Laser on for too long?

[Primatex]

Today i got my Lazerer 532nm mW Rifle and I started using it without charging the battery or anything as it was working fine although it did seem to be losing power as I used it throughout the day. I had it on for around 60 seconds and turned it off, A little after I went to turn it on again and it didn't come on immediately so I hit the button a few times to see if it would come on, no luck. I figured it had run out of power and put it in my pocket (no beam was being emitted). About 15 minutes later I was going to try it again (I got it today so I was excited about using it ) As I reached to take it out of my pocket I realised that the host was pretty warm and that it had been on for 15 minutes (Was now emitting the beam)...

I immediately turned it off and let if cool down before removing the battery.
This was a few hours ago and I have now charged the battery for about 90 minutes but the laser will not turn on.

Have I fried the diode? even if it i could still see the beam before i turned it off? Could it just be that the battery is completely drained? Any help is greatly appreciated...
(I know this is a silly mistake and that it could cost me a new laser)
(i still have a weeks warranty)

 

[Wolfman29]

Hmm. Well, that's interesting that it wasn't emitting a beam until it was in your pocket for a while. Did you check to see if the battery is actually providing power? Check the tailcap current by putting a DMM set to current mode in series with the tailcap.

If you notice that it's drawing current but not outputting a beam, leave it on for a little bit - if it's cold where you are, it may need to warm up.

 

[Primatex]

Thanks for the reply.

I put the DMM on current and put the leads to either side of the battery and got a value of about 9.3 whilst on the 10A scale.

I am not sure on how to check if current is running through the tailcap in a series circuit though. What i have is the DMM and the 2 standard leads that come with it

Going to try improve pic size

 

[Wolfman29]

That's... a bad idea. What you do is put it on current and then put one end on the back of the battery and the other on the side of the host... you just shorted the battery.

 

[Primatex]

Damn.. I think i did it correctly and as you can tell from the picture i got a reading of 0.

 

[Wolfman29]

Err, you were touching anodized metal that doesn't conduct. Try touching the aluminum threads where the tailcap screws on.

EDIT: 2k Posts! Woo!

 

[Primatex]

LOL pretty stupid of me xD, I tried both, and both are giving 0 :/ What does this mean? I need a new battery or the battery is completely dead?

oh and congratulations on 2000 posts

 

[Wolfman29]

Oh! Didn't even realize I hit 2k posts ^_^

Anyway, if you are reading zero, then either your driver or your diode is fried. Even a dead battery will give some current.

At this point, I would do an RMA request.

 

[Primatex]

Lol

Okay, thanks for the help. I will get that sorted

 

[Wolfman29]

Alright Good luck.

 

[Sigurthr]

Dumb question, is the battery positive to tail cap or negative to tailcap? If it isn't positive to tailcap you have the DMM leads reversed in the photo, which would give you a reading of zero.

 

[cilegray]

Dumb question, is the battery positive to tail cap or negative to tailcap? If it isn't positive to tailcap you have the DMM leads reversed in the photo, which would give you a reading of zero.

Wouldn't reversing the leads just give a negative reading ? It does on mine anyways

 

[Sigurthr]

Not on all meters, mine has to be connected properly for current to be measured. Voltage uses a different input port and is reverse polarity compatible.

 

[RyanElectro]

I figured it had run out of power and put it in my pocket (no beam was being emitted). About 15 minutes later I was going to try it again (I got it today so I was excited about using it ) As I reached to take it out of my pocket I realised that the host was pretty warm and that it had been on for 15 minutes (Was now emitting the beam)...

What I don't get is that you had the laser on for 15 minutes in your pocket and somehow you didn't burn a hole through your pants.

 

[Primatex]

Dumb question, is the battery positive to tail cap or negative to tailcap? If it isn't positive to tailcap you have the DMM leads reversed in the photo, which would give you a reading of zero.

The battery is negative to the tailcap, i'm pretty sure i tried both ways though.

What I don't get is that you had the laser on for 15 minutes in your pocket and somehow you didn't burn a hole through your pants.

I know i guess i was lucky that it didnt burn through 0.0

But anyways, My brother was just in the room and out of no where the laser turned on and he called me up, (laser was switched on obviously, but no way of me knowing) I was delighted but about 40 seconds later it decided to turn itself off

I guess the diode or driver is not fried though right?

 

[Wolfman29]

That's... really interesting. Probably a crappy connection then somewhere is my guess if it is intermittent. Have you tried a different battery? It may be the contact that is only touching sometimes.