how to easily focus any gball diode without deccaning(tutorial)

[RedCowboy]

The GBall is a single element with a longer FL like the G7 and it is very efficient like a G2, I remember a power test DTR did of an 06 with the GBall and with a G2 and the numbers were very similar.

The problem is they are fixed at a less than ideal focus, many are focused very short such as just inches away, that makes for a big spot across the room.

Others are focused closer to infinity, with a beam expander you will find some that burn good at 5 to 20 feet also burn with a longer but razor sharp line at 50 feet through the beam expander.

I have had many but most are dead/weak now from running de-canned, I have a couple that came with a pretty good focus that work well with a beam expander and nothing else, just the factory GBall intact and a BE, it's G2 power with a shorter spot far field, and although the spot at 15 feet isn't perfectly sharp it burns very well, I am thinking of trying the backwards G2 followed by a recovered GBall, so far they like to shatter when I try to cut them from the can, but maybe I can just trim the can, will be a project as I expect future diodes may be GBalls.

Light Transmission

G9 = 96%
G2 = 95%
GBall = 94%
G7 = 85%
3E = 70%

Here's an old video of an NUBM06 with GBall intact that has an ok focus, not perfect but not terrible. THIS IS WITH THE FIXED GBALL INTACT.

When I find a GBall diode with a pretty good focus I simply use an emptied out 3E lens barrel and the 3XBE with its adaptor and a spacer/washers, then it will focus to burn across a good range of 3 to 30 feet or so, the good part is the power is high as the GBall is efficient.

The wide end of the empty 3E barrel will fit over the GBall when screwed into the 3X adaptor, just use a spacer/washers to keep from crushing it.

This was an NUBM05 with GBall intact and a 3XBE, I got bored one night and de-canned it, now it's long since dead yet my GBall intact 06 lives on.

 

[LewDude]

This is super great stuff. Reps and high fives for making it known!

RA, I might have a couple-few lying around. About 1/2 the time the ball cracks when de-canning, but if I scrounge some up this evening, I'll PM you!

Edit: I found 1, but know I likely have more...also I had not seen RCB's post, more great stuff!

Also, I kinda hope "blue-ball" sticks, much funnier than gball! :crackup:

 

[deadshadow]

RedCowboy i see you have plenty of extracted gballs (you lost many diodes i guess) i only have 2 diodes decanned and even those accidentally happend while pressing them.
one is a nubm08 that now it does 2.5A 300mw and the other is a nugm01 that still going strong in full power.

I haven't read up on what the deal is with the blue-ball lenses so maybe one of you can clue me in...

Are these just super short focal-length collimators that are sloppily glued into the can?
I remember seeing someone (wish I remember who so I can give credit) doing a test of a bunch and finding that the output profile varies from diode to diode.
If the blue-ball lens is just a collimator, then we could potentially use a long focal length lens to focus the output from the blue-ball diode into a more familiar beam, right? This would result in much lower losses than re-expanding and then re-collimating the output (essentially a beam expander without expansion).

It seems to me that the blue-balls are a blessing in disguise - we just need to come up with a better optic mount standard than the teeny-tiny aspherics we always use.

Anyone have some blue-ball lenses to send me so I can experiment? :angel:

i don't think there is other way to refocus a gball diode cause the factory gball most of the times its just a "hair" away from the infinity focus and i don't think we have any glass lens available that can just fix that slight little focus.

with this method if someone want to have the smaller power lost best way is 2x G2(expand and refocus) and a beam expander.

 

[RedCowboy]

I would like to converge a bunch of 6w blues without spending a lot of money, so auction won Gballs with available lenses sounds good, I want to harvest some of these GBalls and try NUBM with factory GBall intact followed by backwards G2 then focused with a recovered GBall, that should make a 3E size spot with less loss.....maybe, I shall see....

Also future projectors will likely have bigger more efficient greens and bigger blues but less of them, so they may cost more, yes I have killed a lot of Gballs but they were not expensive...well my 1st NUBM08 cost me 140.00 and 6 weeks later after running it daily de-canned it was getting puny, so I will likely push my 12mm module back in my heat sink and tap for extra set screws to hold another copper end for the focus lens, the backwards G2 should just thread into the GBall's module like so

 

[deadshadow]

I haven't read up on what the deal is with the blue-ball lenses so maybe one of you can clue me in...

Are these just super short focal-length collimators that are sloppily glued into the can?
I remember seeing someone (wish I remember who so I can give credit) doing a test of a bunch and finding that the output profile varies from diode to diode.
If the blue-ball lens is just a collimator, then we could potentially use a long focal length lens to focus the output from the blue-ball diode into a more familiar beam, right? This would result in much lower losses than re-expanding and then re-collimating the output (essentially a beam expander without expansion).

It seems to me that the blue-balls are a blessing in disguise - we just need to come up with a better optic mount standard than the teeny-tiny aspherics we always use.

