flogged
0
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2007
- Messages
- 530
- Points
- 0
i was one of the first to make a pointer with the (defunct) xbox 405nm diode, about a year ago now. before this about the only inexpensive 405nm diodes were from PS3 (?) sleds.
remember ordering the drive and then ripping it apart.. extracting the diode (811) was an involved process. i remember thinking how it would suck to go through all this work and not have to diode lase
finally got the diode extracted and housed, and it lased. since no one knew what kind of power these diodes could handle, i ran the 811 @ < 40mA... nonetheless in lasted just a few hours before dying. next day i got another drive ($50.00 ....) and reassembled the pointer.
i've currently got two 'brick' 405nm pointers, one using the 811 diode, the other (more powerful) using the 803.
I'm now driving the 811 pointer at 50mA (25 mW) and it's my favorite BR. 25mW is bright enough. unless i'm burning i don't like the high power blue rays as they annoy my eyes. i use this brick pointer as a night light. i've gotten many hours of use of it this last year, the diode is still good.
the last picture shows the inside. as you can see it's an ugly build, but it works. i'm using the 'ddl' circuit. meredith housing, with diode thermal glued in place. in the first design i'd used the large rheostat to adjust current to the diode, however the pot was not stable so i switched to fixed resistor design. nine volt battery shimmed into place. since the pointer is using <50mA, it has no duty cycle, and good battery life (hours).
hope to encourage a few others to make their own pointer. i wish i'd $$$ to get more parts, however for the time being can't afford it i enjoy the process of building these, unfortunately for me it's a money sink.
{edit} of the two diodes (803, 811), both using meredith glass lenses, the 811 spot focuses tighter than the 803. another reason i like the this pointer.
remember ordering the drive and then ripping it apart.. extracting the diode (811) was an involved process. i remember thinking how it would suck to go through all this work and not have to diode lase
finally got the diode extracted and housed, and it lased. since no one knew what kind of power these diodes could handle, i ran the 811 @ < 40mA... nonetheless in lasted just a few hours before dying. next day i got another drive ($50.00 ....) and reassembled the pointer.
i've currently got two 'brick' 405nm pointers, one using the 811 diode, the other (more powerful) using the 803.
I'm now driving the 811 pointer at 50mA (25 mW) and it's my favorite BR. 25mW is bright enough. unless i'm burning i don't like the high power blue rays as they annoy my eyes. i use this brick pointer as a night light. i've gotten many hours of use of it this last year, the diode is still good.
the last picture shows the inside. as you can see it's an ugly build, but it works. i'm using the 'ddl' circuit. meredith housing, with diode thermal glued in place. in the first design i'd used the large rheostat to adjust current to the diode, however the pot was not stable so i switched to fixed resistor design. nine volt battery shimmed into place. since the pointer is using <50mA, it has no duty cycle, and good battery life (hours).
hope to encourage a few others to make their own pointer. i wish i'd $$$ to get more parts, however for the time being can't afford it
i enjoy the process of building these, unfortunately for me it's a money sink.{edit} of the two diodes (803, 811), both using meredith glass lenses, the 811 spot focuses tighter than the 803. another reason i like the this pointer.
