy is it to replace a burnt out driver or component on the driver board?
2. Is there a standard modification pathway to take with the drivers to get them 3.7volt safe?

Green laser for reference, have not got a part number on the internals but expect to be a 10mw output range (expecting its no more than 20mw output)

Cheers,
PeterD

 

[Drew]

16340 batteries can go to ~4.2v actually. Many green lasers can use 16340's in place of cr123a's. There isn't enough info to tell you for sure though. Where did you buy the laser? The seller usually lists an acceptable voltage range

 

[PeterD]

It is a Chinese make. I can not trust the listed specifications until I open it up and see what parts are inside. I have asked the company but they have me the generic 16340's will work but we recommend 3.0 volt cr123a to protect the driver circuit. I am just preparing myself for it working for 4 uses or sonar the higher voltage batteries then fails to turn on due to component failure on te driver circuit.

Over here it really is costing $10 or more for a pack of non-name brand CR123a batteries so the rechargeable route is highly attractive sans the possibility of stuffing the driver circuit which is not much of an issue except it would likely be my first time mucking with surface mount components as I last did my own circuits in the older days of standard sized electrical components.

I am assuming its standard voltage regulation involved as its all DC electronics. I still have my old books on electronics to come back into scratch with but I've been doing more fence building, welding, and other projects that have kept my nose out of electronics for a while. If I can get a few pointers I can usually read up and take it from there with most things.


Edit: Chinese means the specs listed do not agree with the rest of the specs listed. I have seen AC 240 volt, 10mw, 5-20mw, cr123a and all sorts all in te same listing. I think all the confusion is non-technical Chinese resellers trying to convert into meaningful English descriptions and electronic and optical specifications. But it's obvious it's a DC CR123a driven device.

Cheers,
PeterD

 

[Drew]

I guess if you're paying $10 for a pack of batteries then just go ahead an try it with the 16340. Worst case scenario you wreck it and buy a nice new laser that takes rechargables for the cost of 3 packs of batteries :san: I had a greenie that specified a cr123a and it ran fine for 3 years on a 16340 with heavy use. I've found it tough to track down drivers for them at a good price. A 10-20mW module can be had for ~$10 shipped

 

[PeterD]

As long as I can fit it in the host then I'm happy to replace all the guts out if that is how things turn out. It's really the host, mount and lens system I was after and would want to keep; any green module and driver board can suffice in place of what's there already.

Cheers,
PeterD

 

[BShanahan14rulz]

look for 3V rechargables with charger. With these, the protection device also has a few diodes in series to drop the voltage down to 3V.

Also, consider buying CR123a on the internet instead of in a store. At walgreens, CR123a are like, $15 for a 2-pack. Online, the same cells sell for like, $2 a pop or something.

 

[123splat]

Driving the greenie module with a fully charged LiPo wont hurt it anymore than driving with the 123's. I drive green modules with 22600's all the time for astronomy (scope guiding), with NO ill affects. I have even used 4.5 V (3 AAA's in series) when the 22600 are discharged or cold. Just give it a minute to cool down, if you notice it getting warm from long cycles.