Optotronics RPL BLUE 35

[VW]

[quote author=VW link=1211245147/0#13 date=1211314875]It's quite a coincidence because when I first recieved my SBP40, it decided to mode hop into two beams also.  It's happened a few times, but I can't say I've noticed any other mode hopping that ruins it.  But yeah, like you after leaving it to settle again it sorted it's self out.  I think it might just need breaking in after the shipping and all, because it happens so little now on the Spartan I don't think it even mode hops at all.  

This laser only mode hops when the duty cycle is exceeded.  It is very consistent and very solid.  Now since I have a tad bit more experience with it, I better respect it and better understand the physics of it, therefore I can easily avoid the mode hopping.  I've learned that blue DPSS laser's crystals are VERY sensitive to heat, and because of the RPL's high power, gets warm quicker. It is powered from a 2.5W LD @ 2.4W!  ;D

Is it possible to damage the crystals from over heating them with the diode?  [/quote]
You are right, I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter whether it's constant wave (RPLB) or pulsed (SBP), the optical equipment will always be very sensetive to temperature. With the Spartan, it sometimes takes a second or two to brighten up if it's cold, and when it does happen, it's never in the 20's which is optimum temperature for the laser to run. But when it's warmed up (after use or increase in temperature) it works perfectly from the click of the button, I just want it to get a bit further into the summer so I can get some decent heat as it's never broke 18 so far and it obviously drops loads at night too.

 

[Curiously_Coherent]

Hi Ace82, welcome to the Blue RPL club!

I've got a freaky one myself. Very unstable, but averages 46mW. Jack actually registered a maximum output of 94mW when he tested it, but man does it waver until it warms up a bit and settles down. Yesterday I took a shot of the "dot" at 350'. (It's in Lorgar's post here) It's got some weird artifacts and Lorgar reported that it constantly "morphs" from TEM00 to TEMXX. Very unusual but damn bright. You can see some "manual spirograph" pictures with it in the same thread.

Nice beam shots you took there BTW, enjoy your new baby!

 

[Ace82]

Hi Ace82, welcome to the Blue RPL club!

I've got a freaky one myself.  Very unstable, but averages 46mW.  Jack actually registered a maximum output of 94mW when he tested it, but man does it waver until it warms up a bit and settles down.  Yesterday I took a shot of the "dot" at 350'. (It's in Lorgar's post here) It's got some weird artifacts and Lorgar reported that it constantly "morphs" from TEM00 to TEMXX.  Very unusual but damn bright.  You can see some "manual spirograph"   pictures with it in the same thread.

Nice beam shots you took there BTW, enjoy your new baby!

Thanks!  Love the color, and I agree that "freaky " is an accurate description of my RPL 35!  The thing is very powerful, and produces heat you can feel on your arm, even melts thin black plastic unfocused!  Those pictures came out bad ass btw!  Love the manual spirograph!  

EDIT: my secret for the nice beam shots is incense. The smoke is dense, it lingers, and accumulates in a semi enclosed area. Very beam friendly!

 

[nikokapo]

whoa
dude im so sorry you are getting tem02 with this MONSTER BLUE AWESOME LIGHT FUN BATON

i still hope you enjoy it as much as you can. have fun with it...for me

 

[Ace82]

whoa
dude im so sorry you are getting tem02 with this MONSTER BLUE AWESOME LIGHT FUN BATON

i still hope you enjoy it as much as you can. have fun with it...for me

It's no problem. After learning more about blue DPSS, it is normal for the higher-powered ones. Jack said he sent an instruction sheet with the average and peak output power, but I didn't find it. It's possible I could have lost it due to excitement, but I pretty thoroughly searched the packaging. Anyway, I'm not sure the exact power of this unit, but I wouldn't be surprised if it peaked +50mW. It is very bright and pops balloons unfocused @ 3' instantly. Mode hopping is a typical characteristic/flaw unavoidable when the 5min. duty cycle is breached of the higher powered 473nm DPSS.

Anyway, I absolutely love this laser and it is a beautiful color, especially at night. I'm so glad to have the opportunity to operate/own such an awesome laser.

 

[electron]

[quote author=VW link=1211245147/0#13 date=1211314875]

This laser only mode hops when the duty cycle is exceeded.  It is very consistent and very solid.  Now since I have a tad bit more experience with it, I better respect it and better understand the physics of it, therefore I can easily avoid the mode hopping.  I've learned that blue DPSS laser's crystals are VERY sensitive to heat, and because of the RPL's high power, gets warm quicker. It is powered from a 2.5W LD @ 2.4W!  ;D

Is it possible to damage the crystals from over heating them with the diode?  [/quote]

Actually I'm pretty sure the Blue RPL does not have a 2.5w diode in it, the Green RPL does though.

 

[darklandz]

both the green and blue RPL's have the 2.5W IR diode in them.

 

[electron]

Sorry but the Green & Blue RPL's don't share the same diode, while they both use N-Light diodes, only the Green 532nm uses the 2.5W

 

[Razako]

Sorry but the Green & Blue RPL's don't share the same diode, while they both use N-Light diodes, only the Green 532nm uses the 2.5W

What kind of diode does the blue use? Also where is your source of this info?

 

[electron]

N-Light is the diode used on the Blue, it's just not 2.5W like the Green; as for source that would be Jack himself. Take a look at his webpage and then do a search on this forum, there is a lively discussion between Carter & Jack about this very thing.

 

[RobTheVIP]

Beautiful laser.....I would get one if this hobby wasn't so damn expensive :'(..maybe when I'm older.

 

[electron]

Yea I know what you mean, I wished they were cheaper too or it wouldn't have taken me so long to purchase one myself.
I'm sure if you put your mind to it, in the future you could probably save up for one. Heck they might even be cheaper than now and maybe even more powerful models will appear....you can never have too much power.

 

[Razako]

N-Light is the diode used on the Blue, it's just not 2.5W like the Green; as for source that would be Jack himself. Take a look at his webpage and then do a search on this forum, there is a lively discussion between Carter & Jack about this very thing.

Can you possibly post a link to this discussion? It's no doubt buried far back in the forum and I don't know where to search for it. The optotronics site doesn't say anything about the blue-rpl diode other than it being n-light with a rated lifetime of 80,000 hours. I'm thinking that it might be a 1.5Watt diode at least go get 30+mw out of the crystals. Blues are usually around 3% efficient.

 

[Ace82]

Perhaps I stand corrected! Would one of these diodes be the one do you know Electron? http://www.nlight.net/products.html

 

[darklandz]

before i ordered my RPL blue i did ask Jack about the IR Diode in the blues -
he said all the blues he was getting in had the 2.5W N-light diode.
only Jack himself can confirm that.

 

[electron]

Why do you think that Jack revised the description on his webpage for the Blue RPL's and removed the 2.5W statement from the N-Light listing for BLue RPL's, and it now doesn't state the diode power level at all; only that it is an N-Light Diode.

All you need to do is to do some searching on this forum and you'll get the answers.

Since I've been asked, I've done the research yet once again and here is the thread; Hey how much is my time worth for doing the research for you?  :

http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1194907820/12     (read post #21)