NUBM44 build

[RedCowboy]

Glad you are enjoying the power of the NUBM44, they have aggressive divergence though.

Beam shaping optics are great but for a quick fix you can add a 3XBE using the M9 x 0.5 adaptor.

Regardless of which primary lens you use G2, 3E, G7, G9 adding a sanwu 3X beam expander will help a lot with the aggressive divergence. :beer:

I focus my primary and use the heat sink set screw to hold the focus by pushing the 12mm module down into the heat sink until the adaptor bottoms out, I also have some machined sinks with threads but the 3X has odd size threads, Lifetime17 can make threads if you want as there is no standard tap.

 

[evans965]

Nice build thats one massive host whats the duty cycle of the laser i need to buy a nubm44 diode.

 

[Alaskan]

I was just testing a NUBM44 last night with a 50 mm FL 3.35 inch diameter PCX lens to collimate the output, about right for it as far as footprint of the beam width and will give a good low divergence output.

 

[RedCowboy]

Do you have a link to that lens, is it for sale on ebay ?

 

[Alaskan]

I bought every single one he had for sale So many, I can let go of a couple

The listing still shows one remaining, but when I asked about it just before he shipped out a box full for me, he said he didn't have it, that they were all gone. Not sure if this is really available or not, whether he found one more?



https://www.ebay.com/itm/323182634505?ViewItem=&item=323182634505

When I looked up the NSN, specs indicated they are AR coated, they appear to be lightly AR coated to me too.

Each piece is wrapped in foam and sealed in a aluminum pouch, perfect shape, not a scratch on them and the AR coating pristine,
although smudged from the wet optical cleaning paper I used. Also, in the second photo you can see the dust didn't get removed well enough,
as well as streaked, forgive me father for I have sinned, but it did clean up better later to look perfect.



That light purplish tint isn't the light, it's the coating.

 

[paul1598419]

You cleaned him out?! I would have too at that price. Dang, I would have loved to have one if for no other reason than to experiment with it.

 

[Alaskan]

Your wish granted sir... Yes, I bought all of them.

 

[RedCowboy]

I bought some 3 inch wide aluminum round bar from ebay and have drilled it for a heat sink before, I can make another one and mount a nubm44/driver and use a length of 3 inch ID PVC to hot glue the lens at one end and make a slide zoom.

The light leaving the diode will actually clip the edge of the 12mm module just a little, but that's of no real consequence IINM.

 

[Alaskan]

That is a very nice way of making it work, looking forward to seeing your results. The FL is at least 50 mm, might really be 55 or slightly more, but is close to that.

 

[RedCowboy]

That's just 2 inches FL, that's no problem as for length.

Here's some more of it, you can get it in 3" by 3" if you don't have a chop saw with a non ferrous metal cutting blade, then all you need is a 12mm hole down the center and a set screw, I'm going to see if I can't drill it straight, but you could get Rich to make you a heat sink from this to fit a flashlight, I'm just going to use one I have on hand and drill tap to attach.

Would look cool with some weight reduction cooling passage holes drilled around the perimeter, it should have a good duty cycle. LOL

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Aluminum-R...m=272268458506&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

[Alaskan]

I've seen sellers on ebay offering length to order as well as precut to sizes like that. I believe I am correct about the approximate FL, but I wouldn't bet on it, better wait to see what you find when they come. I'd like to get some nice mounts made for these lenses, was thinking I could get someone to mill some for me and offer them out to members at cost. That is one heck of a rod on ebay, ought to sink a lot of heat for a long time from a NUBM44.

 

[RedCowboy]

The rod you know is just a stock pic, you will get a square cut length 3 x 3. That is a round square cut length 3x3

I like these Trustfire 12T6 flashlights, if you shop around you can get them for 25-35 dollars from China/ebay, shipping takes 3 weeks but it's better than paying 100.00 and they are sturdy hosts, the end unscrews and there's a nice screw in heat sink that you can mount to.

The flat screw in sink for the leds unscrews and you can repurpose the spring board, I just remove the driver parts and use the spring board, it also has a nice screw in retainer to hold it in place.

Note: The heat sink pictured is 2.5 x 2.5 and fits well, the outer head is 3 inches wide, but I like the long straight sides of the aluminum for a slide zoomer.

Holds 2 or 3 18650's or 26650's comes with extension and sleeves, not a bad light either.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Brig...056681?hash=item5d66c3a669:g:yzMAAOSwu4BVk5IT

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NKTECH-NK-...701934&hash=item3f6063dbe9:g:Ln0AAOSwkbZZlQxF

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NKTECH-NK-...516040?hash=item210cd9b908:g:9V0AAOSwUSZZlQwi

 

[T_Warne]

The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and you have burned so very brightly, NUBM44.

My Diode is dead.... or more accurately, the window is cooked. I was running it today and after about 10 or 15 seconds the output went "out of focus." Adjusting the lens did nothing to make it better. I removed the lens and the raw output now looks like this

I suspect some sort of contamination had gotten onto the diode window.

 

[Alaskan]

This is such a common problem when these are run at over 6 watts, or close to 7. I no longer believe it is a contamination, I'm thinking the glass just can't take it. Edit: When it happened to me, I de-canned it and it had a new life, still going strong. Some diodes, such as the 07E die early when de-canned, but this diode seems to survive fine that way.

 

[deadshadow]

sorry to hear that your new nubm44 died early,could be the reflection from the 3 element glass lens that mentioned before,you can't be sure though.

 

[T_Warne]

Alaskan, thank you for the insight. Now I have to see if I can even get the 25mm module out of the heatsink. It was a really tight press-fit and there isn't much room in the back to try and push through.

Are there other decanning tools besides the one available at ThorLabs? With shipping it will cost $147.46. That is kinda a lot for a tool I might use 2 or 3 times.