Project for beginner

[VernoxVernax]

1. Copper is better at absorbing heat but takes longer to cool down. Aluminum isn't as quick to absorb heat but cools off quicker. You basically use copper for higher heat applications and aluminum for lesser heat application.

2. It's up to you what you want. Aluminum is perfectly acceptable for 500mw of 638nm. The back half option is only if you want to use it. For the C6 host you really won't have much room for it anyway. It's just there if you want more copper for your higher power builds. It's not exactly necessary for your setup.

3. The pill of the C6 host is solid. If your driver is long you will need to choose the drilled option. Depends on what driver you go with. If you're going with a flex drive you don't need it as it's small enough to fit either on top of the pill or soldered directly to the diode.

Also I should note that only owning a prebuilt laser gives you no experience in actually building one. Do you have any experience in soldering?

That was my intent. To build my first one and gain experience. Thank you for answering my questions. Yes I do have experience with soldering.

 

[Snecho]

Thank you for your honest warning. I thought it was enough to tell that I am a beginner. sorry. To be clearer:

I have experience will lasers. But just prebuilt ones. I have already some safety goggles at home and there is currently another one in my basket for the one I am planning to build. And yes, I read about the red diode need special glasses and all that. I just didn’t know there were so many different parts based on the host alone. I do in fact know the risk I am taking and that I should definitely be very carefully. I just want to build my first laser pointer. Again, thank you all very much for caring so much. Have a wonderful evening.

That's very good to hear! I'm not a professional builder, but perhaps I can offer some help with your first DIY.

First I can answer some of your questions.

"I am currently searching for the parts but I dont know what M140 Module to use. The link in the discription leads me to DTR's shop but there are too much different versions. Is the mW and nm important or should it just be a laser module from the link?"
You're confused because that link is very, very old. That's why it screws up and just takes you to DTR's Home Page. M140 is the diode used in the video and the module is what it sits in. More on that later.

"Oclaro HL63193MG 700mW 638nm Diodes. This is what I clicked on. Would it work? Should I buy it with "Leads" and if yes, wich one?"
Those are just the diodes, that dictates what color and power your laser will be. More on that laser.

"When I buy a host, (C6 Host Assembly), can I directly choose a heat sink in the options panel or do I have to buy an extra one? The prices dont match. Can I leave the options by default in general, or is there anything I have to include, like "holster" and "driver pill"."
It doesn't matter, they are both the same heatsink. More on that later. Also, the holster is just a holster.

"In the description of the video, there are listed different parts for the build. My question is:
Can I use the Heat Sink option when buying the Host or is it different from the Heat Sink link he added? Is there an extreme difference in the material (copper, aluminum)?"
Again, it is the same heatsink. The difference in materials is different thermal conductivity. More on this later.

"I don't need the heat sink option "extended and tapered copper", do I?"
I depends on what you like. That option is a slightly longer heatsink so better thermal absorption for longer run times, and also looks cool.

"The Driver Pill option is also a bit confusing. Do I have to add the drill option to make it as easy as possible? Is the driver pill in the video the standard one, or the drilled one?"
Don't know about drilling but the driver pill in the video is the standard default one that comes with the host I believe.


So, you have decided you want your first build in a C6 host from Survival Lasers right? Which diode (color and power do you want)? I heard you talking about a red diode?

 

[hakzaw1]

Can you tell me 6 ways to kill a diode or driver??
AND there are many more..

The pain is less when the cost was low.

Only a very few sellers will replace a damaged laser.
The fault was almost always a common mistake .

Reverse polarity is a good option-- trying both ways is not a good idea and each laser may have a diff polarity--(mark + or - inside your tailcap with an ultra-fine Sharpie)

The protection may not protect your driver btw.
hak

 

[paul1598419]

Another thing you may not be aware of is all the 638nm diodes that can get near or over 1 watt all have horrible divergence specs. After a dozen feet you are looking at a line, not a spot. This can be mitigated to a small extent by using a longer focal length lens for collimation, but not by much. And much of it is likely due to clipping of the beam. If you want to build a blue laser and can find a good source for the M140 diode that is still an inexpensive diode and can reach 2+ watts if driven with a 1.8 amp driver and a short focal length aspheric lens. A buck driver set to 1.8 amps doesn't need to be heat sunk, so you can solder the driver directly to the diode's pins.

