Red laser not working after cold weather

[Crazlaser]

It is possible that the cold actually damaged your laser diode... by making it work better!

Laser diodes become more efficient as they are cooled, which is usually good, but not when they are driven hard: this could cause the output to increase to a point where the optical power damages the cavity mirror ends.

I cannot be sure this is what happened to you, it could also be some electronic problem, though i don't see any reason why that would not be reversible when changing back to normal operating temperatures.

I see Podo is offering you a replacement under warrantee which is excellent. Perhaps they could examine the failed unit to see what the actual problem is, and if it's electronic perhaps fix it so that the lasers are no longer damaged by cold.

Podo understands that I cannot afford the cost to send it back.

 

[Crazlaser]

So after making good on the warranty deal, today I received the driver and diode module replacement.

One problem. It's for the wrong laser. It's too big. The module appears to be from a silver or guardian type possibly but the diameter won't fit my challenger. I emailed him. Hopefully Podo can make things right by sending the correct one, but I kinda feel bad that it's costing him all this. If anyone would like images let me know, it takes like 10 minutes to upload, resize and post so I didn't bother, I gotta meet friends I'll check back here later.

 

[Crazlaser]

I received this:

"Hello Sean,

Sorry, it seemed our dispatch team messed up your order to the others and sent a guardian 635nm module to you instead.

We apologize for any inconvenice caused. We will send a challenger 635nm module to you asap.

In the other hand, please send the guardian module back to:

16 hao, Fan Jia Bang Lu
Shun Yang Gong Ye Yuan
Hua Qiao Zhen
Kunshan, Jiangsu 215330
China

Name: Zhou Ai ming
Tel: 18962663303

Send it with large envolve would do it since it's small. Please use "First-Class International Options" from US Post Office."

Problem is right now all my money is in the bank which is can't withdraw right now and it costs $35 to send it back. I don't want to steal the expensive module and I have no use for it.


Edit: we agreed I would try to send it by Friday, I have school and don't drive so I can only say I will try.

 

[Podo]

I received this:

"Hello Sean,

Sorry, it seemed our dispatch team messed up your order to the others and sent a guardian 635nm module to you instead.

We apologize for any inconvenice caused. We will send a challenger 635nm module to you asap.

In the other hand, please send the guardian module back to:

16 hao, Fan Jia Bang Lu
Shun Yang Gong Ye Yuan
Hua Qiao Zhen
Kunshan, Jiangsu 215330
China

Name: Zhou Ai ming
Tel: 18962663303

Send it with large envolve would do it since it's small. Please use "First-Class International Options" from US Post Office."

Problem is right now all my money is in the bank which is can't withdraw right now and it costs $35 to send it back. I don't want to steal the expensive module and I have no use for it.


Edit: we agreed I would try to send it by Friday, I have school and don't drive so I can only say I will try.

If the postage is too much to you, you can also send the module to this address (large envlove):

Priority Mail® Options (2 days)is about $6~8.

New address:

115 east Market Street
York
Pennsylvania 17401

YANG CHENG
Tel: 7175424500

 

[Crazlaser]

Yes, I will send it. I looked and USPS says a 5 ounce package is $6.04 so it shouldn't be bad at all.

 

[Jhop]

Wow thats crazy that a temp of low 40's would do that. But that makes me wonder about my sanwu 532nm 304 pointer, I left it in my apartment over the weekend while I went to my girlfriends, and I left the heat off. I left the pointer sitting on a table. Well when I got home 2 days later the temp was down to 49 in the apartment and now the 532 is much much dimmer. it works, but its very dim. i have another 532nm I got from pman that is only a 50mw, the sanwu is a 80mw. and the pman 532 used to be dimmer than the sanwu, but now the pman is almost twice as bright.

I placed it in a case and left the heat on about 65 in the house so hopefully when I get home from work its working again. I tried swapping the batteries with the other 532 pointer and that worked fine in the pman. So its the pointer, not the batteries.:cryyy:

 

[GSS]

It should be fine once the room temp and the laser host itself warms up to room temp,
these 532 DPSS just don't like like cold. As for Pman's seeming to work fine maby it was placed in a warmer part of the house or just the shock of the stronger Sanwu dimming confused you. They do spike up and down alot to add to the confusion.

 

[Crazlaser]

Most DPSS would have that issue, but the thing is with mine, it's a diode, and I've heard the cold actually allows the driver to push it harder. I think it's an issue with a defective driver board.

 

[Crazlaser]

Still have not received the new module, but Podo has great reputation so I'm still waiting. I'll wait until December 27th before I email him with a complaint.

 

[Podo]

Still have not received the new module, but Podo has great reputation so I'm still waiting. I'll wait until December 27th before I email him with a complaint.

We shipped it on 4/12 with standard shipping, if christmas hasn't slows the delivery you should get it in few days.

 

[thebouljello]

these 532 DPSS just don't like like cold.

532s are very temperature sensitive. But how do those laser Christmas lights stay lit all night when they are out in the cold? They are 532nm but they don't get dim when they are left outside.

 

[GSS]

532s are very temperature sensitive. But how do those laser Christmas lights stay lit all night when they are out in the cold? They are 532nm but they don't get dim when they are left outside.

I'm curious also come to think of it? Do they generate their own heat in that casing?

 

[Crazlaser]

New module arrived today. I easily installed it and it works perfectly. Very satisfied. Sometimes things go wrong and it can't be helped, it's all about how customer service deals with the situation that matters, and Sanwu is right up there with DTR when it comes to customer satisfaction. +rep when I can.

Thanks Podo.

 

[Benm]

I'm curious also come to think of it? Do they generate their own heat in that casing?

They actually might, or be optimized for cold temperature operations.

This would be good for outdoor applications, but if this i the case they would probably not work very well indoors at room temperature, unless they had some active heating element in them running on a thermostat.

 

[GSS]

They actually might, or be optimized for cold temperature operations.

This would be good for outdoor applications, but if this i the case they would probably not work very well indoors at room temperature, unless they had some active heating element in them running on a thermostat.

Last year or two ago these were around $20 and now I see them for $40, wondering if its from an improvement on the running issue or just greed?

 

[Benm]

Could be either really.

People tend to spend irrational amounts of money on holiday related stuff, so they could have just jacked up the price for the exact same product.

Production cost to include a power resistor to keep the thing warm would be very low, well under a dollar in parts including a thermostat arrangement of sorts.

There is no way to tell what has changed though, it could be improvement in the lasers themselves, something invisible from the outside or packaging of the units.