LPC-826 not working right?

[sometin1]

OK, so I made myself a new laser, after my old one went cactus, and for some reason, now my new laser diode looks all odd.
I'm not sure what the problem is here, so I have attached my picture of what I see.

It may be the fact that I have only flush mounted the diode, but that's what I did with my old diode... so, I'm at a loss.

Thanks for taking time to read this, any help is greatly appreciated!

(Also, when focused as close to a dot as possible, there is a bright dot, but a line going through that dot?!)

 

[AUS]

What sort of lens is it?
I have seen that sort of affect with cheap plastic lenses and lenses in backwards.
Also you may have a hair or dust or heat sink compound on the front of the diode.

Close ups of the lens and front of the diode may help if you can.

 

[AUS]

Edit: I recently cleaned the lens, but how do you clean a open can diode?

Air duster?

It could just be a nasty lens, or the diode may be pressed in crooked or not all the way in. Does it focus to a proper spot (even with the halo's and other artifacts around it)?

 

[AUS]

I just took some shots of my LPC that has an acrylic lens and I'll post them in a sec. They look a lot better than that

Edit: These are all in a brightly lit room right under two flouro battens:

OK first take a pic without the lens in. Here is mine from about 2 metres away:

This is with the beam slightly de-focused (maybe the size of a 20c piece):

And this is with it de-focused to a dinner-plate sized spot:

 

[AUS]

Yep, diode looks to be lined up OK and yep there is definately crap on the lens!!

BTW, try and keep your pic's to about 800x600 if you can, otherwise you have to scroll half way to Bourke to see the end of the photo...

 

[AUS]

It looks a lot better in your last pics than in the first one. I doubt there is anything wrong with the diode, looks like just crap on the lens to me. The one in the pics is set to ~100mW (my "MacGyver" laser - here)

 

[Cube777]

@OP Is it the two "lines" beside the dot that bothers you? That is normal for the LPC-826's and they are especially visible at lower powers.

 

[cheech226]

man you just need to resize those pictures! please?

 

[Moistenator]

For gods sake, Re size those damn pictures!

 

[cheech226]

thank you... now i can see...
diode looks good and you have crap on the lens, like was said. the line or bat wings you're not gonna get rid of. it's a fact of life with single mode 650's