New to builds, confused about drivers :p

[Gabe]

Hello LPF!:bowdown:
While this is my first post here, I have been lurkin up a storm over the past few years. A already have a pretty decent (but I guess relatively small compared to you guys ) collection of handheld lasers, of all the colours of the rainbow! But I want to get started in building/assembling my own lasers.
I got inspired by finding a flashlight made of lovely red anodized aluminum, with an awesome quality clicky switch on the tail cap. In fact, this is the subject of my inquiry. I want to build a red laser, running at the lower end of the possible power for a red diode (hopefully somewhere around 150-ish mW), and I'm hoping for it to be run off of two AA batteries, so it can be run inside the flashlight host. It's okay for the power to be lower, but hopefully not too much higher, as this is my first assembly and I don't want it to get too wild
Since I'm quite noob at the build scene, I was thinking of simply buying the already assembled module, diode, and driver, and you can specify what current you want to have the driver set at. So,
If I want to power this laser with two AA batteries, what should I have the current set at?
Or would two AA batteries just not provide the amps needed to give me a decent (150-200mW) power? I would really like to have it in a flashlight host, and I suppose I might need to but one that holds three-four batteries. Also, I will link the site I am planning to but the module/driver, should it be necessary.
Any suggestions/recommendations are totally welcome, and thank you for your time!

 

[vortish]

3 volts from is what you will get from two AA. I do not know if it will run a laser at 150 mw. you are going to need double a size lithium ions. That number is 14500 two quality cell should run you about 8-12 bucks a piece there are a lot of host out there on the market that take two double a's but I think you maybe able to get a way with a single 14500 lithium at that power with a boost driver But Hopefully one of our resident pros will be able to comfirm that or not!

 

[Gabe]

Thanks for responding Vortish! Hahha yes, it would be nice to get one of the 'experts' in here, as I am an absolute noob at these sorts of things. Sady, I recognize that I might not be able to use this flashlight host :/ but I would still gladly accept recommendations on where to get a nice, simple flashlight host

 

[vortish]

go to the buy sell or trade and people sell custom hosts and flashlights hosts all the time fine on there you like

 

[Gabe]

Thank you for your help!

 

[crazyspaz]

Depends on the diode and driver. I have a 450 build that runs off 2 normal (alkaline) AAA's, and runs at a tad over 200mW. Now obviously, standard 1.5V AAA batteries don't have near the capacity or output as lithium ion batteries that are used in most lasers, but they certainly can work for lower power builds (i.e good luck running a 1W 445 off of alkaline batteries).

 

[USAbro]

If there 1000mah Nickle Metal Hydride, at 1.2 volts, then that means it could supply 1.2 watts of power, which is probably enough for that much power. Another person said that an Alkaline may be able to produce enough power, to support a draw of 3 watts to 4 watts.

 

[crazyspaz]

If there 1000mah Nickle Metal Hydride, at 1.2 volts, then that means it could supply 1.2 watts of power, which is probably enough for that much power. Another person said that an Alkaline may be able to produce enough power, to support a draw of 3 watts to 4 watts.

Wrong, said battery would have a 1.2 watt-hour capacity, meaning it could power, say, a 1.2W Llightbulb for an hour. Amps and amp-hours are different things.

 

[USAbro]

Wrong, said battery would have a 1.2 watt-hour capacity, meaning it could power, say, a 1.2W Llightbulb for an hour. Amps and amp-hours are different things.

Sorry, that is what I meant to say, Wh. Watt Hour. I'm so used to calculating for lipos I forgot.