New 2w 808nm Handheld Laser

[billg519]

jwc - The goggles are quite good, I can't see anything but the smoke. (Pair shown are Iris Medical, shade 5 at 808nm) The quite visible 808 nm red is  completely blocked. I have IR available up to 100w, so I need good goggles.

Strictlybudget -  I posted a video, 3rd post in the thread ...

HumanSymphony, Montana64 - If I had enough free time I would, but I just don't right now. Sorry. Might have more time in the new year.

Thanks very much to all who commented.

Bill.

 

[HumanSymphony]

jwc - The goggles are quite good, I can't see anything but the smoke. (Pair shown are Iris Medical, shade 5 at 808nm) The quite visible 808 nm red is  completely blocked. I have IR available up to 100w, so I need good goggles.

Strictlybudget -  I posted a video, 3rd post in the thread ...

HumanSymphony, Montana64 - If I had enough free time I would, but I just don't right now. Sorry. Might have more time in the new year.

Thanks very much to all who commented.

Bill.

Dang Well if you're ever up to it, LET ME KNOW!!! ;D ;D ;D

 

[Jimmymcjimthejim]

Awesome!

 

[randomlugia]

Wow, dangerous! How many mW of green did you get from the crystal set?

 

[billg519]

I was just tickling the crystals as 200 - 500 mw would be a more appropriate drive for them. With no real alignment, just hand holding, I would only expect a few mw's of output. Just enough to show it works.

 

[Stianbl]

This was cool.

What kind of cooling do this diode require?  And how far can it burn? Distance...
EDIT Saw you wrote something about 12". Is this a weakness when it comes to IR? As the red 200mW from DX lights up matches over 260cm away. (about 100"?)

 

[FrothyChimp]

Distance is a function of optics so IR will operate at distance just as well as visible except it is much harder to focus IR since you cannot see it. You need some additional support equipment such as IR viewers, NODS, etc.

I have a client that used a 5W 808nm to illuminate a target 1.5Km away for a missile test. You can do anything with the proper collimation.

 

[Stianbl]

Ok, thanks for the information

One more question. The Aixis (or what its called) thing. This is the lense? Can you focus with it? I'v never built a laser before, but I really want to give it a try when I read these threads

 

[StrictlyBudget]

Ok, thanks for the information

One more question. The Aixis (or what its called) thing. This is the lense? Can you focus with it? I'v never built a laser before, but I really want to give it a try when I read these threads

Aixiz housing has the module and the lens and it is focusable.

 

[Switch]

Wow that is AWESOME! very nice looking unit.And you could see the beam when you lit the sparkler, that was awesome

Btw, how would one go about "fluting" the housing? :-/

 

[billg519]

Switch - I fluted the housing using my vertical milling machine. The housing was held by an indexing head on the mill table. Flutes were cut by a 1/2" four flute endmill. Housing was rotated 60 degrees for each of 6 flutes. (Machine is a Cincinnati 30 taper vertical mill, weighs 6500 lbs.)

 

[rfcman]

Really cool laser! To bad its not for sale please let me know if you ever change your mind.

 

[Switch]

Switch - I fluted the housing using my  vertical milling machine. The housing was held by an indexing head on the mill table. Flutes were cut by a 1/2" four flute endmill. Housing was rotated 60 degrees for each of 6 flutes. (Machine is a Cincinnati 30 taper vertical mill, weighs 6500 lbs.)

Oh snap, looks like I'm not going to be doing that at home.

 

[billg519]

Switch - A smaller mill can be used to do this. I got the big one because it was available locally, was cheap, and I have 3 phase power available. You can find small mills on ebay, or through your local tool importer (Busy Bee in Canada, Harbor Freight in USA, for example) Of course, you then need tooling.
End mills, collets, milling vise, rotary table, indexing head, etc. A mill is the natural companion for a lathe.
In the USA, Bridgeport type mills often become available used, big, but just small enough to use at home.

 

[LikeitBright]

The weather was lousy on the weekend, so I decided to make up a nice 2 watt handheld using a snoctony c-mount diode that I had not yet done anything with. This laser is 6 3/8 " long by 1" diameter. It is machined from 6061 aluminum stock. I fluted the barrel to give it a different look from my usual cylindrical barrel. I then gave the aluminum parts a clear anodize, providing scratch resistance and a smooth feel. An aixiz glass lens is fitted into my own brass lens holder and focusing assembly. The beam will collimate to a tiny burning point about 2" from the laser. (Adjustable, but without adding slow axis collimation the output is bar-line at 12" distance.) This laser is a great little close range burner.

Diode  :   Snoctony 2w 808nm c-mount from ebay
Regulator  :    2 x DX 1400ma regulators
Battery :   1 x 18650 lithium
Host    :   C-mount head and barrel machined from 6061 aluminum rod stock, lens assembly is brass.

Here is a photo of the laser.

Very impressive. Can you provide the SKU for the DX regulator? Is it a +ve or +ve type regulator, i.e. are there any issues around electrically insulating the diode heatsink from the host?

 

[billg519]

LikeitBright - The laser is positive ground, as is the diode, so there is no need to isolate the diode electrically. A negative side regulator is used. DX SKU 1886. These regulators don't like having an output cap in the circuit.