How can this dispute be resolved with Dr Lava

[SirVesa]

What can i do?

I know that Dr Lava is a good seller , there is no disputing that but....

I purchased 2 plextor drives for the 12x diodes.

I purchased 2 pen hosts from Jayrob, and i purchased 4 drivers from Dr Lava 2 microboosts and 2 inline drivers, all 4 preset to 550mA, I paid seperately for the presetting service.


I received everything and started my build. I created the first pen put in my 2 AAA alkaline batts and fired it up and it worked. I turned it back on and it lit up for a microsecond and would not turn on again.

I said crap maybe it was a bad diode?!?!? I plugged the second diode into it. This time before firing it up and turned on my meter and fired up the laser. It shot up to 1.25+ W's and i said wow and shut off the laser. Turned it back on and same thing as the first 12x diode... DEAD.

now at this point I have 2 dead diodes so I PM dr lava and tell him that the driver must not have been set to 550 or the diodes would not have read so high on the meter, Andrew responds and says that the drivers were not set and that when they are not set they boost all the way to the max.

So I told him that i think he should pay for my diodes because its his fault my diodes died prematurely. He says i should have read the manual ?!?

In my opinion he should replace both diodes plus the preset fee.

But i do hope we can get a resolution very soon



What do you guys think?

Put yourselves in my shoes with dead diodes and out alot of money.


here is one of my invoices from google checkout:

1 Sirvesa - Forum Username $0.00
1 LPF - Forum Name $0.00
1 USPS First class Shipping -
First class shipping U.S. or international. $3.00
1 550 - Current preset (mA) $0.00
1 No optics kit - No optics kit $0.00
2 Micro BoostDrive V1 + preset current - Micro BoostDrive V1 laser driver + preset current $54.00
Tax :$0.00
Total:$57.00

 

[digital_blue]

Did you explicitly ask for the current to be preset? Did you at least receive a reply/confirmation stating that the current has been preset?

If so, I don't see why Drlava wouldn't compensate you for the two diodes...

 

[Pontiacg5]

You should have checked the current before you put not one, but two $150.00 diodes on that driver. After seeing the first one pop, you should have known something was wrong and troubleshot the setup before just sticking another one on there.

Just my opinion. If anything he should pay for one, not two. But I think you would be pushing it to ask for one even.

Pen host 12X build, probably would have been doomed from the get-go... Not enough heat sinking there!

Edit: It looks as if the current setting is for setting a jumper, not the exact current. I do not think that this is Dr Lava's fault at all.

 

[SirVesa]

@ digital_blue - Yes . In my receipt from google that I posted I paid for the driver to be preset.


@ pontiac - If im going to check the driver , why would i pay to have it preset? I trusted the manufacturer would have it preset correctly, like everyone else that pays for the presetting.

 

[drlava]

EDIT: It has been found that the driver was pre-set and the blow-outs were caused by mis-wiring by SirVesa, see page 3 if you are interested.

Well we were negotiating this via PM, but here it is so here we go.

Drivers are just one component in a laser system, and it is up to the builder to check out the parts for operation, shipping damage, and fit before assembling them, especially when dealing with expensive diodes. One of the reasons dummy loads exist is so an assembler can check these things out before going into operation.

The driver preset option exists so that assemblers who might have trouble soldering the small parts can have this done for them. It does NOT exist so that they can turn their brain off, neglect to read directions, and pop driver out of a box and solder together a dangerous laser.

In this case, I find is especially surprising that sirvesa claims to have continued to assemble another laser onto it without so much as measuring the output current.

The driver was not preset, although he had requested it, it was missed and this could have been seen just by looking at it at the lack of solder jumpers. Because of this I offered to pay 50% for the loss of the first diode plus a refund for the solder jumper fee in what I think is a fair compromise. Later I increased the offer but now this post so let's hear it.

 

[Pontiacg5]

It also might help if you post pictures of the disassembled 12X sleds. Anybody could come along and claim that two very expensive diodes were killed at someone else's fault. It would keep people from wondering if you are making it all up.

Its also possible that heat killed the diode, if it ran for some time at first then not again the heat might have got it. It also might have killed the second diode as well, making it read high for some reason. There are really too many variables to say that this is only Dr Lava's fault.

