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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2600 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos BE

Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
533
Points
63
Hello forum, I'm back again!
My long silence was due only because I and the master CDBEAM777 we've been very busy to create a
very special and complex build!
I'm proud to introduce You to the brightest portable greenie laser ever: the Verde Volcano!
This is a special build for many reasons: double diode with beam combiner, corrective optics,
professional BRAND NEW variable magnification 10x Linos beam expander, and the presence of an
external trim pot, that permit to modulate the output power from 0 to 2600 mW :beer:
This build was the result of a cooperation of many skilled and talented guys:

ROBERT SNYDER (aka CDBEAM 777): all the CAD designs, head machining, extra parts machining,
optical alignments, optical testings;
DANIELE ROMANELLO from FILL UP company: additional CAD designs, teflon parts realization,
CNC cutter operator;
RICCARDO STEFANOLO (aka MINAMOTO KOBAYASHI): customer, battery compartment modding,
pill modding, teflon adapter parts concept, dummy load builds, solderings, assembling, testing,
shots and review;
JORDAN RAMEY (aka DTR): 2x Nichia NDG7475 diodes;
VLADIMIR TESLYA (aka x-wossee): 2x 8A blackbuck drivers @2.3A each with soldered silicon wires;
PAUL1598419: hints how to realize a valid dummy loads device;
TONETTO FATHER AND SON: dummy load current measurements, lab testings;
FLAMINPYRO: contacts pill and some silicon wires.


And now, the introduction directly from my dear friend CDBEAM777:

