Laser Problem or Battery problem? (THANKS LPF!)

[HanMan5000]

Recently I made a post about my 200mw Rayfoss laser.

Thanks to wonderful members of LPF, I figured out the problem, or should I say problems.

1 Problem was the tailcap. One of our nice LPF members directed me to use foil which weird enough it did not work.

2 The second problem was the battery. Like another one of our LPF members said, the battery is dead. He was absolutely correct.

I used ordered another battery from MrDusanMandic (LPF User who is VERY NICE and gave me overnight shipping and a 18650 battery for only a $5 amazon giftcard) and it came. I used foil and it worked. Laser is very very nice, I am very pleased, and my love of lasers has come back, ha ha.

However I was concerned because this battery measured 4.2V on the meter, and the old one that came with my laser said 3.7. So is it safe to use?

Now for the slightly bad news.

After a few minutes of using and loving my laser, I pointed the beam at the sky (Triple checked for planes or anything airborn) and the beam began to fade. I clicked the button and it started out very bright but then dimmed..until it was barley seen.

So is this a Laser problem or a Battery problem? Could it mean that the battery needs recharging?

Thank you guys!

Reps will be added for all positive comments

 

[Morgan]

Hi HanMan5000,

Well, to answer one of the queries, rechargeables that state 3.7V state that as the mean voltage. When fully charged they are normally 4.2V so no worries there I think.

Others will be able to give more definitive answers about the fading but I have had experience with a greenie, (I assume we're still talking about greenies?), that did the same. It was supposed to be powered by a similar format battery of only 3.0V. It was suggested that I could get more power by using a 3.7V. This was indeed true but as it heated due to the extra current, the laser dimmed. No permanent damage was done to my laser but I think I will stick to the 3.0V from now on. This may not be the case with yours but the symptoms are similar.

Hope that helps.

M

 

[HanMan5000]

Haha yeah, sorry, we are talking about a green.

Ok, so my laser probably got a tiny bit warm. Its alright I guess, I'll have to be more care and not keep it on a long time.

Thank you!

+rep

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Looking forward to other replies.

 

[AndyR]

How severe is the dimming? Is it truly from a spectacular beam to a barely visible beam?

Most greenies I have encountered seem to also "dim" after a couple seconds, but not by much. I don't think this is a real problem considering the decrease in power is barely noticeable.

As stated above, it could also be a heat problem. If it more than noticeably jumps from a high power to a lower power, there is a problem.

 

[chipdouglas]

I had a problem just like that on my home made 6x. and scopeguy and daguin solved it for me. it was a short. so my battery was draing prematurely. and when you wait minutes or even seconds in between uses the battery builds up enough current to turn on the LD but it dies out. check your battery voltage.

michael

 

[Byrnz93]

That's exactly what happens to my PHR. Thought the batteries were just bad.

 

[Greenmechanic]

The battery can measure full charge, but not have the mAh reserve to power the laser for more then a second or two.
Find a flashlight that runs on 3-4.5 volts. Not an LED one,(not enough current draw) the incandescent type. (bulb)
Find a way to "rig" the battery up to the flashlight, (or bulb) and see what happens.
If the FL bulb starts off bright but dims within 60 seconds (or goes out) then it's a bad battery.
If, after 5 minutes of running, the bulb is still bright, it's probably not the battery.

Using a 3.7V battery in a laser (532nm, green) that's designed for 3V, will not increase mW power and is not a good idea.