My Newly bought Spartan for less than a month died

[Jaxz]

I received my Spartan 1W about slightly 3 weeks ago, and probably less than 1 hour of total run time, has now died on me. The beam is so weak, I don't even have to use my Laser glasses anymore, the beam as if it is only 5mw. Then the Beam flickers and then disappears. Now it is totally dead.

I have tested it with my newly arrived nospin LPM before it was working fine, the peak that was measured last time was 1.2W, and settles at 1.1w constant for 1 minute of run time.

I am using 2x Tenergy's 3.7v 750mAH. I had measured my batteries just now with a meter, they are all still at full power.

What should I do? Did the diode died? This laser cost me $370 Singapore Dollars, and I still haven't get my worth out of this laser yet.

 

[midieval10]

It's still under warranty (6 months). Give them an email and RMA it.

My Spartan 1W never worked at all and I had to send it back to them. They gave me a refund of the laser but never refunded me their overpriced shipping.

I recommend buying from a trusted member here on the forums. I bought from yobresal and DTR and their lasers are outstanding.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Jaxz]

It's still under warranty (6 months). Give them an email and RMA it.

My Spartan 1W never worked at all and I had to send it back to them. They gave me a refund of the laser but never refunded me their overpriced shipping.

I recommend buying from a trusted member here on the forums. I bought from yobresal and DTR and their lasers are outstanding.

Best of luck to you.

Thanks, a request of a full refund sent to Frank of Dragon Lasers. I hope they will honour a refund back to me.

I hope this experience will be good. If no reply is expected within days, I will post a full review of their product.

For 200USD, I expect an acceptable product. I opened the cap and have a peer inside, think the heat sink is made of brass. Brass is not a good thermal conductor, probably at about 125W/mK only. For a high powered laser, at least I expect a pure solid aluminium, or better yet, copper but I know copper is expensive. But brass for heat sink is unacceptable. Steer away from Spartan imo.

 

[Jaxz]

Frank of Dragon Lasers replied. Due to company poicies, refund is only within 1 week of purchase. After that, it is a 6month replacement/repair warranty non-extendable.

Oh well, better than nothing though I expect a refund.

 

[Jaxz]

Hello Hia Hao,



Thank you for the shipping details.



Regarding shipping costs, Dragonlasers is not responsible for the cost of shipping both ways.

This is the email replied after they had received my RMA'ed laser. What the hell, what does this company mean by this?! This is not ethincal in any means. IF I had known this, I would not have RMA it. I might as well save the host and DIY it myself. Now good, I've sent my laser over, and not only I am not going to get my shipping refund, they are not going to return my laser unless I paid for the shipping back to Singapore.
Fuck. What kind of company is this? What kind of policy? What kind of service? Very bad and unacceptable.



Everyone Don't buy from Any Chinese Company. They have very bad communication and customer service. Even when the Singapore Government invested in the Suzhou Garden, (it came from the people's tax for many years), billions of Singapore dollars got lost to China for no reason. Our the citizens' money just gone gone down the drain, and all our newspapers reports The Straits Times just says case close. wtf? I wonder what did the Chinese construction companies and government officials did with our money. Things like fake Sanlu milk powder, they don't even care about the lives of their babies, what do they care about consumer's rights.


I shouldn't have listened and RMA my Spartan. Now not only am I not getting and shipping refunds, I am not going to get my laser back if I don't pay again. I felt cheated of my money.
If anyone wants to buy lasers, buy from reputated makers. Don't buy from these chinese companies like DL. WL, DL, all the same.



VERY UNHAPPY CUSTOMER


I have taken a look at this Spartan after it died before I sent it back. The make is not that all fantastic, it's like very simple. I believe anyone will have the cap' to do it, probably even better quality than Dragon Lasers. Spartan is very simple build compared to the DIY's we have here, and yet DL charge so expensive, and very lousy service.

 

[Trevor]

They'll probably pay shipping back; that's usually how it goes. Please post your email to him. Did you ask them to pay shipping both ways?

-Trevor

 

[Cyparagon]

Brass is not a good thermal conductor.

It's not the BEST, but it DOES dissipate heat well and I'd argue it's good enough.

These "high power lasers" only give off 3W of heat. The temp near the diode will be almost the same as the temp away from the diode whether you use brass, aluminum, copper, or diamond. Using copper in lieu of brass does not improve performance much. A better way to keep the diode cool would be either to add fins, or to simply limit the duty cycle.

What kind of company is this? What kind of policy? What kind of service? Very bad and unacceptable.

Well, there are enough companies (in the US, even) that require you to pay shipping if you need warranty repair that I would say it is the norm.

