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FrozenGate by Avery

PGL-III-C-473 fried due to reverse polarity

drummerdimitri

drummerdimitri

0
Joined
Oct 15, 2007
Messages
510
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Hello people,

So I've decided to fire up my laser after more than a year of dust collecting and I inserted the 18650 battery the way I usually do with lasers and flashlights (negative side towards end cap).

I turned on the laser and nothing happened. Then it hit me.

I had realized that this is the ONLY laser I own that has the battery polarity reversed so I pretty much fried it I guess.

Now, when I insert the battery properly, I get the red light for a few seconds then it turns off. the body around the switch heats up and white smoke comes out of there with no laser beam whatsoever.

What to do? Can I fix this somehow or did I just fry a perfectly good laser?

How hard can it be to insert a battery polarity protection on these fuckers?
 





Oh ffs, another one of these threads?
Read this here

And if you are too lazy to read it, ill summarize:
1) it was your own fault and no one elses
2) reverse protection is not common in any driver
3) next time use a permanent marker and put a "+" in the tailcap. Not that difficult.
 
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The driver and maybe the diode needs to be replaced. Both will be a tough task, as getting these things disassembled can be tricky. Email cni and ask if they will sell you a replacement driver, im sure they will.
 
Any clue on how to disassemble this thing?

I don't want to use too much force and break it apart!
 
I suggest asking ultimatekaiser if he can do it for you. Hes taken several CNI hosts apart, and knows his way around solod state lasers pretty darn well. If anyone here can repair it for you, especially the diode, it would be him.
 
tough titties , there ain't much you can do , you may say it's in bad "design" but the design never started with polarity protection , that's why you have to be VERY VERY clear about which way in first.
 
crazyspaz said:
Oh ffs, another one of these threads?
Read this here

And if you are too lazy to read it, ill summarize:
1) it was your own fault and no one elses
2) reverse protection is not common in any driver
3) next time use a permanent marker and put a "+" in the tailcap. Not that difficult.
Click to expand...

I do like the irony that "total pieces of crap" like the 301 can handle a backwards battery, but all these expensive laser cadillacs die instantly.
 
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The reason for that was discussed in the thread I linked to. (i actually linked to the wrong thread, I must've misclicked. fixed it now.)
 
Not having protection should be an informed choice though. I know you have the blood of christ and never reverse batteries at all, ever, but normal people sometimes make the mistake. Sorry to disappoint.
 
Marco Polo said:
I do like the irony that "total pieces of crap" like the 301 can handle a backwards battery, but all these expensive laser cadillacs die instantly.
Click to expand...

I do like the irony that "total pieces of crap" like the lm317 can handle 24V input, but these expensive boost drivers die instantly.
 
Marco Polo said:
Not having protection should be an informed choice though. I know you have the blood of christ and never reverse batteries at all, ever, but normal people sometimes make the mistake. Sorry to disappoint.
Click to expand...

Sigh...We went through this many times in that other thread.

It isn't hard to put a battery in correctly. Get over yourself.
 
IIRC this is a simple fix. I think I remember someone saying there is a protection diode soldered directly across the pins of the diode. Once that is removed the laser should work again.

I'll try to find the post. Probably shouldn't attempt this till I can find the post and verify this.

Edit: Found it.

lazeerer said:
Ive noticed that seems to fail with either putting the cell in wrong or sometimes with out any explanation. At least from my experience.

Here is a Picture of the back end of the PGL-III-C Module:


In the middle i think its a fuse or diode and it is connected to both LD- & LD+ "Even though in my pic its not its because i already cut it". When it fails it shorts both LD- and LD+ Which then does not allow any currant to pass through to the laser diode to pump anymore.

In 4 repair cases all i did was cut it off and the lasers worked again.
Click to expand...
 
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ARG said:
IIRC this is a simple fix. I think I remember someone saying there is a protection diode soldered directly across the pins of the diode. Once that is removed the laser should work again.

I'll try to find the post. Probably shouldn't attempt this till I can find the post and verify this.

Edit: Found it.
Click to expand...

Do you think that is what caused the white smoke? It doesn't seem like a fuse (edit: diode, not fuse) would make white smoke...Certainly worth a shot though.

This thread here will help with getting the module out. Just be very careful...Also, if you do get the module out, do NOT take it apart- the frequency doubler (LBO) inside is very moisture sensitive. If you expose it to even the moisture in the air, it will be ruined. My guess is the module is epoxied together anyway, but just don't go fiddling around with it.
 
I sure hope it's as easy as taking the module out and de-soldering the diode or replacing it with a new one.

So my challenge now is to unscrew the wider head from the body right? Need to buy another C clamp for that job.
 
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