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FrozenGate by Avery

Something's Loose in There

daguin

daguin

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Mar 29, 2008
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I was testing my new meter. I noticed that the blu-ray that I built last night was way down in power. It is a PSXBoy 308T sled diode, with a Rkstr 100mA driver, in an MXDL (three AAA config) host, with a Jayrob heatsink, being powered by three 3.6V 10440's. The diode is in a Sure module with an acrylic lens that has the back open.

I thought that it was strange because the batteries were fully charged and I had not run it much. I took it away from the meter and looked at the spot. It had strange light patterns to it. I turned it off thinking that the lens had gotten something on it in the drawer. Nope, it was clean. I turned it on again and the beam was fine. I put it to the meter and it was back up to 90mW. I looked at the beam spot again an all was well with the world. Whatever it was must have fallen off the lens.

I shined the laser at a rock a bit ago. It showed me a different strange pattern of light. I've got it now. Something is trapped under the lens. I screw the lens out to clear the space below it . . . nothing. Did I miss it? Did it fall out when I unscrewed the lens. I screw it back in to check it. Nope, the strange pattern is still there, but it is slightly different.

I twist the host and the pattern shifts! I tap very lightly on the side of the host and the beam clears up. It is a fine, bright point again. Turn it again and tap lightly. The pattern returns. I can only think of one other possibility. Something is loose inside the diode!

I guess we'll see just how long it will survive with something sliding around in there.

Peace,
dave
 





Hmm.. does the pattern change when you twist the lens, but not the host? This is how I find lots of dust on my lenses. I do this with the laser very unfocused, and a dot a few inches wide..
 
Is the LD press fit into your module? Or is it held in place by a spring? Just thinking that maybe the LD itself is moving a bit...
Jay

Oh....'my heatsink'. That means you have either an AixiZ or a Meredith module.
 
That's interesting, I had a similar problem with the first 803t diode I harvested. I wasn't certain if the diode came that way, or if I somehow damaged it when I tapped it out from the front.

It was as if there was something loose, or flopping around, in the diode can. Couldn't do anything about it. Sometimes just moving or tapping the pointer would cause the output to shift. It was easiest to see it with the lens off the diode, looking at the raw diode output projected onto a nearby wall in a dark room. The output would shift from a clean diode stripe, to what appeared to be some garbage in front of the diode, causing strange shifting shadows. When the lens was in place I could recognize it when the spot would get milky and scattered - I'd then tap the pointer a few times and the spot would jump back to sharp.

Anyway, the diode did not last 24 hours.

My latest 803t based pointer is fine. I was much more careful when extracting it - I did not hammer or tap anything, just sawed the diode free.

Sounds like you've got a funky diode :(

Edit - on mine, even rotating the pointer 90 degrees would cause the output to go from clean, to messed up.
 
Glaserfan said:
Hmm.. does the pattern change when you twist the lens, but not the host? This is how I find lots of dust on my lenses. I do this with the laser very unfocused, and a dot a few inches wide..
Click to expand...

It changes when I rotate the host and when I "tap" on the host.


jayrob said:
Is the LD press fit into your module? Or is it held in place by a spring? Just thinking that maybe the LD itself is moving a bit...
Jay

Oh....'my heatsink'. That means you have either an AixiZ or a Meredith module.
Click to expand...

Yep. Pressed into a Sure module (essentially the same as an aiXiz)


flogged said:
That's interesting, I had a similar problem with the first 803t diode I harvested. I wasn't certain if the diode came that way, or if I somehow damaged it when I tapped it out from the front.

It was as if there was something loose, or flopping around, in the diode can. Couldn't do anything about it. Sometimes just moving or tapping the pointer would cause the output to shift. It was easiest to see it with the lens off the diode, looking at the raw diode output projected onto a nearby wall in a dark room. The output would shift from a clean diode stripe, to what appeared to be some garbage in front of the diode, causing strange shifting shadows. When the lens was in place I could recognize it when the spot would get milky and scattered - I'd then tap the pointer a few times and the spot would jump back to sharp.

Anyway, the diode did not last 24 hours.

My latest 803t based pointer is fine. I was much more careful when extracting it - I did not hammer or tap anything, just sawed the diode free.

Sounds like you've got a funky diode :(

Edit - on mine, even rotating the pointer 90 degrees would cause the output to go from clean, to messed up.
Click to expand...


I don't remember anything happening to the diode during extraction, but who knows. If I didn't notice it, I wouldn't remember it. I can't imagine the fine leads in the diode surviving for long with something loose inside there. 'S Okay. I've got another ;)

Peace,
dave
 
daguin said:
I don't remember anything happening to the diode during extraction, but who knows. If I didn't notice it, I wouldn't remember it. I can't imagine the fine leads in the diode surviving for long with something loose inside there. 'S Okay. I've got another ;)

Peace,
dave
Click to expand...

I couldn't understand it either. But it was as if something was loose in the diode can.

Easiest way to check is look at the output with the lens off. That will tell you if it's in the diode itself, as it was in mine.
 
Check the LD window, I had this on a PS3 blueray, part of the window was missing and the remaining part would sometimes move so that the broken edge was in the beam area. Tapping it would move it out of the way again.

To fix the problem I moved the glass to the edge and using a cocktail stick I dabbed a spot of superglue on the glass and the LD can...problem solved.

Regards rog8811
 
or if it's something caught inside the can, you can commission gooeygus to remove the can. He's got his nice can opener now and is madly cutting cans on everything.
 
OMG Dave -- I think the window has come loose in the can. I did that with my first 6x :( Remove the cells and look in there.

Mike
 
I was focused on getting my "pocket Rocket" finished. :)

Today, that damned Ace82 got me all riled up to make a "predator sight". ;)

I'll take a closer look at it tonight or tomorrow.

It is already in a module. If it wasn't broken before, it sure would be after I got it out of the module. I don't think GooeyGus can help me with this one. If I can't glue it back as Rog8811 suggested, I'll just keep working with it until it dies. Then I'll replace the diode. I have some other projects on the desk right now.

Peace,
dave
 
Glue's drying on the "predator" modules.

Yep. The window's broken. It's one piece loose in the can. I'll see if I can get it to lie in a position that I can "glue" it down in.

Peace,
dave
 
Well . . .The deed is done. I turned it around and around, but the piece didn't show itself. I still have the lens out. I'm going to let it sit for awhile. I don't want vapor from the CA to effect my lens.

Peace,
dave
 
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