 

[Jaxz]

They'll probably pay shipping back; that's usually how it goes. Please post your email to him. Did you ask them to pay shipping both ways?

-Trevor

Yes that's how it goes. That's their reply to my email, no they are not responsible for the cost of shipping both ways. Very clear cut answer.

 

[Trevor]

Yes that's how it goes. That's their reply to my email, no they are not responsible for the cost of shipping both ways. Very clear cut answer.

I mean that if they are only responsible for shipping one way, then they are not responsible for shipping both ways.

You're acting like this is a scam and is uncommon.

-Trevor

 

[Jaxz]

It's not the BEST, but it DOES dissipate heat well and I'd argue it's good enough.

These "high power lasers" only give off 3W of heat. The temp near the diode will be almost the same as the temp away from the diode whether you use brass, aluminum, copper, or diamond. Using copper in lieu of brass does not improve performance much. A better way to keep the diode cool would be either to add fins, or to simply limit the duty cycle.



Well, there are enough companies (in the US, even) that require you to pay shipping if you need warranty repair that I would say it is the norm.

no this is not the norm internationally. This not how you do business with foreigners. Secondly, I did query a lot prior my purchase. All Dragon Lasers could reply was to link me to a review made by Laserlight, and assures that this is a qualified Spartan I will be buying. You want me to sent you the email from Dragon Laser huh? IF they can't promised that each and every laser can't perform as such, pls don't bother linking to that review. IF you do, whose responsibility is that? When my newly bought Spartan with less than 1hr runtime died, my request is to refund, not replacement. I have already give leeway and allow them to replace instead, so the shipping should be their responsibility.

Besides, what kind of shipping is that anyway? Dragon Lasers charges US$40 for EMS shipping, and no tracking. While I sent from my country, only US$30.50, plus tracking. This is clearly daylight robbery. Maybe after the US$40 shipment from them, it is only US$5 because no tracking. For my country no tracking, only US$7, what makes Dragon Lasers charge so much for a non-tracking shippment? What do they do with the rest of the money? I believe they pocket the rest man.

 

[Jaxz]

I mean that if they are only responsible for shipping one way, then they are not responsible for shipping both ways.

You're acting like this is a scam and is uncommon.

-Trevor

This is not my sole responsibility. They have to be responsible for the return shipment. What are you implying may I ask?

 

[Trevor]

Besides, what kind of shipping is that anyway? Dragon Lasers charges US$40 for EMS shipping, and no tracking. While I sent from my country, only US$30.50, plus tracking. This is clearly daylight robbery. Maybe after the US$40 shipment from them, it is only US$5 because no tracking. For my country no tracking, only US$7, what makes Dragon Lasers charge so much for a non-tracking shippment? What do they do with the rest of the money? I believe they pocket the rest man.

Shipping costs different amounts in different parts of the world.

Maybe you should stop buying lasers and start buying tinfoil to make your hats out of.

EDIT: Regarding the above: you are responsible for shipping to them, they are responsible for shipping to you. That is what they mean when they say they are not responsible for shipping both ways.

-Trevor

 

[Jaxz]

yes, conspiracy on their side, thanks

 

[Cyparagon]

Foil hats have been around since the fifties, haven't they? I'm pretty sure the government has found a way around them by now. :tinfoil:

 

[Eudaimonium]

... For a high powered laser, at least I expect a pure solid aluminium, or better yet, copper but I know copper is expensive. But brass for heat sink is unacceptable. Steer away from Spartan imo...

If you want to get technicall, there's brass in just about every laser you can buy.

You see, it was not the heatsink you were looking at. It's the module itself, which a part that holds the diode and optics in place.
Then, the module is further heatsinked by aluminum or copper, which is in Spartan's case indeed aluminum around the center module.

In builds done by members here, diode are first pressfited into aixiz housing which is simple brass that was nickelplated. That is later fitted into heatsink and finally, the host.

You are a very demanding customer. Unfortunately for you, laser business is not capable of meeting your demands. There will always be defective products, there will always be RMA cases, and pissed off customers.

Even the laser you purchase from a member here can die on you even if it was constructed perfectly. Technology for making core components, which are diodes in out case here, is still far from perfect, even less for these new blue diodes. It can just decide to go into heaven for no reason and without warning.

I do dislike big companies' choice of shipping though, well I mean the shipping method they use is expensive and all, but that OK. What's not OK is that they don't offer any other type of shipping except the expensive one.

 

[daguin]

Foil hats have been around since the fifties, haven't they? I'm pretty sure the government has found a way around them by now. :tinfoil:

The simple foil hat just doesn't protect like it used to

Peace,
dave