 

[SirVesa]

"The driver preset option exists so that assemblers who might have trouble soldering the small parts can have this done for them"


So once the presetting is not done anything that happens from the result of the "missed" service makes the manufacturer responsible..

Kind of like a bad accelerator in a Toyota, deaths resulting from that are taken up with the manufacturer, or should the driver check the accelerator everytime they hop into the car?


@Pontiac - i can pm the receipt to Dr Lava

 

[Pontiacg5]

Post pics of the harvested sleds before this thread goes on any longer. I find it hard to believe that you could harvest two sleds successfully and not know what to look for when setting current.

It might be "toyota's" fault, but it becomes the user's fault when something obvious like a brick is left on the pedal. Had you read the manual you would have seen the jumper was missing and known something was wrong then.

Dr Lava even offered to compensate you some for one diode, the second one is completely on you. Why would someone who knows something is broken or not working right try to do everything exactly the same again expecting different results? That's insanity

 

[Tech_Junkie]

If it was me I would have double checked the driver before putting $400 worth of diodes on it. Or atleast before the second diode. You invoice only says 2 are preset. Did you use one of the ones that are on the invoice? If so, I'd say he was responsible for 1, it was your fault for putting a scond diode on it.

Its a rough call. In my experience I've bought around 6 items from people here, and they were not what was promised, or misrepresented in some way.

Edit: After reading DrLava's post I'd say he owed you 1 diode. Yes its common sense to check things, but he does have the right to receive what he ordered, and he didnt. Lava admitted not setting it, so I'd say he is responsible for the damage that resulted in his negligence. Also the soldering fee should be reimbursed.

 

[drlava]

you are the laser manufacturer. you are responsible for testing components before assembly, just as I am responsible for testing the components that go into the driver (and I do, and I have to weed out the bad ones), just as toyota is responsible for testing the components that go into their cars.

but even though, I did offer a payment compromise...

 

[SirVesa]

The invoice is for 2 microboosts, the other and seperate invoice is for the other linear drivers.



1SirVesa - Forum Username $0.00
1 LPF - Forum Name $0.00
1 USPS First class Shipping - First class shipping U.S. or international. $3.00
1 550 - Current preset (mA) $0.00
1 No optics kit - No optics kit $0.00
2 GrooveDrive V2 + preset current - GrooveDrive V2 laser driver + preset current $34.00
Tax :$0.00
Total:$37.00

 

[daguin]

Sorry. The ultimate responsibility lies with the builder. It takes .5 second to look to see if the correct jumper has been soldered. One blown diode could be blamed on the builder's exuberance or naivete. A second blown diode is the builder's negligence.

Learn to double check EVERY step of the way. You will still blow some diodes, but it will prevent silly mistakes like this one.

As you have found, assuming that someone else has done their job, and/or that nothing could have changed between order and delivery is a game of Russian roulette.

Your Toyota accelerator analogy is not valid. The drivers of Toyotas are NOT assembling the car from parts purchased separately. Drivers are not expected to know or understand which parts go where or how to recognize if the wrong part was delivered or faulty. Assemblers and builders are expected to know these things.

Drlava is only responsible for the fee for the missed pre-set service. You should have noticed this before you built the laser.

Peace,
dave

 

[SirVesa]

I disagree because the reason you buy the preset option is so that you don't have to set it yourself, I do agree that drlava should be responsible for at least the first dead diode and the preset fees as I should not have connected the second diode to it. But the first one was put together assuming that I eeceied what I paid for, which I did not.

 

[rpaloalto]

Can I ask you SirVesa, how much time you gave drlava to work this out with you, before you posted this here?

 

[Pontiacg5]

I still doubt that the diodes were extracted without damage, I think you are trying to get someone to pay for your mistake. I say post pics of the sleds and diodes otherwise you are just trying to milk some money out of a reputable seller.

 

[daguin]

I disagree because the reason you buy the preset option is so that you don't have to set it yourself, I do agree that drlava should be responsible for at least the first dead diode and the preset fees as I should not have connected the second diode to it. But the first one was put together assuming that I eeceied what I paid for, which I did not.

Of course you do. If you agreed with me you would be kicking your own a$$ instead of trying to kick drlava's

You asked for opinions. You now have one from a builder.

If you are going to build it, you are responsible for it.

Your hands = your fault

Peace,
dave