Need advice on 50mW 589nm spartan issue.

[dden4012]

Do some heat cycles. Mine was exactly like yours for the first few cycles. Use a battery drained down to its nominal voltage.
Stick it in the refrigerator for 20min and take it out and run it for 2min or till the host gets warm around the driver. The power output on mine is now avg 80mw over 2 min.
Edit: it never stopped mode hopping. It still does the tango. It dances from 1 to 2 to a quick in and out of 3 dots and back to the cellular division looking mode hopping of 1 and 2.

I thought perhaps it could be a red/green combination module, no need to give -rep for not knowing it was dpss:wtf:

Re: Need advice on 50mW 589nm spartan issue.

I chuckled a little. I didnt -rep you because your intention was to help and I have on a few occasions assumed the wrong info when it's was clearly in the thread. Also I don't neg rep. I need to combine this post before I'm negged for double posting

 

[CynicalBrad]

Do some heat cycles. Mine was exactly like yours for the first few cycles. Use a battery drained down to its nominal voltage.
Stick it in the refrigerator for 20min and take it out and run it for 2min or till the host gets warm around the driver. The power output on mine is now avg 80mw over 2 min.
Edit: it never stopped mode hopping. It still does the tango. It dances from 1 to 2 to a quick in and out of 3 dots and back to the cellular division looking mode hopping of 1 and 2.

Will have to try that I guess that at worst I will see if the will refund the price difference between the 50mW and 30mW units. Or take advantage of the 1 year warranty later on.

 

[diachi]

I thought perhaps it could be a red/green combination module, no need to give -rep for not knowing it was dpss:wtf:

So read the title? Look at the video provided?

"50mW 589nm spartan" - how'd you get 589nm by combining a R/G with a dichro?

You spouted off a whole bunch of physics jargon stating quite confidently what you thought was wrong when you weren't even aware of what type of laser was being discussed.

That's why you got a negative.

 

[HydroSean]

So read the title? Look at the video provided?

"50mW 589nm spartan" - how'd you get 589nm by combining a R/G with a dichro?

You spouted off a whole bunch of physics jargon stating quite confidently what you thought was wrong when you weren't even aware of what type of laser was being discussed.

That's why you got a negative.

It doesn't say dpss anywhere in the title nor in the video, 589nm doesn't immediately correlate to DPSS for everyone you know. Looks to me like you have malice

 

[diachi]

It doesn't say dpss anywhere in the title nor in the video, 589nm doesn't immediately correlate to DPSS for everyone you know. Looks to me like you have malice

So how else would you get 589nm in a handheld? Even if it was something else (i.e. not handheld), it certainly doesn't immediately correlate to R/G. If you use R/G it's not 589, it's R/G, two distinct wavelengths. Plus it has the model (which is fairly well known) in the title.

As for the video, if you expand an RGY laser you'll see a quite distinct red and green in there. Not a solid yellow. Not to mention the mode hopping, both wouldn't hop to identical modes. It's pretty obvious it's DPSS from the video alone, or at least not R/G anyway. If you know it's a handheld it's rather obviously DPSS seeing as DPSS is currently the only option for 589 in a handheld.

No malice, I just wish people would stop spouting off as if they are experts when they clearly have no idea what they're on about.

 

[HydroSean]

So how else would you get 589nm in a handheld? If you use R/G it's not 589, it's R/G, two distinct wavelengths. Plus it has the model (which is fairly well known) in the title.

As for the video, if you expand an RGY laser you'll see a quite distinct red and green in there. Not a solid yellow. Not to mention the mode hopping, both wouldn't hop to identical modes. It's pretty obvious it's DPSS from the video alone.

No malice, I just wish people would stop spouting off as if they are experts when they clearly have no idea what they're on about.

I did not say I was an expert on the matter; however, my writing and vernacular may insinuate that which I apologize for being bothersome to you. I was just brainstorming here

 

[diachi]

I did not say I was an expert on the matter; however, my writing and vernacular may insinuate that which I apologize for being bothersome to you. I was just brainstorming here

I have no problem with brainstorming, brainstorming is important! Just throw in a "I'm just brainstorming here, anyone with more experience able to confirm?" or "I could be entirely wrong, I'm no expert." every now and then. There's nothing wrong with being wrong.

