newbie: 3v, 3.6v? fried one already.

[sync]

I wanted a phaser ever since I first saw then on the original Star Trek when I was five. Recently I had the brain storm to put a green pointer diode into an old phaser model, thought it was an original idea, went on the internet, found you wonderful folks had been doing it for some time. Went ahead and build my toy with a 200mw green driver and diode running on a 3v battery. It was great until I had the bright idea of building a better, higher voltage battery pack. The package said 3.6 to 4.2 volts. I figured it had a 5v resistor so….. . The new unit is now on its way, and I want to get the most out of it without frying the driver. So, for us low to no tech newbies; what battery voltage, 3, 3.6, or other, should I use? Thanks. Feel myself becoming slowly obsessed with pretty green light……

Thanks

 

[Leodahsan]

Welcome to LPF !
you should introduce yourself in the appropriate thread first.

I didn't understand your question very well, but, it seems you want to use a higher voltage on your green laser phaser. It is not very easy to guess unless we know what you are using.

 

[BERFIN]

this should work fine if you got cr123a :lasergun:
Samsung Maxima 130 Battery: CR123 Digital Camera Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery - PPFR123U03F

 

[Kevlar]

I wanted a phaser ever since I first saw then on the original Star Trek when I was five. Recently I had the brain storm to put a green pointer diode into an old phaser model, thought it was an original idea, went on the internet, found you wonderful folks had been doing it for some time. Went ahead and build my toy with a 200mw green driver and diode running on a 3v battery. It was great until I had the bright idea of building a better, higher voltage battery pack. The package said 3.6 to 4.2 volts. I figured it had a 5v resistor so….. . The new unit is now on its way, and I want to get the most out of it without frying the driver. So, for us low to no tech newbies; what battery voltage, 3, 3.6, or other, should I use? Thanks. Feel myself becoming slowly obsessed with pretty green light……

Thanks

Why did you build a "better, higher" voltage battery pack? Usually green modules only require ~3V.

You should use the battery voltage that your green laser requires, it should say in the documentation what voltage to use. Do you have a link for the green laser you have?

 

[sync]

I have the basics I need figgured out from reading this site and doing a little more research. The driver-diode had no documentation, just some 200 mw green pointer-driver knock-off. CR 123 battery worked fine, and it's an easy fit in the phaser. I just wanted as bright a laser as I could fit in the model and thougt a little more voltage would make it brighter. Over-all, the phaser worked fine, and I'm still waiting for the replacement. Thanks.

 

[Coherent Light]

Driver will covert the extra voltage to heat until it finally burns out. The Laser will not increase in brightness by increasing the voltage once you reach the correct operating range.

 

[JLSE]

Most green drivers will allow more mA to the diode by increasing the
input voltage. Changing out a 3v power supply to a 3.6v will give an
undetermined increase (test before and after) but may not benefit.

What you are doing is essentially a pot mod without the accuracy.

You'd be better off leaving it 3v and turning up the pot a touch. Monitor
the current as you do this and the brightness of the beam as well.
If you have an LPM, even better....

By simply increasing the mA with a higher voltage, you can burn the LD
and quite possibly the driver. With a pot mod you still risk the diode
but will have some control over things..