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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

My Experience with the 480nm Diodes

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Hi all, I'm very late to be writing my thoughts/review on the 480nm diodes, but better late than never.

These diodes appeared unlisted alongside with the 505nm diodes; and I got tipped off as to where they are coming from. I ended up buying 3 of the 505nm diodes (which my batch were all 508nm-ish), and 5 of the 480nm diodes... I instantly regretted that and bought 5 more.

After sending the diodes out to Paul to get spectro'd, it turned out these diodes are more reasonable to call 475nm, with the majority of the diodes being 473nm-478nm. However... one actually made it up to 480nm out of all the diodes on this forum that were tested -- and it was one of mine, and I couldn't be happier about it. So after some thought, I decided that of those 10, I'd keep two and sell off the rest. Unfortunately, one died in testing to unknown causes, and another died on my end to unknown causes as well, so I ended up selling 6 off. Here is where my two stand:



I put the 480nm diode into my mrcrouse host, and the other (I estimate 476-478nm, though I never got this one measured) into a standard C6 (subject to change)



The 480nm has a 3-element lens in these pictures, and the 476 has an acrylic lens for the sake of comparisons.

These diodes, like many others we have, are subject to the infamous phantom squares, which we see due to stray light reflecting back onto the die and getting spit out with the rest of the output.

(476 on left, 480 on right)


As you can see, the acrylic lens does a better job at hiding the phantom squares, though it still manages to make it through, The 3-element... does not do a good job. I tried it with a G-lens and it looks no different.

Also -- the divergence on these new diodes... it's amazing. It challenges the BDR-209's... spot size at 50 feet is almost identical to the spot size at aperture:



As for color comparison, there is a subtle difference. You wouldn't really be able to tell unless compared side by side. This is the most accurate color comparison my camera can get: (476 on left, 480 on right)



And to give some perspective as to where these colors reside in the spectrum:


It's also unfortunate that these diodes came and went as fast as they did. The well is dry; and abandoned. These were developed for the sole purpose of Sharp making 488nm diodes (which I've been told are due to come out soon, for half as long as wicked told us 'soon' during that fiasco, for those of us who remember that mess... :can:)

So the supply of these diodes is all the supply we have, and will ever have probably. A shame really...

___

And I'll end it with a pic dump:












And here's the link to the full album. I add to it every now and again as I do with my others reviews:
https://imgur.com/a/SSzSU
 
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BowtieGuy

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It's never too late to share beautiful beams with us, and that divergance is great! :kewlpics:

BTW - I'll take two #11's to go. Do you deliver? ;)
 
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470nm-490nm is possibly my favorite color. I would love to make a laser as beautiful as one of these in the future (when i have a bigger laser budget). Nice build, great picture!
 

jnrpop

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Nice thread Z,

Great info to read. no-one ever knows the availability of the diodes we have, these will soon be rarer than the 488's, mark my words :crackup:
I ended up with 5. 2 i kept and 3 i sold off. My two are still living, #1 is in its packet but tested to function, it looked very cyan too :D, and #2 is in a 510Mod, set at 150mA and running very nice. For the 3 i sold, 2 i believe failed somehow, and the #3 is running still afaik.

Incredible wavelength, and i have a feeling i'll continue to like 475nm alittle bit more that the 488, when they come :beer:

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BobMc

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Nice write up ZRaffle. Great looking pics also. Thanks for posting and letting us see. Curious about your last picture it looks like 589ish plus your 480 together in one shot? Was wondering how you made it? Well, great job. :)
 
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Thanks for the positive comments!

I gotta say that I really like the 480-485nm range... I think that 482-483nm is my ideal color. I'm tempted to tune down my 485 to get it there and hope the sharp 488's end up all over the board so I can flesh out some more colors in this area on the spectrum and not be at a loss. I'm too anxious about these diodes :crackup:

Nice write up ZRaffle. Great looking pics also. Thanks for posting and letting us see. Curious about your last picture it looks like 589ish plus your 480 together in one shot? Was wondering how you made it? Well, great job. :)

Yup, that last picture is of the 589 side by side with the 480 whose focus is way off, in a smoky room. The additional "beam" of yellow toward the bottom was an artifact, I have no idea why it was there... but I can definitely reproduce it if I were to also include the 593.5nm.
 

BobMc

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Haa, didn't see the additional beam till you bought it up. I see it now. Makes for a very interesting a picture. Well thought out, always like something original. :gj:
 
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I have one of these beauties and I gotta say, its one of my favorites! Absolutely stunning color!
 
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Hi,
Great pics as usual thank you for the greatWL pics , Oh BM you have a 480nm pen want pics when you can buddy.

Rich:)
 

BobMc

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~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh BM you have a 480nm pen want pics when you can buddy.

Rich:)

So true Rich, got one of your good 480 diodes (it is such a gorgeous color) and you put it in a sweet little host. She's still up and running, just like the 505. (it's sister) :)

Will try to post some beam shot of them when I can. My "to do list" is getting mighty long. :crackup:

But I'll try. :)
 
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Hi BM,
Great glad you enjoy them they are some wonderful WL'S ..Need pics buddy

Rich:)
 
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Great post as always.
Believe it or not the one you sold me is still waiting in the static bag. After I heard these went out of production I decided to test the driver I'm going to use a bit longer on the 505nm before building this one.

What current are you running yours?
 
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I'm running both at 275mA using the nano drive DTR sells. Had two scares, one was a bad battery and the other was leads shorting the diode (the 490nm) Neither were at the fault of the driver
 
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I run mine with a nano driver at 275 mA, too. Is this the one you think is giving you an extra line? Very odd. I see the rectangular artifacts on the two you compared in the OP. Mine has none of that.

Need to finish the first of my 502nm builds. Have all the parts, just not the time at the moment.
 
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If you count the extra line being the wide line width yes (both do) ,



The 485nm has a distinct second line too... It's on the third page linked in my sig.

The 502 does the same as the 480s but not as wide or noticibly different in color.
 
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