Maglite Modification

[mrmike41325]

I recently bought a 5mW green laser module from www.sparkfun.com. It is 11.5mm diameter and happened to fit almost perfectly in place of the bulb on a Maglite flashlight.

Today, I found a very similar 100mW module on O-Like here but they say its 11.9mm instead of 11.5mm like the one I have. I want to use the 100mW, but I'm not sure if I could get it to fit. Is it possible to take about .4mm off of the brass?

 

[udanis]

I recently bought a 5mW green laser module from www.sparkfun.com. It is 11.5mm diameter and happened to fit almost perfectly in place of the bulb on a Maglite flashlight.

Today, I found a very similar 100mW module on O-Like here but they say its 11.9mm instead of 11.5mm like the one I have. I want to use the 100mW, but I'm not sure if I could get it to fit. Is it possible to take about .4mm off of the brass?

Yes you can take .4mm of brass off. You just have to do it properly as to not damage the module.

 

[mrmike41325]

Okay great, thanks. Also, since I'm still pretty new to lasers, will I need safety glasses for this module? I planned on using it mostly as a demonstration-type thing, (AKA many people watching at once) so I don't want to have to buy a bunch of glasses for everyone.

 

[udanis]

Okay great, thanks. Also, since I'm still pretty new to lasers, will I need safety glasses for this module? I planned on using it mostly as a demonstration-type thing, (AKA many people watching at once) so I don't want to have to buy a bunch of glasses for everyone.

100mw is 20 times more than the FDA says is a safe level. I would highly recommend you not use it as a pointer. I would recommend safety glasses at that power level.

 

[mrmike41325]

Hmm... okay. Maybe this isn't the right laser for what I want to do.

 

[udanis]

Hmm... okay. Maybe this isn't the right laser for what I want to do.

The FDA says the max a laser pointer should be is 5mw. If you get a 5mw laser with an ir filter and a power controller feature. It will be substantially brighter than a cheap >30mw Chinese 532nm laser.

 

[mrmike41325]

The 5mW module I have currently has a potentiometer for adjusting the current (power controller?), but there is a LOT of extra points of light around the actual main laser "point". Could my lens on the module be dirty/scratched?

 

[udanis]

The 5mW module I have currently has a potentiometer for adjusting the current (power controller?), but there is a LOT of extra points of light around the actual main laser "point". Could my lens on the module be dirty/scratched?

The potentiometer controls the current going to the pump diode.

APC (Automatic Power Control) is a system that uses an optical feedback loop to ensure stable laser output.

Your lens could be scratched or dirty, or the laser could just be poor quality.