 

[hwang21]

Hang on a sec - before we get too muddled with the details of a DIY build, VernoxVernax, what is your experience with prebuilt lasers? Can you describe them or post links to them?

I struggle with recommending even a 500mW laser to a new member to the forum - maybe more like 50mW. Experience with prebuilt lasers could range from "I have a office laser pointer that I use as a cat toy" to "my lab does open-beam alignment with gas lasers everyday". I would like to know your familiarity with high-powered lasers and how dangerous they are - anything over 5mW entering the eye will cause permanent eye damage, and anything over 500mW could cause permanent eye damage by just looking at the dot too closely. If you are planning on building a 500mW laser, I hope that facts like these are no surprise to you. If they are, then I suggest holding off on this build for now and learning more about lasers before you attempt this. You should have a solid grasp of laser wavelength/color (nm) and laser power (mW) and how these two variables dictate the safety measures you should take to protect yourself

 

[VernoxVernax]

That's very good to hear! I'm not a professional builder, but perhaps I can offer some help with your first DIY.

First I can answer some of your questions.

"I am currently searching for the parts but I dont know what M140 Module to use. The link in the discription leads me to DTR's shop but there are too much different versions. Is the mW and nm important or should it just be a laser module from the link?"
You're confused because that link is very, very old. That's why it screws up and just takes you to DTR's Home Page. M140 is the diode used in the video and the module is what it sits in. More on that later.

"Oclaro HL63193MG 700mW 638nm Diodes. This is what I clicked on. Would it work? Should I buy it with "Leads" and if yes, wich one?"
Those are just the diodes, that dictates what color and power your laser will be. More on that laser.

"When I buy a host, (C6 Host Assembly), can I directly choose a heat sink in the options panel or do I have to buy an extra one? The prices dont match. Can I leave the options by default in general, or is there anything I have to include, like "holster" and "driver pill"."
It doesn't matter, they are both the same heatsink. More on that later. Also, the holster is just a holster.

"In the description of the video, there are listed different parts for the build. My question is:
Can I use the Heat Sink option when buying the Host or is it different from the Heat Sink link he added? Is there an extreme difference in the material (copper, aluminum)?"
Again, it is the same heatsink. The difference in materials is different thermal conductivity. More on this later.

"I don't need the heat sink option "extended and tapered copper", do I?"
I depends on what you like. That option is a slightly longer heatsink so better thermal absorption for longer run times, and also looks cool.

"The Driver Pill option is also a bit confusing. Do I have to add the drill option to make it as easy as possible? Is the driver pill in the video the standard one, or the drilled one?"
Don't know about drilling but the driver pill in the video is the standard default one that comes with the host I believe.


So, you have decided you want your first build in a C6 host from Survival Lasers right? Which diode (color and power do you want)? I heard you talking about a red diode?

Thank you for answering my questions very detailed. I now understand the options given when buying the host.
Yes I wanted a red one and its the Mitsubishi 500mW 638nm.

Can you tell me 6 ways to kill a diode or driver??
AND there are many more..

The pain is less when the cost was low.

Only a very few sellers will replace a damaged laser.
The fault was almost always a common mistake .

