Quick recommended lens and power setting... ??

[LazyBeam]

I'm going to put together my next 445mn as soon as possible... I'm sick of waiting for my Kryton order to show up.
I'm going to use a Trustfire A10B 18650 host... hard anodized, cheap, quality, very compact, and still uses an 18650.
I'll use a solid copper heatsink/pill with a an A140 diode pressed into a copper Aixiz head.
(FYI - The Trustfire A10B is a great flashlight for $13 and easily as bright as a Surefire G2X. I recommend it. )

The only question I have is what lens to use and what power to set it at.

I have a DrLava MicroBoost which is good up to 1000mA. Would it be worth it to pick up a FlexDrive so I can go up to 1250mA? I hear 1.25A is a sweet spot for these diodes. Will the beam be noticably brighter at 1250mA versus 1000mA?

Also, I'm a beam and a dot guy. I don't necessarily care about max power or burning things. Should I go with a 405-G1/G2 lens or just stick with the Aixiz/Olike 3 element lens? From what I understand the 3 element lenses are a bit less powerful but produce better beams & divergence. Isn't this correct?

 

[Blord]

Re: Quick reccomended lens and power setting... ??

If you are a beam/spot guys then better use the 3 element glass lens. The G1/G2 will only add more power and it is much more expensive than the glass lens. Differences in beam quality is almost non-existence.

1000mA is plenty enough current for the 445nm diode. I wouldn't buy the Flexdrive if you already have the Microboost. At these currents you need to heat sinked the drivers. That is a must.

 

[ElektroFreak]

Re: Quick reccomended lens and power setting... ??

I'd go with the Aixiz glass lens for the cleanest beam/spot. The difference between 1000 and 1250mA will be fairly hard to spot by eye.. whether it's worth it or not is up to you.

 

[LazyBeam]

Re: Quick reccomended lens and power setting... ??

1000mA is plenty enough current for the 445nm diode. I wouldn't buy the Flexdrive if you already have the Microboost. At these currents you need to heat sinked the drivers. That is a must.

Yeah, I figure a solid copper HS/pill for the driver & diode will be needed and I'm also excited about the new copper aixiz heads I can press into my heatsink. Here's the HS/pill I did for my 650mW 445nm. It's machined and positioned so the diode leads solder directly to the driver.

I actually don't already have a microboost... I have the 650mW laser assembly shown below in a 14500 host. I was just going to pull it out of the old 14500 host, crank the pot up to the maximum 1000mA, and then reinstall it into a copper sleeve to make it larger for the bigger 18650 host. Basically all the work is done... I'd only have to crank up the power and machine a copper sleeve to stick in the larger host.

I'm debating with myself if going with a flexdrive (1250mA) and copper aixiz head (the unit below has a modified brass aixiz head) is worth the trouble of building a whole new laser assembly. I'd have a better laser and wouldn't have to tear apart the old laser... but I'd have alot more work starting all over. What do you think?