Newbie!

[Taylor21990]

Hello, my name is Taylor, and I am new to lasers and electronics in general. I watched a couple of styros YouTube videos an instantly was hooked. I had an old dell computer that was just collecting dust and thought I'd try my hand at extracting the laser diode and piecing together a driver. It was so so much fun, but very time-consuming! My GF thought I was crazy but I had so much fun doing it! In the end, I got a small dim light, and after a lot of research on wiring I found out I killed the diode. anyway I'm hooked and hope I can gain some knowledge on building. I've been extracting parts from old electronics and saving them in case I come across needing certain parts. I've bought half a dozen lasers on Ebay and have been dissecting them to figure out how they tick. And it's so interesting! I love all the support here and hope to get to know you laserers. Thanks for reading!

 

[BowtieGuy]

Welcome to LPF, Taylor!

Have fun, be safe, and enjoy your stay.
PS - Don't forget appropriate safety glasses.

 

[Deleted member 46822]

Welcome Taylor..
Yes get some glasses please.
Yes you never know when you might need some salvaged parts even if some are out dated.. I got like 10 junk draws worth

 

[Taylor21990]

Thanks guys! I have a red pair that came with one of the lasers I bought. 1.5w 445nm. They don't block all the blue light, but I'm very grateful for my eyeballs so ill take all the necessary precautions. Waiting for a couple more 1.5 watters in the mail so I can take one apart. Don't wanna tear into the only expensive laser I have right now. Wondering if you can stick any diode on the drivers they have in them?

 

[paul1598419]

Welcome to the LPF, Taylor. The answer to your question above is NO. Laser drivers are set for current because as they heat up they try to draw more and more current causing them to go into thermal runaway. So, you need to be mindful of the current limitations of the diode you are using. Also, different diodes have very different forward voltages and the driver must be able to apply that voltage and still regulate the current.

 

[Taylor21990]

ah, ok . kind knew that was a silly question . but if i were to buy the same m140 type A diode i could use that as a replacement? or just as long as the voltage is regulated at its optimum rating? also ive been doing some research and this diode says its max current is 5.5v . and the power supply im using is 7.4v . is that okay since the diode drops the current however much when turned on? sorry if i sound ignorant, i kinda am in this department . also the diode itself will have a certain mA and voltage drop across it right?

 

[Lifetime17]

Hi, Welcome to LPF here are many nice folks to chat with and learn . Enjoy and be safe always..
Rich

 

[RedCowboy]

Welcome to the forum Taylor, there's a lot of good people and good reading here so enjoy and remember to stay safe while lasing.

 

[paul1598419]

ah, ok . kind knew that was a silly question . but if i were to buy the same m140 type A diode i could use that as a replacement? or just as long as the voltage is regulated at its optimum rating? also ive been doing some research and this diode says its max current is 5.5v . and the power supply im using is 7.4v . is that okay since the diode drops the current however much when turned on? sorry if i sound ignorant, i kinda am in this department . also the diode itself will have a certain mA and voltage drop across it right?

Okay, Voltage and current are not interchangeable. Max current can't be 5.5v. Usually you are only concerned about the diode's forward voltage if it is high. These often require boost drivers. It may seem confusing, but in time you should understand. The driver limits the current the diode can draw to some value in mA or amps. See DTR's site for different drivers available to you. If you have used a driver for some diode, and the driver is good, you can use it for the same diode later.

 

[ManCave]

Welcome to the forums Taylor.
Cheers!