[Pic Heavy] 208mA 16x Diode <$5 Budget Burner

[nikola tesla]

ok thanks. well it still emits light so I am not sure. is there any way I can mesure whether the diode is already damaged?

 

[Fretwrecker94]

You need an LPM to measure power. Or look up a chart for your diode and check the mA-> mW for one. They're all different, the mA:mW ratio for diodes of the same type, but it'll give you a general idea.

Would you mind posting a photo of your set up?

 

[nikola tesla]

hey there.. I finall managed to get the time to post this... here are some photos of my set up:

 

[Eudaimonium]

It looks to me like that diode's either dead or under powered. Also, unheatsinked.

I also see that the soldering needs a lot of practise, that braided wire is all over the place and it's pretty much a guarantee it'll get shorted.

You should always pre-tin the braided wires before soldering to the final component.

 

[B33M]

lazeerer,

If you pm me ur addy ill send you some square heatsinks np.

 

[Fretwrecker94]

Yeah to me it seems the diode may have been killed from soldering. Those solder blobs look pretty big and heavy. Probably heated the diode up a fair amount.

 

[tem214]

You have a Circuit diagram?

 

[Fretwrecker94]

Just look up the DDL Driver
I used two 3 ohm resistors to get 6 ohms which gives 208mA

If you're attempting a build and need help, PM me and I'll gladly help

 

[NikhilMukkamala]

Hi. I am not a big physics guy but for my school project I was going to build a laser like this. I was wondering what can this laser do.Can it burn things thicker than cardboard like wood? Thanks a lot I would appreciate it.

 

[mwang]

Hi. I am not a big physics guy but for my school project I was going to build a laser like this. I was wondering what can this laser do.Can it burn things thicker than cardboard like wood? Thanks a lot I would appreciate it.

First off, if you want to build a burning laser with an output over 5 mW you need to read over the safety procedures, and get safety goggles.

Burning paper and cardboard requires at least a class 4 laser, which would be greater than 500 mW of output power. Unless you have a lot of money, a class 4 red laser is way too expensive for a school project. Your best bet would be a 445nm laser. However, those are harder to build, and easier to mess up on. If you have no previous experience, building a 445 is out of the question until you have enough experience. Also, it would still run you maybe at least 70 bucks for a 1000 mW blue.