pot broken/ top disk came off on 2 boards lava

[floridahigh]

so i finally get this  badass laser goin and as im adjusting the pot the top of the pot comes apart from the board, it looks like a little disk, so my question is can i just solder over the top of the pot at def low and get 115ma or would it be better to jump to high and me assume that it would only be 120ma???  thank you in advance





and also to anybody building the use of flux for soldering is a great way to keep from jumping through a window

i do not see a way of holding the disc with tweezers and spinning the pot??? from my perception the pot top is the contact point at which a stronger connection is givin by half moon contact between horseshoe shaped circuit??? this is all assuming

 

[daguin]

so i finally get this  badass laser goin and as im adjusting the pot the top of the pot comes apart from the board, it looks like a little disk, so my question is can i just solder over the top of the pot at def low and get 115ma or would it be better to jump to high and me assume that it would only be 120ma???  thank you in advance
and also to anybody building the use of flux for soldering is a great way to keep from jumping through a window

WOW! I've never had one come apart. I don't know what the output would be with your proposed solution, but keep us posted, please?

Peace,
dave

 

[floridahigh]

well i have no source for measuring anything except shining on arm, now when it was high it seemed to burn some but when pot fell off it is not as bright with glasses and i cant feel any heat???


i imagine i was pressing to harrd with screw on the one drive but the other i have it just fell of i had not even started to adjust it yet

and as im sure most would also feel a little scared to just solder across pot without knowing the exact output because i really dont want to buy another diode

 

[phoenix77]

I had the same trouble with one of mine

 

[Kai]

try replacing the pot with one of the pots from the PHR sleds. It worked on the previous Lavadrive

 

[ndrew2505]

the turning part of the disc came off my pot too...on 2 drivers... i just used tweezers to hold the remaining piece while i turned it.

 

[phoenix77]

Too late for me, I guess, I've already thrown it away

 

[Bionic-Badger]

Too late for me, I guess, I've already thrown it away

You tossed it? Man you should have sold it/given it away in the BST section. Then I could justify buying $20 worth of SMT pots on Mouser to repair it.

 

[floridahigh]

alright so heres what i got after breaking the pin flush with the top of the diode and trying to solder on top of diode to new pin i found that dressing a wire with solder and then gently setting ontop of orig broke pin in diode and the covering with jb weld was better than just trying to solder onto top of the diode itself due to the high heat. but after learning this it was to late i beleive because as soon as i turned to laser on after all was done it fired up bright one second and then just a dim light, so maybe the connection of only solder to diode broke or as i imagine to much heat.


Now the measurements of no top to pot: 78ma orig with no top, and 118ma bridging the two connections for high power

i hope i dont burn the next ones up, also does anyone epoxy wires to the diode after initial solder to diode???



Happy burning

 

[phoenix77]

Yes, that's a good way to help prevent the pins on the diode from snapping off. Put heat shrink tubing on first, & make sure the epoxy is non-conductive of electricity.

 

[JLSE]

try replacing the pot with one of the pots from the PHR sleds. It worked on the previous Lavadrive

Ive used the 803 sled 30k pots as well, just be careful as the trace on the board lifts easy if your not careful. I ended up with a jumper in place of the fine copper trace, but you may not be so lucky. Take it slow and dont pry at the dead pot