Single or double batteries for my Sanwu Challenger II 520nm 1W laser pointer?

[bondic]

I'm looking at getting a Sanwu Challenger II 520nm (green) 1W laser with a G7 lens and an X3 Beam Expander (see here). The battery configuration options are either a single 18650 battery or else two 18350 batteries. The single 18650 is $10 while the two 18350's are $14. My initial thought was to get the single 18650 setup - less pieces to keep track of, and cheaper. However, I wonder if either setup will affect the overall size of the laser pointer..

Other than the price difference, can anyone tell me any advantages/disadvantages to getting one style of battery configuration over the other?

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Gazen]

Welcome Bondic

First of all, please make a post in the welcome section with a little about yourself, and read up on laser safety as a 1W is nothing to mess around with.

 

[bondic]

Thanks Gazen, I realize that a 1W laser isn't a toy and have been researching laser safety for the past couple weeks. Didn't realize it was a requirement to post in the Welcome section, but i'll go post there now.

 

[Alaskan]

My personal preference is two 18650 batteries in all of my builds, one of the reasons is they don't require recharges as often when two.

 

[bondic]

Thanks for your advice, Alaskan. That's very helpful to know. Perhaps the two batteries would be better than the single, in that case.

 

[Alaskan]

I also like longer pointers instead of stubby ones, if you don't, just get the single battery because the run time on most pointers due to heating is only a fraction of the ability for the battery to produce power, it's not a big factor whether one or two. One possible problem running two batteries is some are flat topped and cannot touch one another in the middle, forcing the purchase of a button top battery, or adding a small magnet in between which I don't think is a good idea, in case it somehow moves and shorts with the body of the host.

 

[bondic]

Hmm, it's hard to tell from the Sanwu photos but it looks like the batteries that they sell with the Challenger look like the flat topped ones you're describing. You'd think that if running two of the batteries in the laser didn't allow them to touch in the middle, that Sanwu would only sell them with the one battery option though.

 

[Alaskan]

I've been using magnets in the middle when I run into that problem, but if I should drop the host, I'd check it to make sure it didn't move.

 

[paul1598419]

I would want to use two batteries for the reasons stated. I would also want the largest heat sink possible as these are not very efficient diodes and give off a fair amount of heat. You don't want to lose your laser to very limited run times when running it too long. I would get my batteries from : www.liionwholesale.com. You can't get better batteries at a lower price anywhere. You are talking about spending $400.00 for this particular laser. Are you sure it is everything you want in a green direct diode laser? For that kind of money it better be.

 

[Alaskan]

Yea, I prefer two battery pointers, even pointers with two 26650 batteries if I can find them for my higher power builds. If you want higher run time capacity, four 18650 batteries in series-parallel is the best solution over two 26650's and can give even more capacity than two 26650's, believe it or not. That will give you the capacity of two 18650's and the voltage of two in series. Although the only way I've been able to use those in a pointer is to buy a flashlight with that kind of pack, then use it for a host. I particularly like the Fenix TK75 for that, as you can add on additional battery tubes which increases the battery life even longer the way the packs add in parallel with the others, you can keep adding additional battery tubes until the host is too long to deal with.

 

[Encap]

My personal preference is two 18650 batteries in all of my builds, one of the reasons is they don't require recharges as often when two.

But he is talking about a Sanwu Challanger II that can not take 2 18650s ---it can only take either 1X 18650 or 2X 18350

Thanks for your advice, Alaskan. That's very helpful to know. Perhaps the two batteries would be better than the single, in that case.

The single battery is better it has much higher mAh than 2 18350s

A good 18650 is about 3400 mAh of power.

A good 18350 is 900 mAh

 

[Alaskan]

The milliampere capacity doesn't change adding two batteries together (edit: in series), it is identical to one battery, if the batteries are identical, but the voltage doubles and if you multiply voltage times current, you can get twice the power for a given load, not that a laser diode will when using a constant current regulator, it's there to prevent that from happening and burning out your diode.

 

[Gazen]

I know you aren't asking for this advice, but I'd thought I'd show you another option. Sanwu is great and all, but you can get a PL-E mini 1W 520nm from less than $300. In fact, you could even get one of their 10X beam expanders and the total would add up to the same amount once you include shipping. I own a 465 mini and the build quality and customer support is great.

https://www.jetlasers.org/pl-e-mini/71-pl-e-mini-520nm-green-laser-50mw-1000mw.html

Or the Pro for $350

https://www.jetlasers.org/pl-e-pro/...am_expander-no/90-ac_adapter-no/49-goggles-no

Just another option for you to consider, in case you haven't yet. Make sure you use the lpf discount code, there's 8% off for sanwu and I believe that there's a code for jetlasers as well. Whichever you pick, I hope you enjoy it Stay safe

 

[Alaskan]

Nothing against Sanwu, but I really prefer a PLE-Pro from JetLasers, their DPSS have better beam specs than a direct to wavelength 520 nm laser diode pointer, but the draw back with them is they are temperature sensitive, the output varying if cold, or run a long time, however Jetlasers quality is great and the prices are good too.

 

[Encap]

The milliampere capacity doesn't change adding two batteries together (edit: in series), it is identical to one battery, if the batteries are identical, but the voltage doubles and if you multiply voltage times current, you can get twice the power for a given load, not that a laser diode will when using a constant current regulator, it's there to prevent that from happening and burning out your diode.

Oops corrected that---point was a lot less run time in between charges if you go with 2X18350 @ 900mAh vs 1X 18650 @3400mAh---no?

Nothing against Sanwu, but I really prefer a PLE-Pro from JetLasers, their DPSS have better beam specs than a direct to wavelength 520 nm laser diode pointer, but the draw back with them is they are temperature sensitive, the output varying if cold, or run a long time, however Jetlasers quality is great and the prices are good too.

Agree JetLasers is the better choice either 520nm which can take 2X18650 or 2X26650 or better beam quality 532nm which can take 1X 18650 or 1X 26650

 

[Alaskan]

Oh, I see now. Yep, I don't like running anything less than 18650 batteries myself, but as you can see in my gif avatar, I hardly own a small pointer which requires them, none in those pix anyway.