Quick BDR-209 test

[RedCowboy]

I ordered a BDR-209 from DTR a couple days ago and here it is in my mailbox 2 days later, Thanks.

This little diode can produce a needle thin beam of light through it's G2 lens, I have a host ordered that I want to use and may post more on it later and test the G7 lens as well, but this is just a very short review for the fun of it.

I always try to protect my lens as much as possible. This module has the driver enclosed in the back half. All it needs is a single 3.7 battery.

In a test bed for a quick test run.
Please forgive my unsteady hand, I didn't take time to get out the tripod and this beam is actually very needle thin at it's focal point.

It makes quick work with such a tight focal point, it will be fun to test different lens against other diodes at 20 meters.
This is a med/large popsicle stick, 18mm wide. The hole burned through is less than 1mm. Against my cheap caliper it looks like about .5mm from about 50mm from the lens. But I may not have had it at it's tightest, these are rough measurements.

Here's a first attempt at a very short basic test, just for fun, I just set the camera down on my junk covered desk, I know it's crooked. ALWAYS wear safety glasses that attenuate 405nm, these are a lot more powerful than they appear.

You can hear the wood going pop pop near the end.
Remember these are single mode direct diodes, this is a quality diode that can produce a very focused beam.
Across my backyard it's focus is fantastic. Better than a lot of 532's I've seen.
Be very carful with these!

 

[Lifetime17]

Hi red great info and well constructed review, I have done lots of the 405 build in the BDR-209 diode at over 1W . i love them single modes 405's 16's it's a little giant i call them.

Rich

 

[RedCowboy]

Yes I am already dreaming up some multi diode builds, the beam quality is ...well it's a real laser output, l see many possibilities here for knife edging and bundling beams. It will also pop a balloon further away than most anything else. :eg:
Little giant is a good title.

 

[RB astro]

I agree Red.C !
This is a beautiful diode, very tight beam and I too was amazed at the tiny hole it made to a piece of paper that I tried it on.

Thanks for the pics.

 

[ped]

Yeah the 209's are somethin' else. One of my favourite diodes. Have fun.

 

[Lifetime17]

I did some further testing to see if the 3 element would burn better at my 14 foot mark than the G2 because of its longer focal length, but because of the raw diodes natural spread the G2 wins again.

The G7 is a strong contender but all my 405nm diodes, my 400mw, 500mw and this 1w BDR-209 all favor the G2, if you notice a bit of wash up close that's because the G2 it taking in all of the diodes output with it's closer focal length to the diode. But the hot focal point burns best with the G2.
Credit where credit's due, with the 405 the winner's G2.


Sadly my O-like sits in a pressed in recess and it can't use the G2.

The beam is noticeably brighter with the BDR-209, I like this one, it even lights matches the hard way at 5 feet when focused tight and held at the woods edge.

Focused at the top of a telephone pole 50 yards away my 400mw 0-like with its 3 element focuses nice and tight, the BDR-209 with G2 focuses just as tight, this was a pleasant surprise. 1 watt in a tight spot, that's a winner.

You can see from even this older 405's raw spread why the G2 with it's close in focal length works the best with 405nm diodes.

Hi,
What are you setting the driver at to achieve 1W on your 405?
Rich

 

[RedCowboy]

I think DTR sets them around 550ma to 600ma, they can take more but it needs to be ramped up.

This one may be 900-950mw, but it lights the bottom end of a kitchen match at 5 feet in 3-7 seconds, something the A-130 can't quite do through a 3 element but the m-140 at 1.8A will, so 1 watt or close to it feels accurate based on all other known data.
EDIT: Ok a strong a-130 will do it of you bear down on the tip until it glows for several seconds, but we are still in the watt ballpark.
I have a well used one that wont, but a low use one that will. Yes I just now made fire for science. :eg:

No I still don't have a LPM, I'm holding out for a big one as I plan to need it.

https://sites.google.com/site/dtrlpf/home/diodes/bdr-209-405nm-16x-diodes

 

[Lifetime17]

Hey Red,
Ok the only way i can achieve 1W is to set my Xdrives to 650 and closer to 700mA. And that all depends on the efficiency of the diode it self. After i solder the diode to the driver i put it in my lab heat sink turn it on and use the LPM to adjust the output.. So far so good with this method. Once it hits 1W with no roll back noticed i leave it at that setting.If i see any decrease while uping the Amps i turn it back slowly. As for the LPM i bought mine from Nospin when he was making them, but it has no data logging (. I'm still waiting for Radiant to come out with there 5W with data ... Or will be looking for something that reads higher W's

