The Bullet - De-canned 445nm build! (Lots of pics!)

[Asherz]

Hi guys,

I posted a thread a few days ago with a few pictures of my newely arrived host/diode and bits, and now have a some pics of it being put together + a build log, I decided to call it bullet, but originally I had planned it too look something a bit like a bullet

http://laserpointerforums.com/f65/new-package-56k-warning-62882.html#post896122 (original thread)

Anyhow, onto the pics, this build literally took me most of today after running into quite a few problems but in the end it's finally built. (2 diodes and a driver later.)

Diode pressed into the head of the host

Wires soldered on, next to no heat applied, bother wires pre tinned and then just a quick tap of the soldering iron

Heatshrink added onto the wires, to keep them from shorting

driver wired up, and then heatshrinked, positive input to the spring and negative to the host contact points around the edges.

All closed up and completed

Unfortunatly, I got to this point, screwed the pill back into the host and put in a battery, and G*D D*MIT the diode had LED'd, how I'm not sure I think it was either very sensitive or a zombie because there was great care taken when setting up, I put it down to me not setting up the driver properly as my test load was a little stodgey.

This left me with a broken diode, and a driver I wasn't happy to use again, I wanted to get this build done today so I went to another build I had removed the aixiz module and spent a while trying to get the diode out WHICH I did eventually after lots of snipping, cutting and banging the diode and flex drive fell out. The can on the diode was damaged, this is where I decided to try decanning it and after careful use of a razor blade to my supprise it came off! I wasn't at this point expecting it to work thought but I carried on with the build.

Too keep the clean look of the round driver in the pill end, I decided to strip one of the NJG-18 drivers of all it's componants and use it as a postive/negative input to the flex drive in the lower compartment of the host.

Carefully decanned diode:

diode, flex drive then stripped NJG-18, this was then dissasembled and put into the pill with the flex drive/diode at the front part and NJG-18 at the back where it was previously to close the pill up.

And a quick teaser of her up and running! FINALLY!

Burns through plastic like no tomorrow, more than enough power for me! I'll get some more beam shots and things later on and maybe a little video.

Please also note the focus ring that fits in with the host on the end, which works really well with the aixiz lens, which will need to be replaced with a more suitable 445nm lens to increase output power.

Well it was an expensive long build, but I think it's worth it for what is now a 445nm decanned build

 

[bluuray]

you didnt get a battery contact ?? :thinking:
pretty nice build..

 

[Asherz]

you didnt get a battery contact ?? :thinking:
pretty nice build..

Thanks

What do you mean? I used the spring as a positive contact on the stripped NJG18, and the host as a negative contact point, these went through to the flex drive which drove the diode.

 

[bluuray]

you could of just solder a wire from the case pin to the V- of the flex .. .right?

 

[BShanahan14rulz]

Either way, you still use one piece of wire and make 2 solder connections. The way he did it required one less solder connection to the diode.

Edit: what sort of jackass replies to a build thread and doesn't even comment on the build?>

Nice host, asherz, very cool, tapered design! Can't even tell that there's a focus ring!

 

[Asherz]

you could of just solder a wire from the case pin to the V- of the flex .. .right?

Space in the bottom part of the pill was already a little tight, that's why I decided to go with taking a case negative further up at the end of the pill, but both ways would have worked

 

[JaiNobeZ]

I'm going to make the assumption you know about the de-canned bits degrading over time?

Also, do you think the NJG drivers are unsafe to use, or did you set it up wrongly?

Nice looking build!

 

[Asherz]

I'm going to make the assumption you know about the de-canned bits degrading over time?

Also, do you think the NJG drivers are unsafe to use, or did you set it up wrongly?

Nice looking build!

Cheers

No I'm sure the drivers are fine, many people have no problems with them, I have 3 more I intend to use for future builds, how ever I don't have a reliable test load at the moment as the resistor can't stand the higher currents.

I'm going to give another build ago soon with the NJG-18, and see if I can get it working properly, I managed to disable the modes no problem but the main issue I had was the test load being a pain in the ass and trying to get a reliable current reading was to hard, I believe that's where the diode was probabally blown, the driver may have been putting out a lot more current than my test load was measuring.

I've found a few higher wattage 1ohm resistors in maplins I'm gonna buy and us as apart of a test load for the drivers/445nm.

 

[DTR]

Nice. I have a decanned diode running for about 6 months and have been checking it every once in a while and no degradation yet but I never take the lens out.:tinfoil: I would also say your diode was not a zombie or did not go led if it works now. They tend to not come back to live. My bet would be the driver.

The negative point you used is tricky and can leave you shorting the driver out. I have had one or two do that to me but on my bench supply I can tell rather quick as the current jumps to 5A. So for my ones that I have the modes bypassed I don't use that point I use the ring around the edge which is normally used as the negative driver input when you are using the modes.

I have found it is really best to use a bench supply to set the current because you can keep it @ 4.2V while testing.

Here is a shot of where I wire them. You can actually use the holes on the opposite side as well to keep it from getting in the way of the coil fitting in tight hosts.:beer:

 

[Ehgemus]

Great job on the build:thanks:

 

[Flaminpyro]

Yes fine job there, I realy like the way you used other than RED and BLACK for your power leads it add's some color to the build and shows others they can do this also :gj:
very cool designe on the host also :beer:

 

[Asherz]

Nice. I have a decanned diode running for about 6 months and have been checking it every once in a while and no degradation yet but I never take the lens out.:tinfoil: I would also say your diode was not a zombie or did not go led if it works now. They tend to not come back to live. My bet would be the driver.

The negative point you used is tricky and can leave you shorting the driver out. I have had one or two do that to me but on my bench supply I can tell rather quick as the current jumps to 5A. So for my ones that I have the modes bypassed I don't use that point I use the ring around the edge which is normally used as the negative driver input when you are using the modes.

I have found it is really best to use a bench supply to set the current because you can keep it @ 4.2V while testing.

Here is a shot of where I wire them. You can actually use the holes on the opposite side as well to keep it from getting in the way of the coil fitting in tight hosts.:beer:

Thanks for the info DTR, I'll keep it in mind next time round. I really should get hold of a power supply, would definitly make life easier.

I'll try those negative/postive inputs next time, yea as you said I'm quite sure it was the driver that probabally shorted, because when it was all setup the diode was getting *very* hot in a short period of time which I didn't think was right, and this would tie in with the whole 5A output from the shorted driver.

By the way one of the diodes did LED I think, it won't put out anymore than a few mW or focus properly. The diode I'm using above is one salvaged from another build and then decanned.

@Flaminpyro
Thanks, yea I love the colour of the wires they make a nice change to the red and black.

@Ehgemus
Thanks I'm sure I'll be back to you soon for some more hosts

 

[Morgan]

Very nice host and build!

Not been around for a while but having a break from the new job has given me a bit of time to check in so, "Hi", to you all, apologies for my absence!

I have been wondering something for some time and this may be an appropriate time to bring it up...

Remember when we first got these diodes and the disappointment we had when the beam looked so bad through a high output, single element glass lens? I thought this might be due to a reflection from the front of the diode mount after light reflecting from the inside of the window. Seriously, have a look yourself and I think you'll see that the orientation of the splash matches the way the diode is mounted. A decanned diode would show some difference if this was the case. I still think, however good the AR coating on a lens is, that you will still get a reflection but it should be possible to apply some heat resistant paint to the front of the diode mount shouldn't it? Any thoughts?

M