Pleas help me choosing a diode!

[Cube777]

Hi LPF,

So I have a noobish question, I have never had an experience with a laser that is stronger than 300mW, so I need your experience. Which diode between the M140 diode and the 12X SO6J is overall the better diode? The factors are beam specs, burning, which laser blows you more away when you see it, etc.......
:thanks: in advance!

 

[HitShane]

This is a M140...

 

[Zeebit]

Hi LPF,

So I have a noobish question, I have never had an experience with a laser that is stronger than 300mW, so I need your experience. Which diode between the M140 diode and the 12X SO6J is overall the better diode? The factors are beam specs, burning, which laser blows you more away when you see it, etc.......
:thanks: in advance!

Beam specs are much much better with the 12X. You will get a nice rounded dot. The M140 have bad beam specs. The diode is multimode causing it to have a rectangular shape.

Both will be almost equally good at burning but the M140 will reach far higher powers compared to the 12X and will make it able to burn much better and faser.

The M140 will blow the 12X when it comes to visibility.

Based on my research on the forum, the M140 is more durable. You can push it to really high current without busting it but the 12x diodes are somewhat fragile.

 

[Moistenator]

Go with the M140. It's a lot harder to kill one of those than it is the 12x.

 

[Zeebit]

Oh yeah, I forgot. My vote goes to the M140.

 

[Cube777]

As for the fragility of the 12X I'm rather going to run it at a lower current (around 400mA) and I really do like 405nm, will you be able to see the beam at night? And is the 12X a 5.6mm diode? Will the laser be able to burn white paper(at around 600mW)? Sorry for all the noobish questions, but I would really rather prefer the 12X because of the good beam specs. Thank you!

 

[ENX]

At 400mA with the 405nm you will see the beam, but no where near as bright or impressive as the beam from a 445nm. The 405 will burn white paper at that range and in my experience it burns better than 445 at the same power. 445s are usually driven at 2x that, minimum. The 405 is unique since it is in the UV range and is single mode. The dot is better and it floureces glow in the dark items better, but have never really been impressed with the beam. People's eyes perceive this wavelength differently and I find it hard to see the beam, even at dusk.

If you're looking for beam brightness, get a 532nm, if you want to burn and play with glow in the dark items, get the 405, if you can't decide, get the 445 for a good mix and they burn very good. Your eventually going to have all 3 wavelengths anyway . IMO, the 445 is a good start for your first build. They are hard to kill unless you over push them or are careless.

Here is a helpful brightness gauge someone put together: Beam: (445nm 1000mw) vs. (405nm 500mw)

Ultimately, its all individual preference. Good luck.

 

[Cube777]

Thanks for all the replies:thanks:

 

[Zeebit]

400mA is considered safe for the 12X. However, there are some unlucky people who had their 12X LED'd randomly at a rather safe current. These things are quite fragile.

Here is very good color comparison.

http://laserpointerforums.com/f48/405nm-vs-445nm-comparison-79524.html

 

[Cube777]

Thank you Zeebit, I will do a bit more thinking. A bit of topic, but do you think with THIS (with an 445nm AR coated lens off course) experiment I would be able to get a round dot with the M140? I think the lens cuts of the corners...:thinking:

 

[Zeebit]

Don't know what the result will be but as explained in the thread, it's likely that the optics is blocking part of the output making it cleaner but less powerful.