The "Echo" - 500mW 635nm DIY Red

[rhd]

It's been a while since I've posted a thread about a build, just for the fun of it. The new Mitsubishi diodes inspired me. This has been one of my favorite builds in a while.

The host is a crazy one that Ray made a heatsink for a while back. The clicky had been waterproof, and actually used a reed switch and some circuitry to flip the light on/off. I had to bypass all of that, and install my own tail clicky (which was no small task).

The driver is a DIY 1085 based LDO circuit, sans-PCB, with the IC heatsinked to the internal pill. It's running at just a few mA under 1A. The lens is a Qumefox AR coated acrylic (soon to updated to 650-G-1 from Jayrob).

I'm loving it Subjectively, it's just ever so slightly less bright than my 500mW JetLasers 635. It's also hitting a slightly higher wavelength based on a rudimentary diffraction grating test.

 

[bandityo]

cool looking host man!

david

 

[Ghostchrome]

Wow, that's absolutely beautiful. Nicely done. +1 for you, sir.

 

[Wolfman29]

God, you and your awesome hosts! I can't wait till I can make that kind of thing....

 

[bennett326]

i need some picture advice from you it seems i cant get beamshots near as good as that :beer:

 

[rhd]

i need some picture advice from you it seems i cant get beamshots near as good as that :beer:

I actually couldn't photograph beams properly until tonight (take a look at any of my 445 shots - they're all purple).

I've tried good cameras, bad cameras, and cell cams. In the end, it all came down to shooting in RAW. That's it, just shooting in RAW unlocked everything. Strangely, the same defaults that were producing horrible JPEGs, produced great RAW images.

 

[bennett326]

I actually couldn't photograph beams properly until tonight (take a look at any of my 445 shots - they're all purple).

I've tried good cameras, bad cameras, and cell cams. In the end, it all came down to shooting in RAW. That's it, just shooting in RAW unlocked everything. Strangely, the same defaults that were producing horrible JPEGs, produced great RAW images.

wait so you just changed the file type to RAW (i had to google that dont laugh):thinking:

i can get beam shots but i cant get that cool realistic look where it is not 100% solid beam:yabbmad:

 

[rhd]

wait so you just changed the file type to RAW (i had to google that dont laugh):thinking:

i can get beam shots but i cant get that cool realistic look where it is not 100% solid beam:yabbmad:

Well no.

Instead of shooting JPEG, I started shooting RAW+JPEG.

The weird thing is that the JPEGs still look exactly as crappy as they ever did. The accompanying RAWs however, look great, even when I merely retain the "as shot" rendering option.

In terms of the beam solidity, that MAY be a function of my camera. I can take relatively short (fast) exposures, but shoot at like 3200 or 6400 ISO, and still get good clarity. The fast exposures are key.

 

[bennett326]

Well no.

Instead of shooting JPEG, I started shooting RAW+JPEG.

The weird thing is that the JPEGs still look exactly as crappy as they ever did. The accompanying RAWs however, look great, even when I merely retain the "as shot" rendering option.

In terms of the beam solidity, that MAY be a function of my camera. I can take relatively short (fast) exposures, but shoot at like 3200 or 6400 ISO, and still get good clarity. The fast exposures are key.

oh ok heh i know very little about photography but atleast i know what iso and exposure are:can: il try to figure out the JPEG+RAW thing next time i attempt to take pictures :thanks:

 

[jimdt7]

@rhd

Thats one of the best looking hosts i haveever seen !
Very good build ! :gj:

+1:beer:

 

[reginak]

Very nice picture. Love this wavelenght, my CNI 635nm is so bright, its the only RED I can see a clear beam without any kind of fog.

+1

Cheers

 

[rhd]

Thanks all

And Reginak, you know, your 561 is still in the wrong section of your rainbow
It should be between 532 and 589!

Cheers

 

[mark-in-dallas]

NIce host, nice build, nice beam! You kind of got it all covered with that one.