Reverse polarity is a good option-- trying both ways is not a good idea and each laser may have a diff polarity--(mark + or - inside your tailcap with an ultra-fine Sharpie)

The protection may not protect your driver btw.
hak

No I don't know even 3 ways to destroy them.
I watched a lot of videos how to build your own, so I think I can handle this. Its not going to explode when putting it together, and I would definitely test it outside, with safety goggles.
btw I live in europe so the shipping alone costs already more than the diode, its never gonna be cheap. but I get your point.
Thank you

Another thing you may not be aware of is all the 638nm diodes that can get near or over 1 watt all have horrible divergence specs. After a dozen feet you are looking at a line, not a spot. This can be mitigated to a small extent by using a longer focal length lens for collimation, but not by much. And much of it is likely due to clipping of the beam. If you want to build a blue laser and can find a good source for the M140 diode that is still an inexpensive diode and can reach 2+ watts if driven with a 1.8 amp driver and a short focal length aspheric lens. A buck driver set to 1.8 amps doesn't need to be heat sunk, so you can solder the driver directly to the diode's pins.

I am planning to use a red diode. Thank you for telling me of these problems. One of my laserpointers at home also loses a lot of focus within 20 meters.
Although I will go with a red one and this one needs a heat sink. Thank you

Hang on a sec - before we get too muddled with the details of a DIY build, VernoxVernax, what is your experience with prebuilt lasers? Can you describe them or post links to them?

I struggle with recommending even a 500mW laser to a new member to the forum - maybe more like 50mW. Experience with prebuilt lasers could range from "I have a office laser pointer that I use as a cat toy" to "my lab does open-beam alignment with gas lasers everyday". I would like to know your familiarity with high-powered lasers and how dangerous they are - anything over 5mW entering the eye will cause permanent eye damage, and anything over 500mW could cause permanent eye damage by just looking at the dot too closely. If you are planning on building a 500mW laser, I hope that facts like these are no surprise to you. If they are, then I suggest holding off on this build for now and learning more about lasers before you attempt this. You should have a solid grasp of laser wavelength/color (nm) and laser power (mW) and how these two variables dictate the safety measures you should take to protect yourself

I have never built a laser myself. Yes, it is insane trying such a beast the first time, but that's why I am here. Some guy linked me the video and I didn't even know it was so powerful before you guys told me. I mean: on video they look pretty much all the same in terms of strength.

I do actually know how dangerous powerful lasers can be. Yes, I read Wikipedia and laserpointersafety.com. But I still don't work in a lab or anything near that. I just started getting into learning the basics like nm....

To be completely sure: For the Mitsubishi 500mW 638nm I would be these goggles: Eagle Pair® 190-400nm & 580-760nm

Would they the right ones for the diode? Yes, I know it won't safe me when I look into the laser, or reflections, ...

Thank you very much for everyone helping me and caring about my project. I wish you all an awesome evening

 

[Snecho]

Hang on a sec - before we get too muddled with the details of a DIY build, VernoxVernax, what is your experience with prebuilt lasers? Can you describe them or post links to them?

I struggle with recommending even a 500mW laser to a new member to the forum - maybe more like 50mW. Experience with prebuilt lasers could range from "I have a office laser pointer that I use as a cat toy" to "my lab does open-beam alignment with gas lasers everyday". I would like to know your familiarity with high-powered lasers and how dangerous they are - anything over 5mW entering the eye will cause permanent eye damage, and anything over 500mW could cause permanent eye damage by just looking at the dot too closely. If you are planning on building a 500mW laser, I hope that facts like these are no surprise to you. If they are, then I suggest holding off on this build for now and learning more about lasers before you attempt this. You should have a solid grasp of laser wavelength/color (nm) and laser power (mW) and how these two variables dictate the safety measures you should take to protect yourself

Exactly my point Hwang, but he has dodged going into detail about this multiple times already. Perhaps shyness? I do feel comfortable knowing though that he has researched safety already and is going to get the correct eagle pairs.

Thank you for answering my questions very detailed. I now understand the options given when buying the host.
Yes I wanted a red one and its the Mitsubishi 500mW 638nm.

