How to _complete noob

[ragtag]

Hey,

I was going to buy a $500 green laser pen but have now decided to build my own.

Im pretty good with electroinics and installing components but dont have much of an idea on how to build a laser.

So far i think i need a diode connected to a module, lens, housing, switch,power (3v), ir filter if green

I want a laser with enough power to cut tape, light matches and that projects quite far while also being quite bright - i was going to buy the 125mw,532nm green laser.

My question is ' for me to be able to build a laser with burning power what do i need inorder to build one? green or red is fine

Also im a bit confused on how to make a green laser if there arn't green laser diodes..lol

Any help would be awesome!!

Thank-you
Leigh

 

[Chris.]

Red all the way, green would be tedious to say the least.
Read some of the guides here, people make ~200mW red lasers very cheaply.

 

[ragtag]

Thank-you

Can you please show me a url to a good page from this site, i can't seem to find one lol iv looked and looked thats why i made this topic

thank-you
leigh

 

[Chris.]

How to build the driver:
http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1185701612/0#0
There are alternatives which are smaller/have lower voltage drops but that is a very good place to start, I still use that circuit to test all diodes.

Might be usefull:
http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1181635652/0#0

Personally I'm yet to fit a laser into a Dorcy/Maglite casing as I'm yet to build a small enough current controller and refuse to use just a resistor and capacitor.

Good luck!

 

[BlueFusion]

You can buy a small enough driver from my signature!
Also, head to http://sales.stonetek.org for buying diodes.
Again, read up in the Experiments and Mods section.

 

[Daedal]

This might help:

http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasercds.htm#cdstoc

Green is hard, but red is very doable

GL;
DDL

 

[Daedal]

BTW: I suggest reading it end to end before you start

--DDL