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FrozenGate by Avery

Introducing two new miniature drivers for portable lasers

Can I please get a status on my order ? Almost been 2 weeks since I paid....
 





drlava, my boostdrive heats up considerably when set to the highest current setting. Which chip should I attach a heastink to?
 
laser_freak said:
drlava, my boostdrive heats up considerably when set to the highest current setting. Which chip should I attach a heastink to?
Click to expand...
Good question.... My plan is to attach it to the side without the pot on it, that way I can adjust it whenever (as the pot is still exposed). But I suppose that wouldn't make much sense if that was the cool side.
 
You can heatsink the small square black chip on top if you like. Another trick to reduce heat would be to turn the pot all the way down and solder two (try one at first) 1 ohm resistors in parallel with the large range resistor on the bottom. At that point, probably only the first quarter turn of the pot can be used, but you will have halved the heat from that resistor.
 
Hello doctor lava, a few weeks ago I purchased one of your groove 2 drivers, I must say I'm eased with it ablot!
I'm planning on building a 405nm laser with it, the diode comes from a PHRT unit and I just wanted to ask how much voltage I should be using for the diode? Will a 9v battery work fine, or is it too much since this diode works with 5v and your driver ou has a 1.2v drop out.... Also how much current should I supply the diode with? To get at least about 100mw of power.

Well thanks a lot for this amazing driver! It's a great one for smaller diodes.
Federico
 
A 9v battery will work but not for long, the capacity is very small.. i think it has something like 140mAh, which would drive a PHR for around an hour. you are better off going with two 3.7v 18650 li-ion batteries which would give you 7.4v & as they have a very big capacity (2400mAh) it will drive a PHR for around 20 hours. And last but not least, you should supply the PHR with ~110-120mA for 100mW of power.

stuart
 
Awesome thanks a lot Stuart!
By the way, what does it mean when you say that a battery yield 140mAh or 2400mAh? It means it can yield that much current if the lod requires it? or that with any load it yield 2400mAh?
Thanks a lot again, and I"m still waiting for my diode to get to Canada :yh:
 
2400/140mAh is the battery capacity, for example

a 9v battery has 140mAh, so if you say... want to run an led off of it and it only consumes 20mAh (milliamperes/hr) it will take 7 hours for the battery to drain completely. it will only drain as much per hour that the load requires. hope this helped.

stuart :)
 
drlava said:
...Another trick to reduce heat would be to turn the pot all the way down and solder two (try one at first) 1 ohm resistors in parallel with the large range resistor on the bottom...
Click to expand...

I am not sure I follow you, from what point to what point on the large resistor?

drlava said:
...At that point, probably only the first quarter turn of the pot can be used, but you will have halved the heat from that resistor.
Click to expand...

What would be the working mA range?

THANKS YOU VERY MUCH!! :D
 
jmgallego said:
I am not sure I follow you, from what point to what point on the large resistor?
Click to expand...

i think he means by that if there are more resistors, the heat can be dissipated more easily, thus making that component (and the driver) a little bit cooler... correct me if im wrong.

stuart :)
 
laserboystuart said:
2400/140mAh is the battery capacity, for example

a 9v battery has 140mAh, so if you say... want to run an led off of it and it only consumes 20mAh (milliamperes/hr) it will take 7 hours for the battery to drain completely. it will only drain as much per hour that the load requires. hope this helped.

stuart :)
Click to expand...

Awesome!, makes perfect sense now, I shall buy some of those powerful Li-ion Batteries. Last question, it is a must to have some heatsinking for the laser diode right? otherwise the life of the laser might be shortened. Also if I add extra heat dissipation, am I able to raise the current to the diode a bit more?? or perhaps be able to run the laser for a few minutes?
Thanks a lot Stuart! :yh:
 
Federico said:
Awesome!, makes perfect sense now, I shall buy some of those powerful Li-ion Batteries. Last question, it is a must to have some heatsinking for the laser diode right? otherwise the life of the laser might be shortened. Also if I add extra heat dissipation, am I able to raise the current to the diode a bit more?? or perhaps be able to run the laser for a few minutes?
Thanks a lot Stuart! :yh:
Click to expand...

yes you do need a heatsink if you want your laser diode to survive, i recommend a copper heatsink. Also how long you have your laser diode running depends on the size, shape and material of the heatsink. but if you have a bigger heatsink, which will dissipate heat better, then you are able to raise the current (not majorly) more.

E.g i have the 18650 kit from jayrob with a microboost set at 900mA, i have a copper heatsink with the longer option, this means i can run my laser continuously for about 2 minutes without risking the diode, whereas if i had an aluminum heatsink, i would only be able to run the diode for about a minute. if i wanted to raise the current on my laser then i would have to shorten the duty cycle to compensate. get it now? ;)

stuart :)
 
laserboystuart said:
yes you do need a heatsink if you want your laser diode to survive, i recommend a copper heatsink. Also how long you have your laser diode running depends on the size, shape and material of the heatsink. but if you have a bigger heatsink, which will dissipate heat better, then you are able to raise the current (not majorly) more.

E.g i have the 18650 kit from jayrob with a microboost set at 900mA, i have a copper heatsink with the longer option, this means i can run my laser continuously for about 2 minutes without risking the diode, whereas if i had an aluminum heatsink, i would only be able to run the diode for about a minute. if i wanted to raise the current on my laser then i would have to shorten the duty cycle to compensate. get it now? ;)

stuart :)
Click to expand...

yes! I get it now :D I will post some pictures of how my build is going to be, but I'll do so as soon as I get off summer
school (going ahead sucks!). I have an aluminum heat sink, but it's quite big, and mine isn't a handheld laser, more like a portable laser :) because of the huge heat sink :P btw I'm thinking of taking the driver out of the laser module and attach it to the heat sink, for better heat dissipation, but I'm scared it might make contact with the metal part of te heat sink and make a short circuit.... Perhaps I can use the white paste that conducts heat???

Thanks again!!!
Federico:thanks:
 
Federico said:
yes! I get it now :D I will post some pictures of how my build is going to be, but I'll do so as soon as I get off summer
school (going ahead sucks!). I have an aluminum heat sink, but it's quite big, and mine isn't a handheld laser, more like a portable laser :) because of the huge heat sink :P btw I'm thinking of taking the driver out of the laser module and attach it to the heat sink, for better heat dissipation, but I'm scared it might make contact with the metal part of te heat sink and make a short circuit.... Perhaps I can use the white paste that conducts heat???

Thanks again!!!
Federico:thanks:
Click to expand...

no probem, glad to help :)

you can use not conductive thermal paste to attach the heatsink to the driver, and it wont make a short circuit with anything.

stuart :)
 
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