Is this Led'd

[Toaster]

So today my, 445 dropped out of my hoodie pocket and fell about 2 feet onto a tile floor. I turned it on and it looked quite a bit dimmer. So I unscrewed the lens and the diode was outputting two bars rather than the usual thick bar. Does this mean that the diode is shot or did something short inside and (Maybe) short the driver?

Thanks a ton.

PS: I was going to buy another didoe from Pontiacg5 but I cant get the cart on his site to show up. Is he out of diodes. If so, does anyone else have good recomendations?

Cheers

 

[Eudaimonium]

So today my, 445 dropped out of my hoodie pocket and fell about 2 feet onto a tile floor. I turned it on and it looked quite a bit dimmer. So I unscrewed the lens and the diode was outputting two bars rather than the usual thick bar. Does this mean that the diode is shot or did something short inside and (Maybe) short the driver?

Thanks a ton.

PS: I was going to buy another didoe from Pontiacg5 but I cant get the cart on his site to show up. Is he out of diodes. If so, does anyone else have good recomendations?

Cheers

Diode's window is most likely cracked. Remove the lens and see if that's true.

Diode replacement or diode decan is needed. Former is expensive, latter is risky.

You should be more careful with your lasers. Unless you have money growing in your garden.

 

[Cyparagon]

Yeah, sounds broke. Keep the current low and it might work, just with lower power and less efficiency.

 

[hakzaw1]

^^^ prolly right-- Mine died from a drop of less than 2 feet onto a carpet.. I was lucky-- Luke fixed it for the cost of a new diode only--

GL - I PMed you about a diode.---hk

 

[lazeerer]

Also maybe the POT shifted when it hit the floor. I would also check if the Driver is set to the Proper setting.

 

[Eudaimonium]

Also maybe the POT shifted when it hit the floor. I would also check if the Driver is set to the Proper setting.

Seriously, what are the chances?

Has anybody ever experienced this in the history of making DIY Handheld lasers?

Sound greaty implausible.

 

[lazeerer]

Seriously, what are the chances?

Has anybody ever experienced this in the history of making DIY Handheld lasers?

Sound greaty implausible.

True but you never know. The Chances are unlikely but it could happen since the pots are really sensitive as well.

Its worth a shot. IMO

 

[Toaster]

You should be more careful with your lasers. Unless you have money growing in your garden.

Well do you think I tried to drop it? Come on.

Ill take the head apart and turn the pot to the max and see if there is a change (Its a boostdrive)

I have no idea how to decan the diode either. That means I would need to push it out, cut and place again. Not to mention I don't have a dremel.

 

[daguin]

Also maybe the POT shifted when it hit the floor. I would also check if the Driver is set to the Proper setting.

Seriously, what are the chances?

Has anybody ever experienced this in the history of making DIY Handheld lasers?

Sound greaty implausible.

Sometimes this could happen with the flexdrive's pot. I got into the habit of always "knocking" on the side of a flexdrive after setting it so I could check it again.

Peace,
dave

 

[Eudaimonium]

Sometimes this could happen with the flexdrive's pot. I got into the habit of always "knocking" on the side of a flexdrive after setting it so I could check it again.

Peace,
dave

And to what degree did the knocks affect potenciometers' position?
Also,to what degree would you approximate a drop of the laser could affect the driver's potenciometer inside it ?

I have only tried out MicroBoost and pots there are quite stiff and I can imagine that chances of it getting knocked out of preset position are about the same as Chuck Norris getting beaten up.

Besides, DrLava ships presetted drivers, and I do not recall seeing epoxy on the potenciometers (though I could be wrong here).

Quote:

It also might not have cracked, but the shock made it mode hop.

 

[Toaster]

Yep, lol I dont even know what he is talking about.

 

[Eudaimonium]

Yep, lol I dont even know what he is talking about.

He is talking about diodes modehopping.

Diode do not have modes. They do not operate in Gaussian profile TEM modes.
Unless somebody divided something by zero.

 

[Morgan]

Pot may have moved so just checking output can do no harm. I think that's rather academic anyway as with two stripes showing it sounds like a dismantle and disconnect for repair in any case doesn't it?


Turning the pot to full is not a great idea though and won't prove either way whether it's moved or not. If the diode has been damaged this could well push it over the edge and you have no laser. If the window is cracked and you don't want to open it up and do the decan then leaving it alone, turning it down and living with it, or replacing it are your only options. You may like the new, 'two bar', output of course? Have you got a picture of the output without the lens in?

M

 

[daguin]

And to what degree did the knocks affect potenciometers' position?
Also,to what degree would you approximate a drop of the laser could affect the driver's potenciometer inside it ?

I have only tried out MicroBoost and pots there are quite stiff and I can imagine that chances of it getting knocked out of preset position are about the same as Chuck Norris getting beaten up.

Besides, DrLava ships presetted drivers, and I do not recall seeing epoxy on the potenciometers (though I could be wrong here).

Quote:

I have never experienced it with the MicroBoost. The pot on the flexdrive is significantly more fragile. Reading through this entire thread, would lead me to believe that the pot is NOT the problem here. The change was not huge when it occurred. With these 445nm diodes it is not really an issue anyway. They are NOT being operated at the edge of survivability like we run the violets

It is more likely that something else shifted from the impact. If the laser was turned *OFF* then I cannot see this impact damaging an installed diode. Maybe the driver or some wiring shifted. Maybe something happened in the battery holder. I do not believe that a drop like one described in the OP would crack or dislodge a window. Nor do I believe that it would break loose a connection inside the diode can.

He is talking about diodes modehopping.

Diode do not have modes. They do not operate in Gaussian profile TEM modes.
Unless somebody divided something by zero.

Sorry :yabbem:

Peace,
dave

 

[Eudaimonium]

I have never experienced it with the MicroBoost. The pot on the flexdrive is significantly more fragile. Reading through this entire thread, would lead me to believe that the pot is NOT the problem here. The change was not huge when it occurred. With these 445nm diodes it is not really an issue anyway. They are NOT being operated at the edge of survivability like we run the violets

It is more likely that something else shifted from the impact. If the laser was turned *OFF* then I cannot see this impact damaging an installed diode. Maybe the driver or some wiring shifted. Maybe something happened in the battery holder. I do not believe that a drop like one described in the OP would crack or dislodge a window. Nor do I believe that it would break loose a connection inside the diode can.

Well, cracked window is the most probable event out of them all here.

Or wait... cracked or moved lens maybe ? If lens used are 3 element ones, there's plenty of room for fail there...

Sorry :yabbem:

Peace,
dave

OMG !! NOES!!

I better send email to Chuck Norris. His email adress is still gmail@chucknorris.com right ?

I better tell him to get de-dividebyzeroer immediately or we're doomed.

 

[Toaster]

Here is the diode (No lens)

Maybe someone will recognize this...

Link Below

I checked the diode window, no crack, Checked the pot. Its still at max... I can't decide what it could be... :/