Killed my red diode! NOOOOOOOOOOO

[Minousoft]

:'(

My 650nm <200mW Sony diode was killed in an accident... the current may have been set wrong, or I may have shorted something, or the capacitors were still charged. I used a rckstr microdrive driver... I used 7.2v to test it, could that be the cause?

It now lases an oblong shape with a long line in it. The diode also heats up drastically, could have burned myself!

:'( :'( :'( :'(

Must... buy... moar... diodes...

 

[daguin]

:'(
My 650nm <200mW Sony diode was killed in an accident... the current may have been set wrong, or I may have shorted something, or the capacitors were still charged. I used a rckstr microdrive driver... I used 7.2v to test it, could that be the cause?
It now lases an oblong shape with a long line in it. The diode also heats up drastically, could have burned myself!
:'( :'( :'( :'(
Must... buy... moar... diodes...

Focus the laser til the "spot" is small. The long line in it is normal when you drive these to very high powers. It is also normal for the diode to get very hot. That is why we use good heat sinks and limit the duty cycle.

Peace,
dave

 

[Ace82]

7.2 V is perfect. You could have gave it too much current, but a dead diode doesn't lase. Is it bright? A dead diode is usually so dim (if any light projected) that you wouldn't be able to see any shape. As Daguin said, the line through the the center is normal, for open cans only IIRC. Getting hot, that too is normal, only if it's pumping out allot of photons, if it's hot and dim, then it's most likely blown.

 

[Mohrenberg]

what did you have the current set at?
and did you test t with a test load before you tested your diode?

 

[diachi]

Have you got it in a heatsink, or even an aixiz ? these diodes tend to have lines through the dots ( just look at the dilda laser ), and do get VERY hot without proper heatsinking.

-Adam

 

[Minousoft]

I've got it in an Aixiz right now. It used to not have a line through it, and it never used to get hot, unless I left it on. At the lowest pot setting, it can't burn anything. Not even red-absorbent blue plastic...

I will do some more tests shortly...

 

[Lasercrazy]

Try it on some black tape or paint.

 

[Minousoft]

At the highest pot setting, it does absolutely nothing... just a little brighter.