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FrozenGate by Avery

Pocket Mini Red finished.

Joined
Nov 10, 2008
Messages
4,186
Points
63
I completed my build 3 days ago. First, due to my excitement, I tried to solder 2 wires on the flexdrive but my solder gun had too much heat that I went to a friend of my dad's to have the 2 other wires soldered on the flex.

To his suprise, he noticed that a resistor as small as 0.5 mm had been desoldered but was still on the flexdrive. I told him that I accidentally touched some green cover of the board. He told me that I have desoldered that little resistor and I was damn lucky that it didn't fall off the driver. Anyway, in the end, he managed to re-solder that resistor after 20 min of effort. He also soldered the wires from the flex to the diode pins. ( LOC-815 ). I thanked him so much and went back home to see if my laser works.

Fortunately, by the time I had everything connected and threw a cell in the host, the beautiful red light came out. I was so excited at that moment. After one hour, I grabbed my new build to play for a while. But, when I pushed the tail button of the pocket mini, the laser didn't shine. I thought something had been blown, diode or flex might have been fried. The next day I thought, maybe the connection had a problem. As I said in a previous post, I finally found that the metal ring in the back of the host was fault. In the end, I managed to get my laser working again.

The reason I created this thread is to prove that my laser works great and to thank jayrob and dr lava for their components. Thank you guys. oh, I forgot drew for the diode :D

The next reason is because I wanted to ask you if I can turn the pot of the flex while it is connected to the diode so more current flows through, so more power. I forgot to mention that I compared the dot and beams of my pocket mini and my DX dilda and I noticed they are slightly the same. The DX dilda might be more powerful because I used 2 cr2's which were not fully charged as the 16340 of the pocket mini had been. So, can I turn the pot of the flex counter clockwise to increase the output current and make my laser more powerful? Because look, it should have been more bright as the flex had preset current( considering a preset current of 420mA gives you >200mW). Maybe the pot had been turned a bit making my laser less powerful. I don't know. What you guys think? Thanks in advance

P.S Sorry for the long story but I thought I should have mentioned everything I made so far so you can help me with the pot modding without asking a lot of questions.
 
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you should make a dummy test load. for your driver, so that way you can always know where your current is set at. also i thing 420ma might be at the max for the diode and driver. but i might be wrong.
 
Silvershot, I know that you got my basic Pocket Mini Kit, so you must have bought the FlexDrive from somebody else...

So I don't know about the setting, but I can tell you that the current is increased by turning the pot clockwise.

That said, I do not recommend turning it, (as was said), unless you disconnect the LD, and connect a test load so that you can properly set the current with a DMM.

The pot is too sensitive for just turning it with your LD connected. You will most likely kill your diode, or damage the driver, or both.

The pot is a single turn pot, so depending on what range the driver is set to, the pot could be near it's max already.

See the FlexDrive documentation here:
http://hacylon.case.edu/ebay/laser_diode/MicroFlexDrive%20User%20Manual.pdf

There are pictures that show the different ranges that the version 4 FlexDrive has, depending on how you solder the 'jumpers'...

A normal LPC open can diode will give you 245mW's at 420mA's. (AixiZ acrylic - back opened)

Or, multiply by 20% if you use my Meredith glass fit for AixiZ lens mod - 294mW's! :)
http://laserpointerforums.com/laser_pointer_forums_3/forum/showthread.php?t=22501
Jay
 
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Listen to Jay about the flexdrive. That smd style pot is so damn delicate it isn't funny. Even with the lightest touch, I managed to rip it off the board, with a quarter turn. Unless you know what you're doing just don't risk it.
 
yeah, you most likely have your drive set on MODE 3. wich is 300-412ma i do believe?

so unless you unjumper the jumps and resolder them accordingly into MODE 4 you wont get anything above 412ma.

just dont do it. if you can see the beam on your laser, and it burns alright...leave well enough alone. i used to have to "play" and tinker with all my lasers... and as a result ALL but 1 are dead. it's simply just better to enjoy the 412ma you have now and not risk killing it. you could kill it simply trying to GET to the driver. best leave it be. or have a pro do it for you.