Rich

 

[Pman]

I can't see any of your first post pics on my phone for some reason. Are they a different format that the others?
Hmmm, I refreshed a couple times and the only one that doesn't show up is the one after "Here's a first attempt" for some reason. Weird.
Yes, I must agree on those 405nm. I think I have built 4 or so of them but haven't set one to the 1W mark yet. I think that's what I may do next although I also want to set a Mitsubishi 500 to 1W too as I believe the 700 and 500 diodes I have are all set around the 800mW mark too.
Of course I could just go back and reset ones I have but in general once I build I leave things alone.
Also on the 532nm I agree that their thin beam never gets old. It's amazing how little output you need for such a thin sharp beautiful beam.
I'll see if I can REP you again yet Red. If not I'll do my best to keep you in mind

 

[RedCowboy]

SXD driver?
If so you do know about the ramp up?


@Pman: No they are all 600x800 and I always use photobucket.

You can right click on anyones pic that's loaded to photo bucket or the like and click properties and go the the first part of the address string and see all their pics.

 

[Pman]

I was able to jump you up 4

I don't know why but that one pic says my plug in isn't supported

Wouldn't it be great if someone came out with a much stronger 405nm. Seems like we have been here at 16x for a long time with no hope for anything more. Would mainly like it for visibility.

I'm also kind of confused on how exactly to order a couple G7 if you could shed some light on that unless someone has a couple they would be willing to part with.
Also it may be a bit off topic but do the SXD drivers Jordan sells with his modules have a ramp built in? I somehow got very lucky with my recent 465nm complete module purchase from him with the external driver in that it hits just over 6W on room temp start and yet still is a night and day difference in visible wavelength from both of my 2.2W 462/464nm units. It should be around 470nm driven at the 4.8A it's set too. VERY happy with it as I held back for months buying it as I was afraid it wouldn't be eno ugh of a visible difference. I was so pleased to see how it made those 462/4 look purple side by side.
It's funny how our eyes work as those 462/4nm units look so like so much of a light sky blue next to any of my 450 and under other blues.

 

[Lifetime17]

@P man,
The 700 and the 500 can be able to meet the 1W mark set to about 1.2A and 1.3A XDrives they handle it very well with good sinking. There a good bang for the buck to there cheap online new ones. i have two 700's coming and two PLTB450B's coming to. But the 405's are my favorite for the 1w line of output. I buy the sleds and harvest them love doing that for some reason. It seems there's more to the build that just soldering a couple of wires.Hate short short and to easy builds it's over to fast LOL!!

Rich:0

 

[Pman]

Yeah I know but for some reason I never bothered to push either one and I have multiples of both the 5 and 7. Looking at their graphs it a pears to me the 500 may be a better choice for the 1W push. Truth certainly is that I don't need any more of anything lol. I need to sell a lot of my 532nm module builds. Just way too many. I even threw together a couple more 100mW + ones today in hosts I hadn't used before. Still have a few more to put in things and 3 more LPC-826 with some cool tiny 3 mode drivers (lo/hi/strobe).

 

[Davidx]

Like the rest of you, I love my little burner
I just put together a 16X I got from DTR. Host and driver from Gary at SL.
Just a simple solder together package. Running at 600mA. Shows a solid 900mw on my LPM
Same as you guys, G2 lens. Nice tiny dot that just loves burning.
This evening I have a small piece of driftwood sitting by the tv. During commercials I light it up. Instant little circles of smoke drift to the ceiling. Bliss.
I hope the day comes,when we might see 2 or 3 watt 405's.

 

[Lifetime17]

HI P,
yes the 500 would be a better choice if i'm not mistaken it's an open can dye. The 700 can do the same i messed with both dye's and at 20 to 25 bucks a shot why not . These guys are really efficient you never know till you try it i guess.Right now i have 2 -700's sitting in my shop but i want to put them in my new Sinner copper pens there prototypes.

Rich

 

[Lifetime17]

Hi Cowboy that's cool i love those sky rays i have a PLTB450 B in mine over 2100MW+ .
The sink you put in your looks like the one in my Sipic Host that sink protrudes out like that to.. That;s what caught my eye..

Rich