Dude you can argue with me all you want, but I have TWO of these things that now only put out around 100-150mW of 808nm driving them at 2A that were working fine before running them without optical feedback for an extended length of time. I can see one being a fluke, but not two, plus there's at least one other member here I know who's had an extreme drop in maximum attainable output after running for awhile without feedback.
So lets see the statistics.. Out of 3 of these I have.. The one that's always run with optical feedback is still alive.. And the two that i've run without it have both suffered extreme power degradation due to what i've tracked down as optical damage on the pump facets. (Viewed on a white sheet of paper in the dark you can even SEE the horrible output of them.. Looks pretty much identical to the 445 diode I have that only does 200mW @ 1A.)
There's also the logic of matter. This is still a manufactured product. 2.5W pumps would be extremely overkill to get the rated 10mW output.. and therefor a waste of money.. I know of no business that stays in business long, that wastes money when they don't have to.
They *might* be 1W pumps.. maybe.. but more than that doesn't make sense from a cost vs requirement standpoint.
And I still say it's only a matter of time before other people who run them without feedback end up with 1 or 2mW 473's.. if they continue to lase at all.
