Pricing confusion/question...

[Ashton]

Wow, you guys really dont prune your old users (though I'm glad of it) I bet NOBODY here remembers me...

Anyway...

I'm looking for a new laser... and I dont understand the costs here... The way I understand it, IR is the cheepest, followed by red, then green, then blue.

But when I look at the FS forums, I'm seeing 1W blues for <$300 when last I checked, a 500mw IR was $299

Did something happen when I was in my proverbial Cryosleep? I mean yeah its awesome to see these kinda prices (though a 1W green would be ideal due to human anatomy) Why are Blue lasers outsellinf Red in both price and power???

 

[Prototype]

Casio made a projector using 24W Nichia 1W 445nm diodes...for $800. The diodes cost ~$2,000 each direct from Nichia. Multimode, but not overly so. The A140 diodes (Projector model name is XJ-A130/XJ-A140) seem to be of a higher bin, kind of like LEDs, although both will do ~1W easily. Also, welcome back.

 

[qumefox]

There still hasn't been any proof that a140's have better diodes than the a130's. Nobody has tested enough of either at the same power level on the same driver yet in a controlled environment. I know the few people who have compared multiple a140 diodes in the same setup have reported wildly varying efficiencies. If there was binning happening, I would think all the diodes would have fairly consistent results. I personally still believe the a130 and a140 both use the exact same diode, and that the a140's just drive theirs a bit harder.

If you have proof they're binned though, please link, as i've been looking for a real multi-diode controlled test between the two projectors since people first started selling the diodes. Though due to the markedly varying efficiencies i've seen posted, it would take probably a dozen of each tested with the same criteria to even begin to come up with an average power output for each batch.

I plan to test all four of the a130 diodes i'm getting in an identical manner. Whenever Glenn ships them to me, anyway.

 

[hakzaw1]

AFAIK WL is getting all thiers from XJ-A-130s

Ashton-- you need to do some catch-up reading.... imo

lol

 

[kiyoukan]

These things are no longer a rich mans toy,
At these prices can you afford not to get it?

 

[RA_pierce]

473nm DPSS blues are still relatively expensive, but prices have come down slightly.
445nm Diode blues are inexpensive because of their mass production for projectors.