"The Verde Volcano" ~ a commissioned build featuring dual NDG7475 diodes....Combined and corrected.
At the start of Summer 2016... I was commissioned to build a handheld/optically corrected unit which
utilized two (2) NDG7475 combined Laser diodes. The design goal with this build was equal to the
Zacop and Blue Ballista builds; Collimate and correct the beam path to deliver the least astigmatic
beam geometry, the least divergent beam entering into the Beam Expander unit. Such an arrangement
will allow the Beam Expander to accomplish maximum expansion and thereby provide the final output
beam with the absolute minimal divergence.
It was agreed upon to use an existing host, the Maglite 2D cell (ST2D096 Silver) to contain the LiPo
cells and side switch. The battery compartment and side switch were perfect for the ergonomics,
balance and power requirements of this build. Two 26650 LiPo cells are used to power the Laser Diodes.
The NDG7475 diode's were purchased from DTR with SDX driver units with the current set at 2.2A,
and the standard 12mm x 27mm CU modules were used. G2 lens were used for initial beam collimation on
both diodes. As before...any custom build has a great many choices between form and function.
It was then decided that the Verde Volcano should be a streamlined minimal design, maximizing optical
properties, thermal management capacity and its readiness to accept a Linos Beam Expander.
This build was especially demanding....as a matter of fact....the most demanding to date.
I say this because ANY build that will use a Beam Expander MUST have the beam axis (or beam's in this case)
aligned.... dead centre to the Beam Expander unit. To have anything other than this condition ...
will result in aberration upon expansion and consequent loss of optical power. And....in this unit...
we had two (2) beams to hammer into perfect alignment....a wild ride indeed !!
To assure the ability for beam centration... A stand alone, independent CU mount/Turret was used to
contain the side by side NDG7475 diodes. Such an arrangement allowed for precise beam alignment to be
achieved as propagation input to the Beam Expander. This custom mount was used to maximize thermal
transfer while maintaining ease of radial, yaw and pitch adjustment.
A real challenge was also miniaturization !! There were many optics needed to combine and align two beams
for delivery into the 6X Cylindrical Lens correction optics....and a small area available for placement.
Many, many CAD designs were generated before a solution was found.
We decided that, as before....a clear Acrylic shroud/canopy to display the internal functions.
This "Skeletal Display " has been appreciated by many LPF members on prior builds and shows off the
optic train ( I also call this an " Ego Window " hahaha).
A further scaled down version of the RBT design, Cylindrical lens mount, was incorporated on the Verde
Volcano. This adjustable Aluminum RBT mount secures the Plano Convex and Plano Concave cylindrical lens
set and positions the Cylindrical lens set in the beam path to expand the astigmatic beam's of the NDG7475
diodes. The Cylindrical optics correct the output to a near equal aspect ratio between the beam X and Y
axis...and, as before...We take a bar and make it close to a circle.
An Aluminum 6061 Cylindrical was custom machined to deliver a platform to mount the optics and the CU
module mount on. Again...a flat saddle section was machined into the solid Aluminum cylinder.
This saddle section, positioned between the full perimeter end walls served as the physical platform for
the LD mount, PBS cube, bounce mirror, wave plate and Cylindrical optics set. This unit is called the H-BE
component. Either end of the H-BE unit were also machined to function as socket recess ports.
One side accepts the Maglite host body and the other side allows a friction fit between the Linos Beam
Expander and the H-BE unit.
Some words about the optics used to combine and align the dual NDG7475 beams... Perfect beam pitch, yaw,
vertical and horizontal alignments are demanded for precise beam combination, maximum optical power output
and minimal aberration. Optical train as follows;
1)First optical component are the G2 collimation lenses which initially collimate the wide output of the
NDG7475 units.
2) The next component is the PBS cube , the main LD beam enters the PBS cube and continues on to the
corrective optics.
3) The secondary LD beam is however put thru a 1/4 wave plate to rotate the polarization field.
4) After the Waveplate, the secondary LD beam is redirected 90 degree by a front surface bounce mirror.
5) At this point, the secondary LD beam enters the PBS cube and is combined and turned 90 degree to be in
alignment with the main beam.
6) We now have the two LD beams combined....with beam-on- beam axis alignment achieved.
7) Now, the dual/combined and collimated beams enter the Cylindrical Lens set, first the Plano Concave
lens, then the Plano Convex lens. It is this set of optics that corrects the astigmatic nature of the
NDG7475 Multimode diode and expands the slow axis divergence to closely match that of the fast axis
divergence. Again, this turns a bar shape into close to a circle shape.
8) The final optical component of the build will be the use of the Linos Beam Expander.
The lenses of this unit are specifically coated to be anti-reflective to the 520nm ~ 532nm wavelength.
The Linos unit has two radial control rings: one for the expansion factor and one for beam focus.
A maximum expansion setting delivers minimal farfield beam divergence.
In conclusion: as we evolve with our builds, we can now concentrate on more and more demanding designs
such as beam combining. As a final note, all these optical manipulations are known art, nothing new in
this area regarding beam combining! But ... what is new is combining our most powerful 520nm diodes in a
miniaturized design, optically correcting the combined beams and finally feeding those beams into a fine
optical instrument, the Linos Beam Expander, and all this in a Hand Held format.
Now, THAT is new and demonstrated with the Verde Volcano build !!!
I wish to sincerely thank Richard for his patience and patronage.
It has been a long build, but surely worth the effort !!!"

---

The build was very complex and difficult to realize: some mistakes were done and some unpredictable issues
appears near the end of the entire assembling procedure.
It is impossible to describe every step of this suffered build, so I will post a summary of the whole
odyssey :)


Start to machining the head part from a raw aluminum cylinder:
31613528090_1d610d4b48_b.jpg


The hole for the Linos BE:
31147054944_13fc3f64a3_b.jpg


Creating the space for all the components to be placed inside the head:
31839131862_c64734fd1f_b.jpg


Space created:
31870343041_56d85516fc_b.jpg


The "trombone" part:
31613457390_bd7b8197f9_b.jpg


Corrective optics mounted in the "trombone" part:
31839130692_19280d0eef_b.jpg


The copper block where will be inserted the two diodes:
31613523920_a35066eee7_b.jpg


The bounce mirror mounted in the brass device:
31987087615_9652eb2ef5_b.jpg


PBS cube and 1/4 wave plate also mounted. All the units ready to be mounted and checked:
31949995376_293f525120_b.jpg


First lab check of the whole system:
31839126292_89d4911f4f_b.jpg


The parts mounted inside the aluminum head:
31613519380_5607e997f3_b.jpg


Temperature probes glued in place with thermal compound:
31870338031_78f0b1eba1_b.jpg


