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- Nov 20, 2007
- Messages
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Here's yet another affordable option as a host for an open can. You'll have to tear apart a $43 DX "Dilda" laser in the name of more power but its worth it IMO.
I think the DX200 (Red) makes a great open can host because there's plenty of room on the inside for mounting whatever driver you want, everything is easy to access, comes with a heatsink, diode can be easily changed, lenses can be switched with any of the ones that fit the axiz module, it comes with the tail clicky, a nice focusing ring and at only $43 the price is comparable to some of the other hosts people have been using (MXDL+heatsink, Kryton barrel, etc).
Total cost to modify/build this one is less than 100 bucks.
I used rkcstr's adjustable output Micro-Driver (set at around 430ma) - $10
A long open can diode from TheMonk - $24
and of coarse the DX 200 red laser - $43
Total cost = $77
I'm sure some of you are probably thinking "why the hell would you wanna modify a perfectly good DX200?".. Well I know a few people got really good power out of theirs but I've also seen alot of people who only got 145-160 mW out of it. I was one of those people.
This is a reading done with freshly charged batteries right before I took it apart:
It has peaked as high as 158mW but quickly settles down to 148-149mW. Not bad for a $43 laser but I wanted more.
Taking the Dilda apart is easy. I used a hobby knife to cut through the gray epoxy they used to glue the driver in place, then just unscrew the little brass ring that holds the diode in place.. These diodes are a bit longer than the GB diodes we've been using.. I think someone called it a phaser diode? Anyway, its worth hanging on to for another laser project when you get bored.
Once you get the old driver & diode out, just solder the longer pins to your open can diode, slide the brass ring down over them, cut them to the right length, and solder them to the driver.
You'll need to find a new contact spring (out of a flashlight or something) to solder to your new driver, as the old one will be too short if used with the Microdriver. You may be able to stretch the old one.
I still haven't epoxied my new driver to the head of the laser.. I'd suggest doing that before trying out the laser but I didn't follow my own advice (too impatient!).
Anyway, the result:
{Edit}: after a little more fine tuning and adjusting (see page two of this thread for details), this is what it ended up with:
Peaked at 290mW and settled down to 288.
So the long open can and Microdriver was good for an additional 140+mW. Not too shabby!
Video of the MEGADILDA in action:
http://modernmusclecars.net/evilone/MEGADILDA/POWERDEMO-1.wmv
I haven't had a chance to see how it does lighting matches etc from a distance but I'll post up more vids of that later.
{edit} Long distance match light video on page two.
I think the DX200 (Red) makes a great open can host because there's plenty of room on the inside for mounting whatever driver you want, everything is easy to access, comes with a heatsink, diode can be easily changed, lenses can be switched with any of the ones that fit the axiz module, it comes with the tail clicky, a nice focusing ring and at only $43 the price is comparable to some of the other hosts people have been using (MXDL+heatsink, Kryton barrel, etc).
Total cost to modify/build this one is less than 100 bucks.
I used rkcstr's adjustable output Micro-Driver (set at around 430ma) - $10
A long open can diode from TheMonk - $24
and of coarse the DX 200 red laser - $43
Total cost = $77
I'm sure some of you are probably thinking "why the hell would you wanna modify a perfectly good DX200?".. Well I know a few people got really good power out of theirs but I've also seen alot of people who only got 145-160 mW out of it. I was one of those people.
This is a reading done with freshly charged batteries right before I took it apart:
It has peaked as high as 158mW but quickly settles down to 148-149mW. Not bad for a $43 laser but I wanted more.
Taking the Dilda apart is easy. I used a hobby knife to cut through the gray epoxy they used to glue the driver in place, then just unscrew the little brass ring that holds the diode in place.. These diodes are a bit longer than the GB diodes we've been using.. I think someone called it a phaser diode? Anyway, its worth hanging on to for another laser project when you get bored.
Once you get the old driver & diode out, just solder the longer pins to your open can diode, slide the brass ring down over them, cut them to the right length, and solder them to the driver.
You'll need to find a new contact spring (out of a flashlight or something) to solder to your new driver, as the old one will be too short if used with the Microdriver. You may be able to stretch the old one.
I still haven't epoxied my new driver to the head of the laser.. I'd suggest doing that before trying out the laser but I didn't follow my own advice (too impatient!).
Anyway, the result:
{Edit}: after a little more fine tuning and adjusting (see page two of this thread for details), this is what it ended up with:
Peaked at 290mW and settled down to 288.
So the long open can and Microdriver was good for an additional 140+mW. Not too shabby!
Video of the MEGADILDA in action:
http://modernmusclecars.net/evilone/MEGADILDA/POWERDEMO-1.wmv
I haven't had a chance to see how it does lighting matches etc from a distance but I'll post up more vids of that later.
{edit} Long distance match light video on page two.
sorry.
