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Longevity and Sturdiness Wise, Should the Driver be in the Module?

hoo7h

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Hi all,

I had this question on my mind as I am building a couple of lasers. If I am looking for something sturdy and long lasting (Specifically, being used by someone with a history of ripping wires aparts lol), would getting the DTR module that has the driver inside it be the wiser option, or getting a drop-in host with the driver glued in it and get the DTR module with only the diode?

Cheers :beer:
 





GSS

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I would think it depends on how much output you want.
Anything over 1.8A to 2.2A you would want to sink the driver which leaves no room in the Dtr's module.
There are bigger 20mm and 25mm sinks that he sells that have the driver pocket though.
Yup, I have a shaky hand and know to well about pulling wires out:whistle:
 
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hoo7h

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I would think it depends on how much output you want.
Anything over 1.8A to 2.2A you would want to sink the driver which leaves no room in the Dtr's module.
There are bigger 20mm and 25mm sinks that he sells that have the driver pocket though.
Yup, I have a shaky hand and know to well about pulling wires out:whistle:

So for something that is below 2.0A, would having the driver inside be better?
 
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Depends on how much waste heat the driver is making. What diode are you thinking? Would help us help you if your gonna need a huge module or something smaller
 

GSS

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Alot of different reasons to order a driver soldered to the diode in the module.
Can you fine solder? "you mentioned wire pulling".
Alot depends on the host and room. A small flashlight build like a C6 or 501B host would benefit from it.
Pen builds with added button board, "which also can be glued for extra strength.
Big hosts like Mag lights, C11's C8's you can go either way as there's alot of room in the bell and can thremal epoxy the driver to the back of the sink.
Like 10fenny said you really need to give an idea of your build plan.
 
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For drivers up to 1.8 amps, I typically solder the driver to the diode inside the module. But, it does depend on how efficient the diode is. Less efficient diodes tend to cause drivers to heat up faster. Also, it depends on the type of driver. A boost driver used with an inefficient diode also tend to heat up faster too. Duty cycles, or the time you plan on leaving the laser on continuously will cause drivers to heat up more. Many factors involved in building a laser.
 

hoo7h

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I would think it depends on how much output you want.
Anything over 1.8A to 2.2A you would want to sink the driver which leaves no room in the Dtr's module.
There are bigger 20mm and 25mm sinks that he sells that have the driver pocket though.
Yup, I have a shaky hand and know to well about pulling wires out:whistle:

Depends on how much waste heat the driver is making. What diode are you thinking? Would help us help you if your gonna need a huge module or something smaller

Hmmm I was thinking more in terms of physical damages that would come from the laser moving around or getting dropped. So disregard the heat factor.
 
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All lasers are delicate instruments, so you can't abuse them like you might a flashlight. Waste heat is always a concern when you are contemplating a laser build. It should be on the top of your list of concerns.
 

hoo7h

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All lasers are delicate instruments, so you can't abuse them like you might a flashlight. Waste heat is always a concern when you are contemplating a laser build. It should be on the top of your list of concerns.

Hmmm I guess I never thought of lasers like that. True I have always thought of lasers as cooler flashlights (maybe because we often use flashlight hosts), but I forgot the angle of "delicacy" for the sensitive parts that makes the laser. Maybe one day we could have a "tactical military grade" laser that can be as resilient as a flashlight and be a "forever". This is what I had in mind, how to make the "forever" laser that my grandkids will one day discover in my old cabinet long after I am gone. Hopefully they will also find my safety goggles and put them on before turning it on lol.
 
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When laser diodes are run within the manufactures ratings, they can last for thousands of hours of use. In time, most will begin to become weaker with use, but at most only down to no less than half power out before they eventually fail from having too much run time on them.
 
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This is very true. But, how often do any of us run laser diodes at the manufacturer's recommended power? And they are still quite delicate and suffer abuse poorly.
 

hoo7h

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When laser diodes are run within the manufactures ratings, they can last for thousands of hours of use. In time, most will begin to become weaker with use, but at most only down to no less than half power out before they eventually fail from having too much run time on them.

With proper heatsinking and no physical damage, how many years do you think the average laser would last?
I personally doubt that I would run any of my lasers more than an hour a week combined. That's why I thought they might last long.
 
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Well, that was my point, if you run the laser diode within the recommended current and temperature ratings, the laser diode should last essentially forever, considering how much run time would be put on it. The driver would fail first, I think. If you run the laser diode at the higher currents beyond ratings like we do, you don't know how long it will last. A 10 C rise in temperature above max recommended often reduces the life by 50%.
 
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I have laser diode pointers that are still going strong after nine years of use. Others have failed in a year after running far higher than recommended. It really depends on the build.
 
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We push our toys far too hard to get that extra power out, or to get a wavelength shift on some of the diodes, so they fail far sooner than they would otherwise. I suppose you can find the mean time before failure for the components on the driver, if within ratings for voltage, current and temperature to come up with an idea how long they might last. Batteries though, they are short life items.
 




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