Really Overspec Blu Ray Pen?

[Fretwrecker94]

So recently I got a Blu-Ray NewWish Pen from Amazon. I also recently have built a 130mA PHR-805 Pen build. I know 405nm looks dim to the eye, but I had my doubts when I compared their beams. They look almost identical in brightness with fog. Just a few moments ago I used an external lens to focus the NewWish Pen and it lit a match only a tiny bit slower than my 130mA Leadlight build.

My question is thus: "Do I have a really overspec NewWish Pen or a poor efficiency PHR-805?"

Because it seems the new PHR's are just about .85-.9mW per 1mA of power when set conservatively. So by that judgement I should be getting about ~115mW from my build.

But seriously the NewWish is pretty sweet. I took some beamshots of it a couple days ago and made a thread: http://laserpointerforums.com/f38/new-wish-5mw-beamshots-d-69892.html

 

[Sigurthr]

That looks similar to the "10mW" NewWish one I had from Amazon. I'd be careful with it if i were you, I opened mine up after it died and there was no heatsink for either the driver nor the diode. The diode was pressfit into a very tiny brass module about 1/2" long which then screwed into a 1" long piece of plastic, which held it in place in the host. Mine burned out after repeated 5min duty cycles. I thought it would be fine because it never felt warm, but in reality the diode was 130F after it died by time I finally got it all apart. I have no idea how hot it was when actually operating.

 

[Fretwrecker94]

That looks similar to the "10mW" NewWish one I had from Amazon. I'd be careful with it if i were you, I opened mine up after it died and there was no heatsink for either the driver nor the diode. The diode was pressfit into a very tiny brass module about 1/2" long which then screwed into a 1" long piece of plastic, which held it in place in the host. Mine burned out after repeated 5min duty cycles. I thought it would be fine because it never felt warm, but in reality the diode was 130F after it died by time I finally got it all apart. I have no idea how hot it was when actually operating.

Yeah I've opened some dead ones up before and was shocked at how poor they are planned. But I'm just so curious as to its power!

 

[lasersbee]

The only way to really know the power of a Laser
is with a LPM...


Jerry

 

[Fretwrecker94]

The only way to really know the power of a Laser
is with a LPM...


Jerry

And those cost a pretty penny...

 

[cheech226]

yes, but the satisfaction of Knowing what your laser puts out is priceless

 

[lasersbee]

And those cost a pretty penny...

The prices for a budget LPM have come down to about the
price of an average Laser being sold on the Forum today..


Jerry

 

[Fretwrecker94]

The prices for a budget LPM have come down to about the
price of an average Laser being sold on the Forum today..


Jerry

yes, but the satisfaction of Knowing what your laser puts out is priceless

Agreed, to both of you, but I'm working on a DIY LPM at the moment. I know it won't be terribly accurate, but if I can ballpark it with a few lasers I have with known outputs, I can at least use it for finding what lasers are more powerful than others.

 

[yobresal]

That looks similar to the "10mW" NewWish one I had from Amazon. I'd be careful with it if i were you, I opened mine up after it died and there was no heatsink for either the driver nor the diode. The diode was pressfit into a very tiny brass module about 1/2" long which then screwed into a 1" long piece of plastic, which held it in place in the host. Mine burned out after repeated 5min duty cycles. I thought it would be fine because it never felt warm, but in reality the diode was 130F after it died by time I finally got it all apart. I have no idea how hot it was when actually operating.

Most of the pen style lasers utilize a driver that can run constantly without requiring heatsinking. They really aren't pumping out much current and they can run hot. As for heatinking of the diode well it just simply doesn't produce much heat at 10mW nor is there much room for one anyhow.
OP your question "Do I have a really overspec NewWish Pen or a poor efficiency PHR-805?"

YES! almost every single 5m-10mW 405nm pen laser I have purchased has been at least 35mW and at most 150mW. It is not uncommon to receive a 70mW which is rated as 5mW from Newwish. It is a dangerous practice for them to do this but that is the case.

 

[Fretwrecker94]

Most of the pen style lasers utilize a driver that can run constantly without requiring heatsinking. They really aren't pumping out much current and they can run hot. As for heatinking of the diode well it just simply doesn't produce much heat at 10mW nor is there much room for one anyhow.
OP your question "Do I have a really overspec NewWish Pen or a poor efficiency PHR-805?"

YES! almost every single 5m-10mW 405nm pen laser I have purchased has been at least 35mW and at most 150mW. It is not uncommon to receive a 70mW which is rated as 5mW from Newwish. It is a dangerous practice for them to do this but that is the case.

Yeah I actually got a 1xAAA style blu-ray pen that is actually (I think) on spec. It also had a ridiculously thin beam. But my point is that the pen on this thread is easily at least 50mW. Once I get my LPM soon I'll have to test it out.