Make sure you're wearing an ESD wrist strap at all times when handling those. Even then it's
still not 100% certain the diodes won't be damaged.
So is there any saying how many mW these diodes are?
Some can be pushed as high as 350 - 400mW. The speed of the drive is a good indicator.
The 24x drives usually have the higher power diodes. Sometimes the IR diode is stronger
than the red, but usually redder is bedder. In the original mount, they shouldn't be run at
more than about 100mA. In an AixiZ module you can probably run at 250mA for a few
minutes. The big larges only happen with a copper module and a heatsink. Keep your
fingers on it until you're sure what it can handle.
Also these are 5.6mm correct?
Not all. Some are flat, some are 3.8mm, and some are even 12 pin square packages with
integrated photodiode arrays. Yours are probably flat or 5.6mm, though.
The first step would be to rip that metal cover off the bottom. That should expose the
optics. Then you can follow the optical path to find the diodes. You can also look for a tan
or green flex cable with 3 pins sticking out of it.
Sometimes the IR and red diodes are separate. Other times they are integrated into one
package. The red is 650 - 660nm. The IR is around 780nm. You can see the IR one quite
easily at these powers, but it looks deceptively dim even though it is just as dangerous.
Safety glasses are a must. O-Like and eBay are no good as are most other places. The
only cheap glasses that actually work are currently being sold by Survival Laser. They are
too strong. You will just barely be able to see the dot when it's on a white surface. The
AixiZ glasses cost more, but you will be able to see it better. Just about everything else
that is over $150 is very good, but I take it you won't be able to afford that.
Most of what I just said could have been found by searching. Not enough people are doing
this anymore though so it's nice to share occasionally.