Custom aluminum heatsinks for the drivers:
31613517180_1b06563c0b_b.jpg


Some insulated strips applied to the back part of the drivers to avoid soldering pitches shorts:
31147044974_6b1a4f7142_b.jpg


Heatsinks glued with a thermal compound:
31613516060_06bf8f81ee_b.jpg


Custom teflon adapter for positive/negative paths and trimmer/switch mount:
31987076825_9629c988d4_b.jpg


Mounting the trimmer pot, the switch and create the positive/negative paths:
31147042274_8245744413_b.jpg


Shorting the battery compartment tube and mounting the knob:
31987074815_51b5bf77d3_b.jpg


Heatsinks+drivers thermally glued, cables growth:

31987075095_09c10f6c07_b.jpg


All the cables for the internal devices grouped and pushed inside the teflon adapter part:
31613510050_e1c19ba29f_b.jpg


Diodes and probes wires soldered and insulated:
31987068085_22ddf1eac2_b.jpg


Tailcap and pill modding only for negative path:
31839117292_e9b33d5e63_b.jpg


3x26650 Keeppower cells and CNC'ed teflon adapters:

31839067652_a5d1d40df3_b.jpg


One of the adapters was made shorter to recover precious space inside the tail cap:
31613508320_bfecce4efe_b.jpg


The awesome Verde Volcano is finished !!
... and mounted in a Pedco Ultrapod II thru a massive Manfrotto clamp:
31987064405_6baa59b855_b.jpg


The good beam profile:
31192643954_6c8de006ea_b.jpg


An astonishing outside beam during a clear night and without long exposure:
31619753150_639e9e18a8_b.jpg


The dazzling beams of a 2600 mW greenie:
31876814121_6e6cf65f3e_b.jpg


31993757485_859bf4c65e_b.jpg


31153375204_d1989c5d41_b.jpg


The performance chart:
31188983394_9acdd90275_b.jpg


.. and as a bonus ...

The first version without switch and probes:
31595938556_8e7d42913a_b.jpg


The CNC cutter:
31870345881_a69f8c186c_b.jpg


The CNC cutter while is building a teflon battery adaptor:


For the moment this is all ... a great adventure for me and for my friends, a nice mission ended just in time for the new year :na:
I'm very happy but a little bit exhaust .. and with too few money remained in my pockets :undecided:
In every way ... I wish You all a HAPPY NEW YEAR !!! :beer::beer::beer:
 
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Joined
Sep 4, 2016
Messages
551
Points
63
Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

Better watch out, might get in trouble hitting the International Space Station with that thing.
Very nice build though with the corrective optics and use of a 1/4 waveplate to avoid having a + shaped beam.

It is always wonderful to see so much go into an amazing build such as this.
All the planning and work to get the end result is almost the most rewarding part.

And in a portable laser nonetheless, just wow.
 
Joined
Mar 5, 2015
Messages
1,336
Points
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Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

That is awesome mate, love seeing detailed documented builds like this,
Nice I will be checking it out in detail when I have time, but right now it's party time
New Years Eve

Sydney!
 
Joined
Jul 10, 2015
Messages
9,799
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Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

WOW, just WOW, that is SUPERB.
That green beam has some authority and the build is sweet to look at as well. :gj:
 

BowtieGuy

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LPF Site Supporter
Joined
Oct 14, 2012
Messages
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Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

Fantastic project, simply stunning, definitely your best and most complex build to date!
Congratulations to you and your entire "engineering" team! :beer:
:gj:
 
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
533
Points
63
Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

WOW thanks for all the nice words, dear forum friends :wave::wave:
But I must admit that the 80% of the entire work was realized by CDBEAM777, so I will forward 80% of these words to him :D

What can we create again? A laser that permit to recharging the ISS solar panels directly from my home roof? :D

Happy new year to all! This time I will illuminate the sky with all my laser builds
(and with 12 kg of pyrotechnical cakes :p:p)

Richard.
 
