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FrozenGate by Avery

Laser+LED hack - help me find IR replacements

D

DCS

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I disassembled a PEQ Red Laser / Cree white Led combo made by G&P.

It runs on 3 AA batteries.  It has four modes:  off, laser-only, laser & led, led-only.

The laser is powered by 4.5 volts in laser-only mode.

The led is powered by 3 volts in led-only mode.

Both the laser and led receive 3 volts in the laser&led mode.

Here's the Cree led head: diameter = .670", cylinder height = .400".

creeled.jpg


Creeback.jpg


My objective is to convert both the led and laser to IR.

Is there such a thing as an IR drop-in led module of this dimension?  If so, supplier?

If not, how difficult is it to convert this white led module to IR?  I'd need tips and link to seller of the IR led piece.  

Here's the red laser:  

RedLas1.jpg


The IR conversion piece must fit inside the black housing parts, so dimensional constraints are fixed.  

RedLas2.jpg


The rear piece is just a brass cylinder / carrier thing.  

RedLasPot.jpg


The red laser has a pot - cool!

Collimator pic below.

RedLastip.jpg


The OD of the collimator nose is .335".

The OD of the laser module threads is .405".

This is only the 2nd laser I've disassembled.  

Is this type of module common, where the board is a tiny bit forming the base of the module?

Does anyone know of a potential vendor for a replacement module that's IR (850ish, 1 to 2mw)?

Or, is it most likely that I'll have to try to disassemble the module and replace Red guts with IR guts?  

I'm open to any and all suggestions.  I'm pretty nooby, so I'll need basics.  

THANKS!
 





It's surprising how difficult these seemingly simple projects turn out to be when you do everything from scratch :)

It shouldn't be a problem getting an IR replacement; both diode laser and LED.

One place to check would be <roithner-laser.com>. However it might be a pain to order from them (assuming you're in the states) - they are in Vienna.

Here's their list of IR diodes:
http://roithner-laser.com/LP-laserdiodesIR.htm

And the list of IR LEDs:
http://roithner-laser.com/LED_diverse.htm

Problem, since you don't know the details of your current setup, is going to be finding a laser diode that's pin compatible ( & the correct 'type' .. n-type, p-type, etc) with the power supply. Finding an IR LED of the same caliber as a CREE white may be difficult also.

Again, not hard to find the parts.. whether they will be compatible the power supply you've got needs to be determined.
 
By looking at the picture, this is a green laser, right? If this is the case then the laser diode is already radiating infrared light. The only reason you see a green beam is because of the wavelength converting crystals in the nozzle. After removing these, only infrared light remains. Be warned however, it can be extremely hazardous to your eyes because of invisible stray reflections. The light may be invisible but it van heat up your retina easier than visible light. Always wear infrared blocking safety glasses when working with IR. Another problem will most likely be that the focal length of the collimating lens will be wrong without the crystals, and most likely this is not easy to fix either.
 
Hmm, well in his first sentence he states it's a red laser.

You are correct that a green laser could be disassembled to use its (IR) pump diode.
 
flogged - thanks for the links. LOTS of choices there.

Zom-B - yep, this is a red laser. Thanks for the heads-up though. Always a good idea to be sure that newbs don't fry their eyes with an IR pump they ripped from a green laser.

Woo - thanks! Here's a pic of the DX 4669 next to the cree head. The cree wafer is 14mm. The DX star is 20mm. I guess I could shave the dx down to fit, but that would erase half the solder pads and leave the surface mount led barely attached. Before I start grinding the DX, I want to try to locate a 14mm IR led star.

IM003600.jpg
 
Can't you just unsolder it from the star? Then unsolder the CREE emitter and replace it with the IR? You would need to make some modifications to the leads and use thermal glue. Just a thought.
 
FML - thanks! Here's my newb questions:

1 - the DX IR LED works well in my Elly mod flashlights. They run on one 1.5v battery. However, this PEQ Cree flashlight receives 3v from the control board inside the PEQ. What will happen if I install the DX LED on the Cree plate and supply 3v to it?

Cree.jpg


2 - On the Cree, is the white plate under the led dome glued down or soldered down? I need instructions on how to get it off without ruining something. I assume it has a plus side and a minus side and receives power from the 14mm circular board underneath it.

IR.jpg


3 - on the DX IR piece, how is the white base attached to the star board? Glue or solder?

Also, can somebody give me a quick understanding of the different purposes for thermal glue vs. heat-conducting grease vs. Arctic Silver?

THANKS!
 
I can't find any specs for DX IR. All I know is that IR LEDs need like 1.4v or so. The current for the 0.5W would be 0.5/1.4= 357ma  :-?. If it puts out 3v, then use a 1W 4.6 ohm resistor. That's all I can do. I don't know what happes. I think that the DX IR is thermal glued.
 
I still need help with the laser. Can anyone tell me steps for disassembling the laser above without destroying it?

My assumption would be:
1 - pick the glue off the rear board
2 - pick the glue off the collimator
3 - remove the collimator
4 - press the diode backwards to get the laser out of the brass cyclinder.

Have i missed anything crucial?

Is the diode usually a press fit?

Thanks!
 
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