If you don't know what you're doing, own it, let people know that you don't know or aren't sure. If you know what you're doing, own that too.

But talking as if you're an expert and then making a post, which IMHO sounded rather stupid after you talked like an expert, makes you look a little silly, again IMHO. That's not really my problem with it though, my problem is that people will see you acting like some sort of expert and then will take your word even when you're wrong. Again, if you're brainstorming, show it, ask for one of our actual experts (not me, I'm not nearly on the same level as our actual experts) to review your thinking.

 

[HydroSean]

I did say that I was hypothesizing and that I need to read up more on the mode hopping, but in the future I will be more explicit with phrases like those you suggested.

 

[diachi]

I did say that I was hypothesizing and that I need to read up more on the mode hopping, but in the future I will be more explicit with phrases like those you suggested.

I'm sorry if that felt harsh or mean, but I had to say something. Nothing personal at all! :beer:

 

[CynicalBrad]

For future reference, I would never own a combiner style laser.. I can perceive very minor differences in wavelength to the point of telling my "520's" are different wavelengths and love to have all my lasers as their own distinct wavelength. I can also see very distinct differences in the colors of the 5 lines my 589nm spartan can produce when chilled and sent through a grating.

 

[ultimatekaiser]

Haha, This whole thing was humorous to read after being away a day. Sorry about that. oh well yes, lesson learned, and I think you're a pretty knowledgable person Diachi, don't sell yourself short. We're all here to learn and have fun.

Anyways, yes, I'm pretty sure it is the doubler being out of alignment, but it's quite hard to say, a variety of things could be 'slightly off' to cause odd behavior like this. ahhh...DPSS is such a fragile thing... It's probably worth it to just get it exchanged in honesty if it bugs you.

Lots of things can cause mode hopping, but in this case, if the doubler was out, it would mostly be caused from multiple beam paths/internal reflections as it oscillates, but temperature and lots of other things play a role in it too. Lots of complex physics at work in these lasers, but if you think they're bad, you should see some of the crazy stuff I've had to troubleshoot...ick. These little linear cavities are pretty simple compared to a lot of other stuff I have to deal with.

 

[CynicalBrad]

I would love to be able to work on some of the more complicated dpss designs. Very soon I am going to try to realign the low power half of my 473 with it on my meter to see if I can squeeze anything more out of it. I would pull this 589 Spartan apart if not for fear of voiding the warranty as I am fairly certain I could fix the ktp alignment given a nice quiet place to sit down and do it. Pending dl's response I may do just that. Just have to find out how these are put together which I believe there was a teardown thread somewhere.

 

[NightExplorer96]

^I know ultimatekaiser tore down a PGL-III-A 589nm unit

-Alex

 

[CynicalBrad]

^I know ultimatekaiser tore down a PGL-III-A 589nm unit

-Alex

Just got done reading page one of his pgl III-C thread. Seems possible but not to be rushed at all. Will definitely try my hand at realigning my 473 first as I consider the low powered half dead anyways. Thought about looking into a 532nm conversion on it to have 473 and 532 in one unit.

 

[diachi]

JThought about looking into a 532nm conversion on it to have 473 and 532 in one unit.

You'd probably be cheaper just buying a 532, all of the optics and coatings on crystals etc are going to be for 473 and 946, so you'd need to replace the YAG, LBO and mirrors to get it working halfway decent, or at all... Basically all of the cavity components, keeping the pump LD and any pump shaping optics. Those parts can be pricey. :undecided:

 

[ultimatekaiser]

It's not necessarily a matter of replacing parts it's a matter of very very very fine adjustments and many of these parts are not made to be adjustable. Lab lasers are doable but the handhelds not really so much, unless you know exactly what you're doing. The optics are just glued into place in the smaller ones. You would be far more likely to damage it beyond repair. The only thing that you can really adjust even remotely is the doubler, the yag doesn't move. By the gist that I'm getting you have no idea what you're doing? Practicing on a junk laser is one thing, but not on a yellow that isn't adjustable to begin with. Actually considered removing a lot of the details for my teardowns. I just wanted to showcase the inside it was not meant to be a guide for people to try to do it themselves. (And its not terribly acurrate either) I don't advocate taking this apart at all. If it's dead then that's one thing, but a new laser is more worth exchanging.