NUGM03 1W 525nm Laser Diode

[paul1598419]

If you are satisfied with the divergence of your diode with the ball lens intact, I would just use it that way. No one here knows for certain how much time might be lost if you decan the diode.

 

[barthchris]

Just got mine up and running tonight with the gball lens intact. Actually, the fast axis divergence isn't that bad. Maybe Ive had too many num44s though My first direct green. Not much difference in color from 532nm but then again Id have to do a side by side. I have a few LCD projector zoom lenses. Was thinking of using as a beam expander. Should work, any thoughts??

 

[barthchris]

Just got mine up and running tonight with the gball lens intact. Actually, the fast axis divergence isn't that bad. Maybe Ive had too many num44s though My first direct green. Not much difference in color from 532nm but then again Id have to do a side by side. I have a few LCD projector zoom lenses. Was thinking of using as a beam expander. Should work, any thoughts??

To keep the gball lens I think I would need to expand the focused beam with a G2 then run it through the projector lens. Did something similar many years ago with a 200mw 532. I scratched the original proprietary collimating lens, rigged up a wide angle telescope eyepiece to catch the 532s output post tiny glued on expansion lens to replace the original collimation lens. Fatter beam with much better divergence.

 

[barthchris]

Yes I have had those same thoughts and as the bulk of the blue diodes power goes towards pumping phosphor to make green, then when the greens are efficient and stable enough, likely already are they won't need that blue power, but we may see a single 5w green diode.

I hope we see some holographic projectors that need high power and high quality lasers, it would be nice to see some mass produced active fiber with a dopant/gain medium that makes visible light, but we shall see, my worry is it may all go LED.......well not anything holographic, but the normal data projectors already use a lot of LED generated light.

Maybe we could see laser pumped phosphor for stadium lights and highway lights to better achieve a good focused spot. Time will tell.

Don't think blues are going anywhere due to your last point. Now diode form factor may change to something we may not like.

 

[Lifetime17]

Hi Barthchris,
Great posts but one thing sorry, triple posting not. But all in all great replies. Edit button ....

Rich

 

[barthchris]

OK, will keep in mind. Benn around here long enough I should have know better.

Back to the diode. Thinking of decanning. Would heat as in heat from a hot air rework station break the gball to diode base bond??? Is the can glued or soldered? Id like to keep the lens intact. My "hoarding" tendencies are showing I suppose.

 

[barthchris]

Love this diode. Using gball lens because I screw diode windows up every time(baked dust) on my blues eventually decanning them. No not an aircraft Im trying to hit. Its the ISS. Live view cam was down though. Taken 25m SE of DC on the Chesapeake bay.

Was fooling around one night. My neighbor could see the beam 6 miles away. Thought some event was going on in town. Didnt realise it was me until he saw it from his home!!!!

16 new photos by Chris Barth

photos.app.goo.gl

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[Lifetime17]

The NUGM 03's and 02's aren't bad with the G Ball factory lens . I built many for customers and the divergence compared to the 44's ,05,05 08's are a lot better . As said before decaned diodes are iffy. I have a few of my own with G ball lenses and I am satisfied .
Glad you like them.
Rich

 

[RedCowboy]

Have you tried a 2 element or G8 focused to infinity then added a beam expander ?
Makes for a much better spot in the far field.
Sanwu 3X beam expander works very well and they are quite affordable.

 

[barthchris]

Have you tried a 2 element or G8 focused to infinity then added a beam expander ?
Makes for a much better spot in the far field.
Sanwu 3X beam expander works very well and they are quite affordable.

Im assuming this is with the gball lens removed?

 

[RedCowboy]

Yes however you can also use the beam expander with the GBall lens intact, just use an empty M9x0.5 lens barrel to attach the coupler Sanwu sells for M9x0.5 lenses or Rich/Lifetime17 can make you an adaptor.

 

[barthchris]

Just removed the gball. Real squeaker, tried a few methods but ended up doing the choice of last resort. Dremel cut off disc. Lol. It worked well I cut just deep enough to leave a small margin of metal as to not let abrasive into the cavity. A wiggle ot two and off it came. Lens is still intact as well. Only tried a two-element lens but the divergence is MUCH tighter. G ball made a line, two-element is squarish.

Always wanted a beam expander. I have a few projector zoom/focus assemblies, I think they may work but sanwa looks easier with less glass.

 

[barthchris]

Double post but I think it deserves it's own. Sorry fellas! Absolutely in love with this diode after decanning. I'm fine with it's divergence with a 8yr old two element lens. I have a bag of lenses somewhere but can't find them ATM. I really could care less but will probably try others if I find them.

Was super lucky after closer examination of my redneck engineered decan method. Nicked one of the two posts. Lol!

Amazing these little optical amplifiers. So many photons come from such a little lasing cavity. Even then probably only a small fraction of the facet emits light. Mind blown!

Not sure why a few pics are doubles...

 

[Alien Laser]

I have a decant diode from DTR the NUBM07 since 2015 and i use it a lot still going strong am trying to destroy it so i keep it on for long time, hehe ☺

 

[barthchris]

Tough bugger like the A140. Took a lot to pop them but I always found a way. Unintentionally that is..Back on topic.


No double posting so an edit a few days later.

I am still super impressed with this diode. After decanning and using several lenses its a toss-up between the two/three-element lens. Both keep divergence impressively low at a distance. Probably the lowest of any multimode diode I've used. While not a super burner it does have good power behind it. Enough for me to pop three red/pink helium balloons from 15-20' away on my neighbor's mailbox yesterday. Lol! Party was over and I asked first, he crapped himself after seeing my feat of photon magic. Wait till he sees a BDR or a high power blue. Lol!!

Last nights moon.

 

[barthchris]

Extremely impressed with this diode. Started using the DTR 2 element lens vs an older(almost 10yr old) two element and wow is all I can say. Still experimenting with DIY beam expanders but may just order the sanwa BX just for ease of integration. Honestly though I'm probably just being anal and could keep it as is but I'm OCD about these things. Lol. Value is incredible for what you get. Running at 1.8A seems perfect. Visability is insane. So far it's lasted much longer than 445nm decanned diodes, I've used it ALOT and had longer duty cycles than I should but no degration yet. Can definitely feel the heatsink get warm fast. I did pay a lot of attention to thermal transfer so maybe that's a good thing.