No I don't know even 3 ways to destroy them.
I watched a lot of videos how to build your own, so I think I can handle this. Its not going to explode when putting it together, and I would definitely test it outside, with safety goggles.
btw I live in europe so the shipping alone costs already more than the diode, its never gonna be cheap. but I get your point.
Thank you

I am planning to use a red diode. Thank you for telling me of these problems. One of my laserpointers at home also loses a lot of focus within 20 meters.
Although I will go with a red one and this one needs a heat sink. Thank you

I have never built a laser myself. Yes, it is insane trying such a beast the first time, but that's why I am here. Some guy linked me the video and I didn't even know it was so powerful before you guys told me. I mean: on video they look pretty much all the same in terms of strength.

I do actually know how dangerous powerful lasers can be. Yes, I read Wikipedia and laserpointersafety.com. But I still don't work in a lab or anything near that. I just started getting into learning the basics like nm....

To be completely sure: For the Mitsubishi 500mW 638nm I would be these goggles: Eagle Pair® 190-400nm & 580-760nm

Would they the right ones for the diode? Yes, I know it won't safe me when I look into the laser, or reflections, ...

Thank you very much for everyone helping me and caring about my project. I wish you all an awesome evening

Hey, looks like you quadruple posted. If you want to reply to multiple people in one post, you can reply to the first one, go back up, hit Reply to the next person you want to reply to, and so on and so forth. Also, you can hit Edit to use copy and paste to combine all of them into one post.

In any event I'm glad you know a little bit more about the process now. Do you still need help picking the parts t6he need and ordering or have you done it already?

Also yes those googles are the correct pair

 

[VernoxVernax]

Exactly my point Hwang, but he has dodged going into detail about this multiple times already. Perhaps shyness? I do feel comfortable knowing though that he has researched safety already and is going to get the correct eagle pairs.




Hey, looks like you quadruple posted. If you want to reply to multiple people in one post, you can reply to the first one, go back up, hit Reply to the person you want to reply to, and so on and so forth. Also, you can hit Edit to use copy and paste to combine all of them into one post.

In any event I'm glad you know a little bit more about the process now. Do you still need help picking the parts t6he need and ordering or have you done it already?

Also yes those googles are the correct pair

OK. This looks better.

I think I know what to buy now, but haven't yet.

Exactly my point Hwang, but he has dodged going into detail about this multiple times already. Perhaps shyness? I do feel comfortable knowing though that he has researched safety already and is going to get the correct eagle pairs.

I dont know what to say. I thought I was clear enough but what do I know?
I own prebuilt lasers, know how to use them and what to care for. I dont even have a pet to annoy. Other than that I dont have any experience. tbh I saw that awesome picture of a yellow laser on this forum here, and it blew my mind. It was so beautiful that I started getting interested in selfbuilt lasers. Thats my "experience". Sorry that you had to ask so often.

 

[Snecho]

OK. This looks better.

I think I know what to buy now, but haven't yet.

Sounds good. If you still think you need help, I could give you the exact list of parts you would need and then you could just assemble it just like in the video. Other than that good luck man!

 

[trephanation]

Just wanted to add that in my personal opinion, assembling these things is not nearly as difficult as some other posters are making it out to be. I had almost no soldering experience beyond hooking up some pickups in my electric guitars and I was able to do it easily. Getting drilled on safety is great but don't get discouraged just because a few people are saying you're going to break the diode.

 

[hakzaw1]

breaking
pressed poorly
wrong polarity
over heat when soldering
over heat by NOT using smart duty/rest cycling
damage by dropping or getting wet
ESD several ways-soldering station not grounded
static damage from just touching w/o wrist strap or ESD working station/pad
stripping threads-- brass is a soft metal like Al.
wrong driver
and there are many more ways to harm a laser
SO start with lowest cost parts until you have lots of hands-on experience.


peace---hak

 

[VernoxVernax]

Sounds good. If you still think you need help, I could give you the exact list of parts you would need and then you could just assemble it just like in the video. Other than that good luck man!

trephanation showed me this awesome host bundle "bargain". I configured it with host opion C6. A 1.25A driver, Black heat sink and a standart driver pill. As the diode I am choosing the Mitsubishi 638nm 500mW. As the batteries I am using the Rcr123A Charger Combo.

