New with lasers, gonna build one, really need help :(

[unreal3000]

Hey guys!
this is my first time building a laser. i have done other projects like tazers and things, and i do have some craftsmen skills i can solder too
my goal is to make a high powered laser, that is fully functional, runs on AA batteries, and burns through a reasonable amount of stuff, while making the diode have a reasonable life span. my goal is for it to output over 200mW of power. these are the parts i have ordered-
1. Mitsubishi/658nm-660nm 300-400mw Red Laser Diode/lpc-826
2. this driver- 808nm 100 500mW Laser Diode Laser Module Laser Light Driver Constant Current | eBay
3. this housing- 16x55mm Focusable Housing w Glass Lens 200 1100nm for 5 6mm Laser Diode | eBay

so from what i gather, these parts are compatible with each other.
the diode and driver have already arrived, but sadly i cannot get any output on LD + and -. im guessing its a defective driver . i tried with 2 and then 3 AA batteries in series. the diode works. the housing is on its way though.
from the research i have done, it appears that the driver has nothing to do with the wavelength of the diode. can someone confirm this? because the driver says its for a 808mn diode, but i thought it should still work fine on this one. so guys can you give me advice and help me please? i do not want to buy special batteries, i really want to use just AA batteries. i plan to set the output of the driver to arround 450mA. again it seems that my driver could be defecttive, i even tested it with a multi-meter but there is not voltage at the diode + and-. Sorry for the long post i would have posted sooner if i had found a site like this sooner.
thanks guys!

 

[cheech226]

there is a HUGE amount of info on this site. before you spend another penny i'd recommend you read, read and then read more. also it helps us to help you if you list your location, at least which state and country

 

[photonics]

Correct, voltage and electricity is just that, so the wavelength is totally useless, perhaps it was harvested from an 808 but doesn't matter. Also, if you plan to use 1x AA alkaline, I may be wrong but you may need to use a 'boost' driver that has voltage inputs of an alkaline 1.5v. I recommend you to buy cheap 2x Lithium Ion batteries with charger, does the job and its reusable. For drivers Mohgasm and CajunLasers have them all, even LED drivers once modified, sold at DealExtreme and FastTech.

edit: In illuminationsupply.com they have the 500mA boost "AAA" Driver for 1.5 input voltages, NOT to be used with Lithiums since they run at 3.7v.