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Joined
Dec 11, 2015
Messages
1,628
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Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

Wow, that's one hell of a project. Can't imagine how much cash went into that bad boy but it's a beautiful piece of work. Quite the beam too! :beer:
 
Joined
Jan 29, 2014
Messages
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Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

My dream pointer realized :) Been wanting to do that for a couple of years, instead I keep buying parts for other projects, hummm... need to focus. Very nice, been waiting for you to post about this, heard it was nearing completion. If you have a way to measure the temperature vs time, I am very interested. If not that, can you tell me how long the unit can run before over-temp kicks in?
 
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Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
533
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Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

Hi Alaskan, nice to hear You again ;)
For the momment I have run it for about 2 minutes outside (at a temperature of -3C). The drivers part become slightly warm, while the massive copper part rest cold. The drivers has to dissipate more voltage because I used 3x26650 cells in series, so it is normal that become warm first. In this cold weather conditions I think there should not be any problem to run it longer, but usually I never use a laser more than 2 minutes :)
In every way I mounted two probes near the diodes, so the awesome x-wossee device should cut off the voltage when the temperature become dangerous ...

I have eliminated unwanted aberrations and reflections putting two thin self-adhesive copper stripes on the opposite sides of the output hole, creating a rectangular-shaped hole.
In that way I have shortened a little bit the shape of the output beam and eliminated the wings. But I have lost some power, I think 2-300 mW.
 
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diachi

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Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

Fantastic build, well done! :D Thanks for documenting the build process too.
 
Joined
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Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

Your projects are always first class, I will rep you as soon as I can, as I always do for your awesome builds.

Question; since the rectangular output patterns produced by your double diode 520nm pointer were closely matched together using a wave plate into a PBS cube (prior to correction), the outputs combine coaxially on top of one another with the same pattern which is how I would like to build one someday too. I see it takes a lot of work to do so, but curious if there is any hint of having combined the output of two diodes? I think I might see that in one of the photo's when taken close to the beam, but not sure. I sure cannot see hint of that in your sky beam shots, looks like one solid beam to me.

Screen%20Shot%202016-12-31%20at%209.54.40%20AM.png

Regarding the wing problem with these diodes, the only way I have found I can build a laser pointer without them is to fill only 50%, or less, of the collimating lens aperture or diameter when using a fairly long FL lens, but then I cannot expand the beam as large and suffer with higher divergence than could be had if using 80% or more.

I've done this when using large 5 inch diameter PCX collimating lenses and the raw output of a NUBM44 450nm blue diode into it, the beam expanding to fill half of the lens diameter at its 18 inch focal length (which just happened to be right to fill 50% of the PCX lens diameter). When doing so no wings! Even when focusing the beam down to a very tiny 3mm spot 15 feet away, still no wings. I believe this is due to reduced astigmatism from having used the flatter center portion of the lens to collimate the beam. The same should be achievable if using a long FL lens 1/10th the diameter, no need to use a 5 inch diameter lens and use only half its diameter for the beam. I believe this will work with small PCX lenses too, as long as the lens has a longgggg focal length so the glass is relatively flat. However, that kind of additional length would make the pointer appear to be more like a telescope, which in fact it would be as a transmission telescope.

In the above arrangement you would not need a beam expander, as the collimation lens with its long focal length will produce the expanded beam, which should reduce the size of the pointer some but that configuration does not lend the ability to use corrective optics like yours.

I am always impressed with what you and CDBEAM777 come up with, nice work.
 
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BobMc

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Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

Wow! That's real sharp looking, made my morning.the work and skill and time that went into that build, simple amazing. Great read also, like the beam expander to top it off. Very,very nice.:gj:
 
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Joined
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Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

As others have said WOW! I think you've got to be the best beam tamer here! Fantastic work, please keep the builds coming! :beer:
 

ped

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Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

Absolutely astonishing.

No more words.

+10
 
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Joined
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Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

That is some of the best wire routing and wire soldered
connections I've seen in a long time.
Very professionally built by you guys.

Jerry
 
Joined
Oct 11, 2016
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Re: Verde Volcano - A Dual Diode Build 520nm 2300 mW Optical Corrected With 10x Linos

This is so professional looking. Simply amazing. Inspiring. Can't say anything else.
 




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