Just wanted to add that in my personal opinion, assembling these things is not nearly as difficult as some other posters are making it out to be. I had almost no soldering experience beyond hooking up some pickups in my electric guitars and I was able to do it easily. Getting drilled on safety is great but don't get discouraged just because a few people are saying you're going to break the diode.

Thank you. They just want to help and that no one gets hurt or loses money.

breaking
pressed poorly
wrong polarity
over heat when soldering
over heat by NOT using smart duty/rest cycling
damage by dropping or getting wet
ESD several ways-soldering station not grounded
static damage from just touching w/o wrist strap or ESD working station/pad
stripping threads-- brass is a soft metal like Al.
wrong driver
and there are many more ways to harm a laser
SO start with lowest cost parts until you have lots of hands-on experience.

Thank you. I know the factors that can kill electronic. When I build my own pc I have also read and watched almost every media about safety rules.

Great thanks to all who are helping me. I have been searching in the internet for a long time. I wish you a great day.

 

[hwang21]

It's not that I'm trying to prevent you from building a laser, it's just that, well, experience can sometimes be more useful than knowledge, and since you did not specify what kind of lasers you have experience with (where you got it, what color, output power, etc.), I would rather err on the side of caution than see you get hurt from a powerful laser. I usually suggest that a first laser be <100mW, preferably 50mW or less, and green over any other color since your eyes are most sensitive to green - you can more clearly see where the laser is going (and bright laser beams = wow factor ). Of course, this isn't your first laser, as you've mentioned. But owning many 5mW laser pointers for presentation use for many years is not what I'm getting at here, either:

When I built my first laser of ~50mW, I accidentally got directly hit by it all the time, even when I was deliberately being careful and had read almost everything this forum had to offer. Just finished the build and turning it on - laser rolling off the table? Grab it a little too quickly - straight shot into the eye. Shining it around the room, accidentally shined it through a running ceiling fan with nice shiny white plastic fan blades - straight shot into the eye. Shining it through a double-paned window and forgot that there was also glass behind me - bouncing reflections hit me in the eye. There's just so many little things here and there that, early in my laser ownership, did not occur to me as being a bad idea. Over time, I started realizing these little things and started avoided creating these bad situations, until by the time I was owning 300mW, 500mW, 1000mW lasers, I was avoiding these bad situations without even really thinking about it

It is this "foresight" or experience that we are trying to gauge - as laser power goes up, the damage dealt to the eye from such an accidental hit becomes much worse very quickly. And while I won't speak for all of us, I would venture to guess that a majority of us HAVE been hit directly by a laser - it just comes with time, mistakes and accidents happen. It's just that a) mistakes and accidents decrease with time/experience, and b) were you wearing laser goggles at the time. So especially for new laser enthusiasts, using a lower-powered laser is much safer than a higher-powered one, no matter how careful you are - it not only trains you to be aware of your surroundings, it mitigates the potential permanent damage to your eyes as you learn to treat lasers with the appropriate mix of fear and respect. After all, everyone starts getting relaxed about laser goggles, just give it a couple months of not being able to see the beam

P.S.: it is MUCH cheaper to build your first laser with cheap parts, kinda like treating it as a throwaway build. Something inevitably breaks, does not work/go in the way it should, etc. etc. I think the first time I tried to press my own laser diodes into modules, I messed up like 4 of them in a row before I got a good one. Brushing up on soldering skills? Have fun trying to replace a lifted pad on a nice driver board, or deal with undoing a cold solder joint without a solder sucker. Stuff like that. So just a heads-up

 

[VernoxVernax]

It's not that I'm trying to prevent you from building a laser, it's just that, well, experience can sometimes be more useful than knowledge, and since you did not specify what kind of lasers you have experience with (where you got it, what color, output power, etc.), I would rather err on the side of caution than see you get hurt from a powerful laser. I usually suggest that a first laser be <100mW, preferably 50mW or less, and green over any other color since your eyes are most sensitive to green - you can more clearly see where the laser is going (and bright laser beams = wow factor ). Of course, this isn't your first laser, as you've mentioned. But owning many 5mW laser pointers for presentation use for many years is not what I'm getting at here, either:

