NEW! Sanwu - X5 Beam Expander

[Shmackitup]

I think it was BowtieGuy who sent me two taps just like that. Can't actually be certain as it was years ago. Still have them around here in one of my many boxes of laser stuff that I have accumulated over the past dozen or so years.

If you can find them and are would consider selling them please let me know.

 

[RedCowboy]

I think it was BowtieGuy who sent me two taps just like that. Can't actually be certain as it was years ago. Still have them around here in one of my many boxes of laser stuff that I have accumulated over the past dozen or so years.

I doubt you have 11.4 mm x 0.5 pitch taps laying in your boxes of stuff from years ago as 11.4 is not a common tap, you might have a different size common tap or maybe you meant to say " adapters " ?

p.s. A tap looks similar to a drill bit but is used for cutting threads in the appropriate dia. hole.

 

[paul1598419]

If you can find them and are would consider selling them please let me know.

I'll think about it and see. I'll actually have to go looking for them as I haven't used one in a long time. Just remembered I have them when I saw the photos of the one in the earlier post.

 

[RedCowboy]

Ok..... Ordered on 27th and it did say 10 business days to prep and ship.... so as I now have a tracking number and my items are on the way, I would say Sanwu is looking to be on time.

 

[paul1598419]

Ok..... Ordered on 27th and it did say 10 business days to prep and ship.... so as I now have a tracking number and my items are on the way, I would say Sanwu is looking to be on time.

I guess it depends on exactly what one orders from Sanwu. Also, I DO know the difference between taps and drill bits.

 

[RedCowboy]

I just received my 5XBE's and they look good, the threads are good and the alignment between the 2 optics are parallel ( no eccentric action or spot distortion from skewing ) however as you screw the objective lens outward there is that same thread play as with the 3.3XBE which can be overcome with a little forward pressure.

These seem to be geared towards long range as when I focus to a point at 20 feet I have to run the objective out quite a bit, the far field spot focused tight is good minus the thread play which is easily overcome with a little forward pressure, but I am being picky, for the price these are very cool.

 

[Gryphon]

The design appears to be different from the pictures on their site, preproduction units perhaps? I'm glad they look like they are working well, I'll have to pick up one of these for myself.

 

[Shmackitup]

They look good. I still haven't received tracking info on mine yet.

 

[RedCowboy]

Yes the 5X units are pretty and they accept our wide MM blue beams, great deal for the price.

I just got tracking on Saturday but as I paid for the fast shipping it arrived today, the cost difference was like 16 dollars vs. 39 dollars on a 170 dollar order so why not.

The 5X is really suited to longer range and makes a really tight spot on my 532nm at long range as does the 3.3X but the 5X is maybe a little tighter, but it will work up close too, you just have to run it out a bit.

Here's two of my nubm44 builds with 6X c-lenses and a 3.3X vs. 5X beam expander, both produce an open flame kernel on my wood backstop which they were digging through, when focused, but the 5X really want's to do work further out, I should do a test at 75 feet later where I'm sure the 5X will make a tighter spot.

This was just a quick sloppy test at 15 feet.
p.s. Turn your volume up and listen for the " pop " when the stick lights, I love that pop.

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The design appears to be different from the pictures on their site, preproduction units perhaps? I'm glad they look like they are working well, I'll have to pick up one of these for myself.

Yes I see the Sanwu advertisement doesn't show the engraving or lens caps in their image, but they have " stone washed " and "stone washed housing " as menu items when you choose 3X or 5X..... interesting, I may have received some of their prototypes or 1st run, if so I will compare the next rendition to check/compare the optics.

EDIT: Looking at the beams at night the 5X makes wings with the 450nm beams when attempting to get a tight spot, which I actually noticed in the daylight too, they are just more profound at night, the 3.3X seems to make a cleaner spot/bar. I still need to measure the spot at distance.

The objective/output lens should be a long FL with thick edges, but I think they may have used a lens with thin edges which imparts more curve at the edges and produces wings, this has been my experience with makeshift expanders, that and edge clipping which could also be an issue, what this means with the 5X is that you can get a little bit tighter spot, but it's more messy as that spot is in a wash of wings.

 

[RedCowboy]

What sanwu appears to have done is used the same expanding lens ( yes I tested them with the same 532nm laser seen on the right and the big green spot produced is identical at the same distance ) and simply make a longer/wider 2nd half to hold a longer FL and wider lens to operate further out, sadly.... and it pains me to say this..... the new wider lens is not as well matched in this ( possibly prototype ) unit and produces a less clean spot with wings with MM 450nm. That said it does work, just not as well as I had hoped. Maybe a 2nd rendition will have an updated output/objective lens.

 

[RedCowboy]

I tested the 5X with a NDB7875 and a G8 lens set to infinity and locked down with a drilled and tapped through thumb wheel serving as a nut and this worked well without much noticeable clipping, I expect it will also work well with all the NDG and NUGM diodes, M-140's, ect... along with a long FL primary like the G8.

Some proper adapters maybe 25mm wide and M9x0.5 to M11.4x0.5 threaded would be nice for using both the 3.3X and the 5X

 

[Shmackitup]

Another interesting new Sanwu product just popped up: https://www.sanwulasers.com/product/flashlight-convertor

Flashlight Convertor - It converts the blue laser beam into a pure white flashlight beam with adjustable beam throw.

 

[Gryphon]

Nice! They seem to be coming out with a lot of nice new little toys. I've still got one of the phosphor attachments from WL, it doesnt produce a whole lot of light but its a great little novelty.

I just wish Sanwu went with a more common thread size

 

[Shmackitup]

Another interesting new Sanwu product just popped up: https://www.sanwulasers.com/product/flashlight-convertor

Flashlight Convertor - It converts the blue laser beam into a pure white flashlight beam with adjustable beam throw.
View attachment 76711
View attachment 76712

I wonder if the beam could be re-collimated into a white laser???

 

[paul1598419]

I wonder if the beam could be re-collimated into a white laser???

Since the light coming from a laser excited flashlight is not coherent it won't be possible to make it a laser.

 

[RedCowboy]

If someone wants to contact regal tools and ask about some ( 11.4 x 0.5 ) taps, I know I want at least 1 if not 2 depending on the cost, maybe we can get a better deal buying in bulk ?

https://www.regalcuttingtools.com/