Anyone have some blue-ball lenses to send me so I can experiment? :angel:

I would like to converge a bunch of 6w blues without spending a lot of money, so auction won Gballs with available lenses sounds good, I want to harvest some of these GBalls and try NUBM with factory GBall intact followed by backwards G2 then focused with a recovered GBall, that should make a 3E size spot with less loss.....maybe, I shall see....

Also future projectors will likely have bigger more efficient greens and bigger blues but less of them, so they may cost more, yes I have killed a lot of Gballs but they were not expensive...well my 1st NUBM08 cost me 140.00 and 6 weeks later after running it daily de-canned it was getting puny, so I will likely push my 12mm module back in my heat sink and tap for extra set screws to hold another copper end for the focus lens, the backwards G2 should just thread into the GBall's module like so

interesting thought about the final gball diode,you must use the lens of the nubm05,06 or 07 that have longer focal length,the 08's are definetly shorter focal length and you can see that from the shorter can that those diodes have.i had an extracted gball lens from nugm01 diode that should be the same as the other blue's gballs,it has one scratch but i can definetly compare the spot size vs a G2 lens, i have to find it though.


edit: i found the extracted gball lens i had and tried it on my degraded nubm08 diode i had. at 3 meters the G2 spot was 3.5cm line and the gball made 3.1cm line,so the spot size is a bit better but nowhere near a 3 element lens.if those lenses have less power loses that makes them the superion lens and alot better than a G2 as you gain better divergence and same or less power lose.

 

[steve001]

The GBall is a single element with a longer FL like the G7 and it is very efficient like a G2,

In profile what is the shape of this lens?

 

[kecked]

What makes the gball diodes degrade when decanned? Oxygen, moisture, dirt? Cuz it seems we could easily back fill a space with nitrogen or argon that is dry. We can also put a blank flat in the housing and screw that in to seal the space. Fill a bag with dry gas and assemble. Remove and screw in lens. I'm sure we can find some cheap AR glass blanks that would fit. Buy up a couple thousand and spread them around in a truncated lens housing.

 

[paul1598419]

It seems to be carbon deposition that causes the early demise of decanned diodes. There was an article to that effect, but don't have the link.

 

[deadshadow]

What makes the gball diodes degrade when decanned? Oxygen, moisture, dirt? Cuz it seems we could easily back fill a space with nitrogen or argon that is dry. We can also put a blank flat in the housing and screw that in to seal the space. Fill a bag with dry gas and assemble. Remove and screw in lens. I'm sure we can find some cheap AR glass blanks that would fit. Buy up a couple thousand and spread them around in a truncated lens housing.

its easy to just think that we can fill those diodes with gas but i can only imagine that as an experiment and nowhere cheap way that all community hobbyist could buy, also there are some other problems that will be expected as the evailability of the new cans that we need(to seal back the diode),the gases the inviroment to make this happened and lastly and most important the price.

also don't forget that if you just apply the method inside the housing between diode and our focus lens it will still be unfocusable end product.

 

[RedCowboy]

In profile what is the shape of this lens?

I saw a power test DTR did so I know the GBall is nearly as efficient as the G2, the lens looks aspheric but I have not yet got one out intact, they shatter easily, I only attempted a couple of times and quit messing with it, but I will try again or just trim off the flanged lip and mount the can.

 

[Shotgundrums]

Excellent discovery, Chris!! This will give gball diodes more utility in our hobby. Should last far longer too not having to open-can them.
SGD :beer:

 

[steve001]

I saw a power test DTR did so I know the GBall is nearly as efficient as the G2, the lens looks aspheric but I have not yet got one out intact, they shatter easily, I only attempted a couple of times and quit messing with it, but I will try again or just trim off the flanged lip and mount the can.

If you have a Dremel tool or a similar tool from Harbor Freight you could remove that lens without destruction. Harbor Freight. https://m.harborfreight.com/rotary-tool-kit-80-pc-63235.html

 

[deadshadow]

yeap this is how i removed mine but i accidentally touched the disk to the lens and made a very small scratch but i can confirm that this method works great,just need to be careful

 

[RedCowboy]

I have Dremels and many bits/disc, I would like to avoid contaminating/scratching the lens so I would cut at the center circumference of the lens, I had hoped to be able to remove the lens without introducing any friction material/dust from the cutting wheel onto the lens......maybe I can tape over each end of the can and then cut around the center of the lens, is that how you do it ?

 

[deadshadow]

I have Dremels and many bits/disc, I would like to avoid contaminating/scratching the lens so I would cut at the center circumference of the lens, I had hoped to be able to remove the lens without introducing any friction material/dust from the cutting wheel onto the lens......maybe I can tape over each end of the can and then cut around the center of the lens, is that how you do it ?

i cut it in lines and each piece was coming out very easy,im not sure if the tape is good idea cause it can easily melt from the rising temperature on the can while cutting it or leave some residue on the lens.

my cutting method was like this

 

[RedCowboy]

Yea I see what you did cutting long ways, but that will have you cutting very close to the lens face, if I cut around the center and scuff the edge that shouldn't hurt it, well I will have to try and see. :beer: