Thank you!

[xanatos]

I found this forum after watching some truly awesome LD videos on YouTube. One linked here, so here I am.

I was looking at $500 + models and was thinking there had to be a better, cheaper way - and the DVD burner diode was the key. I've put out the call to all the hardware people I know and will take any dead ones they get - hoping the diode is still good.

Thanks especially to Daedal for this forum and the excellent writeup on the LD driver circuit. Simple & miniaturizable, just the way I like it! And also thanks for the extensive info on safety goggles - that was one point where I was actually hesitant to get into really high powered stuff - I was worried about reflections... now I feel more confident. 500mW here I come!

I've wanted a real burning laser ever since I saw my first Star Trek back in the late 60s... and now I will have a bunch to mess around with for about $30.00 each (I have LOTS of parts - I was an electronics engineer for about 18 years. All I need is diodes!).

Thanks again

 

[Things]

i don't think you will get 500mw out of a DVD burner diode, they seem to max out at about 200mw WITH TEC COOLING, so don't aim for 200mw without proper cooling although 150mw> seems abit more reasonable. Welcome to the forum!

 

[BlueFusion]

For a more efficient and smaller circuit than the DIY one by Daedal - see my signature!
And welcome to the forum. Lasers are awesome no? hehe of course.
and things, they have been pushed to 350mW with TEC, 200 with a passive heatsink is common.

 

[Chris.]

You could combine two 250mW LD's..

 

[BlueFusion]

Combining is not that easy to do, look in Experiments and Mods, people have tried it.