Red DIY DVD laser burner.

[photongeek]

Just to double check this guys. I scraped the board as instructed and the isolation seems just fine. I then tested -with my old and trusty analog VOM- the Dorcy supply in the handle only (board not attached), and read 5 volts. I assume that's because of no load. As a test, I then put the original Dorcy diode across the pos and neg (yellow wire and metal tab) pads we will use for our LD and it brightly lit. I then hooked the VOM probes in series with the solder pad and Dorcy diode and read under three volts. Correct? I'm just trying to make sure all is well before I solder this wonderful little LD in place. Thanks!

 

[Kenom]

all sounds good. These dorcy's are running these diodes hot so please make sure you have additional cooling or stick to a very short duty cycle. The Dorcy JR.'s circuit is running at 350ma which is a bit hot for these diodes.

 

[rog8811]

Below is a diagram which may help.

You need a piece of tube bigger on the inside than the rear flange of the LD, a piece of dowel or round bar small enough to go into the module and a vise.
(If lack of a vise is your problem then back to thumping it out)
Hold it all in place between the jaws of the vice and it should come out.

To get the new one in use the back end of the module instead of the tube, (putting the small wire exit hole over the pins of the LD) and discard the dowel.

Good luck

Regards rog8811

 

[Kenom]

that my friend is an excellent drawing. You have a career future with paint!
Very well illustrates the issue and is very easy to understand.

 

[photongeek]

all sounds good. These dorcy's are running these diodes hot so please make sure you have additional cooling or stick to a very short duty cycle. The Dorcy JR.'s circuit is running at 350ma which is a bit hot for these diodes.

Thanks Ken. Will do.
I'm taking my sweet time with this project just to ensure no mistakes. Heat transfer has been on my mind since I started. There's got to be a simple way to add additional metal mass to the module to help wick off the heat.

 

[kdubbz]

I tryed some things, the laser can melt plastic that is sharpied black, can put a hole in a bag, put a hole in electrical tape, but cant light a match. The match gets warm but doesnt wanna light, I can even smell it a little. What else have you mini dorcy laser burners guys tried yet?

 

[Kenom]

mine burns the hairs off my arm!

 

[kdubbz]

Mebay im not focusing it right? Im making the beam as small as possible, is that right? I can point it at my skin and I dont feel anything.

 

[Kenom]

I didn't say I could burn my skin. For some reason unless it is over 150mw a red laser pointer just gets absorbed into the skin and doesn't burn you. I've got a few of my dorcy's that I can feel sting my skin but that's it. I'm sure if I were a black man it woudl burn! but since I'm white it just stings.

 

[ericab]

I'm sure if I were a black man it woudl burn!

;D ;D

 

[Kenom]

UH-OH. I hope I don't offend anyone black. It's not racial just a matter of light. I don't make pigments.

 

[kdubbz]

Thats nuts how your lasers burn that quick and make smoke. Mine just burns its way through without any smoke. Can you light matches?

 

[Kenom]

I can. It does help if you sharpie the matches. (paint them black) I cannot burn or light one that isn't black. (white or red)

 

[photongeek]

Ken:
As I am looking for ways to properly and passively cool this thing, I'm curious about your use of thermal epoxy. I take it that you are trying to transfer heat from the module to the board for additional cooling surface area? What if we drilled and tapped the bottom section of the module case and then drilled a hole into the Dorcy's head. We can then push a machine screw through the head hole and screw it into the module (without shorting the diode pins of course). This may permit heat transfer from the module to the outer flashlight body providing a much bigger surface area for the heat to dissipate. Possible? Do you see an electrical problem with this? Is the flashlight casing part of the circuit?

 

[laserz]

Below is a diagram which may help.

You need a piece of tube bigger on the inside than the rear flange of the LD, a piece of dowel or round bar small enough to go into the module and a vise.
(If lack of a vise is your problem then back to thumping it out)
Hold it all in place between the jaws of the vice and it should come out.

To get the new one in use the back end of the module instead of the tube, (putting the small wire exit hole over the pins of the LD) and discard the dowel.

Good luck

Regards rog8811

very helpful, but sadly i have no vice
i got it out with the hole puncher and a few washers as the tube.
thanks again though!

 

[Kenom]

Ken:
As I am looking for ways to properly and passively cool this thing, I'm curious about your use of thermal epoxy. I take it that you are trying to transfer heat from the module to the board for additional cooling surface area? What if we drilled and tapped the bottom section of the module case and then drilled a hole into the Dorcy's head. We can then push a machine screw through the head hole and screw it into the module (without shorting the diode pins of course). This may permit heat transfer from the module to the outer flashlight body providing a much bigger surface area for the heat to dissipate. Possible? Do you see an electrical problem with this? Is the flashlight casing part of the circuit?

I would have to say that would work marginally. Anything we do is going to improve the performance. I don't know if I know for sure exactly what it is your talking about but if you want a cheap means of cooling the module you can do what stevetexas did and fill the head with solder. Drill a hole in the center for the module and your in great shape. I personally prefer the Spacers that have been fashioned for me to fill the head completely. Unfortunetly all teh spacers I've got have been spoken for so I don't have any spares.