Need help with 300-500mW 532nm custom build

[Danevans]

Hello! I'm needing some help and guidance with my first laser build. I'm an artist and have been manipulating laser light in my work. I'm looking to build something close to a 300mW laser on the 532nm spectrum. In the past I have been using Wicked Lasers (don't scold me, they worked well for my use). I would just remove the caps and mount wires to the inside of the battery housing that ran to a continuous DC power supply. I made housings out of acrylic sheet where I could hold the lasers, and then mount this at about ceiling level to shine straight down on my work. Unfortunately this setup often meant that I had a 6-8" long box around the ceiling, which is quite noticeable. So I'm trying to build my own laser where I don't have all the components stacked up in a long tube. Instead I'd like to be able to move the driver off to the side of the dpss module to minimize the profile of the unit. I need this to have a 100% duty cycle so that it can be displayed 10-12 hours a day or so without burning up. I hope this all makes sense and I'll be more than happy to provide any further information or clarification needed.

Thanks
Daniel

 

[doubleone44]

Just get a 500mW labby from ebay. It's usually somewhere in the 300mW - 500mW range and sounds perfect for your purposes

 

[Bionic-Badger]

You're going to definitely want some goggles for this kind of thing, especially if you're trying to tweak the appearance just right. It'll protect your eyes and also make it easier to see what you're doing.

Something to consider is buying a high-powered 520nm green laser instead of the 532nm unless you have your heart set on the 532nm. With a decent heatsink they'll be pretty stable at 300mW or more, and don't need a DPSS power supply. Depending on your budget you can get one pre-mounted by DTR in a large heatsink that should provide 100% duty cycle.

Some labbies on ebay are pretty decent too. I've got this model (500mW, not via eBay, but from some other vendor) and it works well.