Dark
 
@ Jay, I already am aware of the current ranges and mine has 2 jumper solders so it's 155mA-600mA. Also, I thought that by turning the pot clockwise the resistance increases, which means less current. Isn't that right? Because you said clockwise=more current. Oh, and I bought the flex from dr lava and I use a glass lens from aixiz.com

@ Darkarmyofone, my laser easily burns and lights matches and the beam is kind of visible in the night but I want to make sure it's not set at higher current :/ The laser works just perfect. Maybe you are right, that I should not touch it, but enjoy it like this..
 
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155mA - 600mA... Hey, that's a new range that was not shown before! Pretty cool. I'll have to try that next.

The direction you turn the pot, will (I'm sure), depend on the pot used. But so far, all of the FlexDrives I have ever used will increase the current by turning the pot clockwise...
Jay
 
Listen to darkarmy he's right just enjoy...please use goggles and stay away from anything that fly's or drives... Use it wisely.:) and don't get married if you do she won't understand your new addiction.;)
 
I have found that most people don't understand my laser addiction. :(
Also the flexdrive becomes very sensitive once you get past 370mA with an LPC-815. I blew a LPC by doing exactly what you described doing. My advice....don't do it. Keep it as is.

Be safe. :)
 
I have found that most people don't understand my laser addiction. :(
Also the flexdrive becomes very sensitive once you get past 370mA with an LPC-815. I blew a LPC by doing exactly what you described doing. My advice....don't do it. Keep it as is.

Be safe. :)

:D That's what I am going to do. Thanks every1 for your help. I am planning to use my phr-803T diode if my LOC dies.. I know, I will have to change something on the driver :)
 
un-jumping, then re-jumping the flex is a little tricky, use caution if doing this.

and don't get married if you do she won't understand your new addiction.

HAHA! thats hillarious! your totaly, one hundred percent right. my wife HATES lasers.... i mean absolutely despises them. she sais i need to go to rehab for lasers lol. i cant even use em unless she's not around.

but yeah, you say you can burn fine, but only kind of see the beam on your pocket mini? if your anywhere near 400Ma you should see that beam from a mile away. weird? has it ever suffered to backflash? "backflash = laser shining into a mirror and BACK into its own lens...thus focusing the entire beam on the inner workings of your LOC"
 
un-jumping, then re-jumping the flex is a little tricky, use caution if doing this.



HAHA! thats hillarious! your totaly, one hundred percent right. my wife HATES lasers.... i mean absolutely despises them. she sais i need to go to rehab for lasers lol. i cant even use em unless she's not around.

but yeah, you say you can burn fine, but only kind of see the beam on your pocket mini? if your anywhere near 400Ma you should see that beam from a mile away. weird? has it ever suffered to backflash? "backflash = laser shining into a mirror and BACK into its own lens...thus focusing the entire beam on the inner workings of your LOC"

See a beam from a LOC red from a mile away? Are you kidding me. I can barely see it from 30FT away. 200+mW......Is it foggy where you live? Wow...now I am worried that my 20-20 vision, isn't 20-20 anymore. :(
 
See a beam from a LOC red from a mile away? Are you kidding me. I can barely see it from 30FT away. 200+mW......Is it foggy where you live? Wow...now I am worried that my 20-20 vision, isn't 20-20 anymore. :(

I think he was saying that if you were on the other end of that bad boy Heath my man.:) The recieving end. the ouchy end.
 
I think he was saying that if you were on the other end of that bad boy Heath my man.:) The recieving end. the ouchy end.

In that case, then Yes the beam would be visible if it was pointed at you from a mile away.:)


Silvershot, It sounds like you seem to be happy with it. :)
 
In that case, then Yes the beam would be visible if it was pointed at you from a mile away.:)


Silvershot, It sounds like you seem to be happy with it. :)

Yeah :) For my first handheld, I am happy to see it works just fine :D
The only thing is that there is a line that cuts the dot in 2. I couldn't get a picture of it though. Hope you understand what I mean. Is there anything I can do to make that line disappear?
 





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