Hello to all.
I have been working in Electronics for 40 years now, and Lasers have always been my hobby since they appeared.
I used to fix them HeliumNeon High voltage things for schools and science departments, then I got into the Healing and Acupuncture Laser scene...
And here we are in 2008, with little tiny cans that can emit 500 mW.
If you treat them right.
Dangerous little thingies too.....
That is something we did not believe back then, when a Laser was a box about a foot wide and had to develop some 12,000 Volts to pump out 20 mWs.
And THAT was awesome.
I want to get back to "If you treat them right" now.
Many myths and secret formulas are written into any use of new and exquisite technologies.
That includes High Power Lasers.
I am pretty new here, and have gone the whole cycle, from cracking open DVD burners and removing them tiny thingies and powering them up and blowing them (5 before I learned) to having power surges fry other units, to finally ordering some mounted units.
Now I bought my AIXIS mounted units with lenses and learned a lot of stuff..... I mean, I live in Venezuela, guys, not as easy as for you with Radioshack and all....
The first one, I hooked up to my variable current Power Supply, and WOW it worked ! I cranked it up to 240 mA and WOW it burned ! and then....
I had a bad connection on my cable, it sparked, and the power spike KILLED IT.
Lesson No. 1
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, SOLDER A LITTLE CONDENSER (TANTALUM WORKS GREAT) ON THE LEADS OF YOUR DIODE. AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE ! AND THE START WIRING FROM THERE TO YOUR POWER SUPPLY.................. this will save you many pains.
I have not blown a laser diode since then.
Lesson No. 2
AS IN ALL HIGH POWER SEMICONDUCTORS, HEAT IS THE ISSUE.
IF YOU POWER UP THAT LITTLE LASER DIODE WITHOUT A MASSIVE HEAT-SINK, YOU ARE INTO SUICIDE...
And I mean MASSIVE. We don´t consider how much heat that tiny little dot of a device has to produce to put out all that LIGHT !
Please consider the laws of Thermodynamics.
IF YOU DO NOT DISSIPATE THAT HEAT, YOU GO INTO THERMAL RUNAWAY.....
BYE, BYE, LASER................... and you don´t sleep very well after that, we know....
Many professional Lasers are actally water-cooled or have massive ventilation units.
So now, I have 2 great Hand-held (Mini-maglite) laser pointers,
1 refurbished disco-chaeapo laser effects unit (WOW, it rally works now, 10 years in the closet !)
an 1 High Power unit wit regulator circuit running off what was left of a Laptop Battery.
These things are awesome if you take them apart, mostly they are composed of 3 x 2 in parallel battery sets, one of which is shorted....
;DNo matter, use the other 2 sets (that is 4 batteries), connect to a charger, and you get like 7 volts at MASSIVE amperage.
THEN, use any of the regulator circuits mentioned on these pages...........
I am happy now. I have measured distances, and even with my Maglite, I can illuminate buildings 6 KILOMETERS away. I can actually see the dot.
ENJOY AND BE SAFE --------- YOU CAN FRY SOMEONE´S EYES WITH THIS.............. BE VERY CAREFUL AND KEEP OUT OF THE HANDS
OF CHILDREN OR SILLY FOOLS.
Be back soon.
I have been working in Electronics for 40 years now, and Lasers have always been my hobby since they appeared.
I used to fix them HeliumNeon High voltage things for schools and science departments, then I got into the Healing and Acupuncture Laser scene...
And here we are in 2008, with little tiny cans that can emit 500 mW.
If you treat them right.
Dangerous little thingies too.....
That is something we did not believe back then, when a Laser was a box about a foot wide and had to develop some 12,000 Volts to pump out 20 mWs.
And THAT was awesome.
I want to get back to "If you treat them right" now.
Many myths and secret formulas are written into any use of new and exquisite technologies.
That includes High Power Lasers.
I am pretty new here, and have gone the whole cycle, from cracking open DVD burners and removing them tiny thingies and powering them up and blowing them (5 before I learned) to having power surges fry other units, to finally ordering some mounted units.
Now I bought my AIXIS mounted units with lenses and learned a lot of stuff..... I mean, I live in Venezuela, guys, not as easy as for you with Radioshack and all....
The first one, I hooked up to my variable current Power Supply, and WOW it worked ! I cranked it up to 240 mA and WOW it burned ! and then....
I had a bad connection on my cable, it sparked, and the power spike KILLED IT.
Lesson No. 1
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, SOLDER A LITTLE CONDENSER (TANTALUM WORKS GREAT) ON THE LEADS OF YOUR DIODE. AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE ! AND THE START WIRING FROM THERE TO YOUR POWER SUPPLY.................. this will save you many pains.
I have not blown a laser diode since then.
Lesson No. 2
AS IN ALL HIGH POWER SEMICONDUCTORS, HEAT IS THE ISSUE.
IF YOU POWER UP THAT LITTLE LASER DIODE WITHOUT A MASSIVE HEAT-SINK, YOU ARE INTO SUICIDE...
And I mean MASSIVE. We don´t consider how much heat that tiny little dot of a device has to produce to put out all that LIGHT !
Please consider the laws of Thermodynamics.
IF YOU DO NOT DISSIPATE THAT HEAT, YOU GO INTO THERMAL RUNAWAY.....
BYE, BYE, LASER................... and you don´t sleep very well after that, we know....
Many professional Lasers are actally water-cooled or have massive ventilation units.
So now, I have 2 great Hand-held (Mini-maglite) laser pointers,
1 refurbished disco-chaeapo laser effects unit (WOW, it rally works now, 10 years in the closet !)
an 1 High Power unit wit regulator circuit running off what was left of a Laptop Battery.
These things are awesome if you take them apart, mostly they are composed of 3 x 2 in parallel battery sets, one of which is shorted....
;DNo matter, use the other 2 sets (that is 4 batteries), connect to a charger, and you get like 7 volts at MASSIVE amperage.
THEN, use any of the regulator circuits mentioned on these pages...........
I am happy now. I have measured distances, and even with my Maglite, I can illuminate buildings 6 KILOMETERS away. I can actually see the dot.
ENJOY AND BE SAFE --------- YOU CAN FRY SOMEONE´S EYES WITH THIS.............. BE VERY CAREFUL AND KEEP OUT OF THE HANDS
OF CHILDREN OR SILLY FOOLS.
Be back soon.
Extra heat sinking is always a good idea and will always help though.