When I built my first laser of ~50mW, I accidentally got directly hit by it all the time, even when I was deliberately being careful and had read almost everything this forum had to offer. Just finished the build and turning it on - laser rolling off the table? Grab it a little too quickly - straight shot into the eye. Shining it around the room, accidentally shined it through a running ceiling fan with nice shiny white plastic fan blades - straight shot into the eye. Shining it through a double-paned window and forgot that there was also glass behind me - bouncing reflections hit me in the eye. There's just so many little things here and there that, early in my laser ownership, did not occur to me as being a bad idea. Over time, I started realizing these little things and started avoided creating these bad situations, until by the time I was owning 300mW, 500mW, 1000mW lasers, I was avoiding these bad situations without even really thinking about it

It is this "foresight" or experience that we are trying to gauge - as laser power goes up, the damage dealt to the eye from such an accidental hit becomes much worse very quickly. And while I won't speak for all of us, I would venture to guess that a majority of us HAVE been hit directly by a laser - it just comes with time, mistakes and accidents happen. It's just that a) mistakes and accidents decrease with time/experience, and b) were you wearing laser goggles at the time. So especially for new laser enthusiasts, using a lower-powered laser is much safer than a higher-powered one, no matter how careful you are - it not only trains you to be aware of your surroundings, it mitigates the potential permanent damage to your eyes as you learn to treat lasers with the appropriate mix of fear and respect. After all, everyone starts getting relaxed about laser goggles, just give it a couple months of not being able to see the beam

P.S.: it is MUCH cheaper to build your first laser with cheap parts, kinda like treating it as a throwaway build. Something inevitably breaks, does not work/go in the way it should, etc. etc. I think the first time I tried to press my own laser diodes into modules, I messed up like 4 of them in a row before I got a good one. Brushing up on soldering skills? Have fun trying to replace a lifted pad on a nice driver board, or deal with undoing a cold solder joint without a solder sucker. Stuff like that. So just a heads-up

Wow. Thank you very much, but please dont waste anymore of your precious time. I can ensure you, I own something stronger than a presentation laser. Since nearly 1 year I have been folling around with this thing, and with the time, I got to know exactly how the light reflects on different surfaces.

trephanation showed me this awesome host bundle "bargain". I configured it with host opion C6. A 1.25A driver, Black heat sink and a standart driver pill. As the diode I am choosing the Mitsubishi 638nm 500mW. As the batteries I am using the Rcr123A Charger Combo.

Can anyone check my parts for Incompatibility?

 

[trephanation]

The parts list looks good but is there any reason you don't want to go with copper for the heat sink? At 1.25A that diode will probably be putting out a bit of waste heat and copper will be better at dissipating that than aluminum. I would go with the extended copper heat sink for your purposes and for anything stronger than what you're making I would find an alternate source for heat sinks. The SL heat sinks make for a nice, small compact laser for lower power levels but I'm personally replacing the one on my green build @ 1.8A with a forum member-made heat sink in a couple of days. Though with that being said, the black heat sink you chose will recess completely into the host and you'll have a very low-key flashlight looking device if that's what you're looking for.

 

[VernoxVernax]

The parts list looks good but is there any reason you don't want to go with copper for the heat sink? At 1.25A that diode will probably be putting out a bit of waste heat and copper will be better at dissipating that than aluminum. I would go with the extended copper heat sink for your purposes and for anything stronger than what you're making I would find an alternate source for heat sinks. The SL heat sinks make for a nice, small compact laser for lower power levels but I'm personally replacing the one on my green build @ 1.8A with a forum member-made heat sink in a couple of days. Though with that being said, the black heat sink you chose will recess completely into the host and you'll have a very low-key flashlight looking device if that's what you're looking for.

Thanks for you help. *puts extended hs in shopping cart*. Have nice day.