Would You Believe a 180mW Blu-Ray?

[rkcstr]

Had mine running 100mA with a driver limited to that... so I soldered on a 10ohm resistor for ~125mA, and using my DIY meter (the Coherent thermopile one), I got 110mW!

Before, at 100mA, I was only peaking around 70mW. I'm thinking my optics aren't very good, though, as compared to what others have measured, that value seems a little low.

So, I may have to pick up some good optics from you Igor, once you get them ;D

 

[IgorT]

Your numbers sound right for a plastic lens. At least the high one.. The 70mW is a little low. But i guess each diode is a little different.

I kinda have a feeling, that they each have that "knee" in a slightly different place, because the ones, that start slow, really pick up after that, at just a slightly higher current.

 

[IgorT]

BTW, i went through 11 diodes over the weekend, and measured their power, all at the same current of 109mA, to see which ones are good enough to be used. I had to modify an AixiZ module, so that i could take them out again afterwards and put the good ones into the lasers.


The first one i measured was only 71mW.. I thought i was doing something wrong. But they actualy range from 71mW to 95mW at 109mA.. And very evenly distributed from 80mW up (only one was very low).

I need to make another series of measurements at a higher current, because i have the feeling they will come closer together in power.. In that case, the difference really could be in the position of the "knee". Especially, since the current i used in the test is just at the upper edge of the "knee" in Lava's graph.
In the end, i will test the "weakest" and the "strongest" one, to see how far they can go. I think there won't be that much difference higher up. But first i need to measure the rest of the diodes..


Until a short time ago, i thought my meter might be showing too little, because the couple of the diodes i measured were under Lava's graph. But they really do vary that much.

 

[Jules]

So Dave... Ummm.... Is it still running? I would love to up the power in mine but am soooo scared of killing it!

 

[Hemlock_Mike]

Dave --
Congrats -- you're runnin' with the big dawgs now  ;D  

Always a rush when you are at the edge of the curve.

Mike

 

[daguin]

This was the hardest one I've ever done to push the button on that first time. :-/

Peace,
dave

So Dave... Ummm.... Is it still running? I would love to up the power in mine but am soooo scared of killing it!

Don't be jinxing me

Day three -- averaging 10 tests a day @ 2 minutes. We're at 24 burns now (48 minutes)

Summer classes started. Too much to do.

These test units get WAY more burn time than my other lasers. Normally, if I burn a laser once a day it is heavy usage.

I have taken it outside both nights. I really like being able to see the beam

Peace,
dave

 

[daguin]

Yobresal has one running at 180mW now too.

http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1214284119/8#8

I built this to prove a concept. With more than one out there now, the concept is proven. I think I will just enjoy the beam (and the risk involved) and stop torturing it (up to 24 minutes of burns a day). It will live as long as it can.

or . . . . . I may build a stronger one

Peace,
dave

 

[Maelstrom]

Since we were talking duty cycle and no duty cycle, is 120mA no duty cycle safe?WIth moderate heat sinking?

 

[daguin]

Since we were talking duty cycle and no duty cycle, is 120mA no duty cycle safe?WIth moderate heat sinking?

Climbak's long term test diode is up to 120mA input. It ran for over a month with 90mA input. It only has the stock heat sink (the little one that was on it when they took it out of the drive). It is burning 24/7. It is sitting UNDER a piece of paper to protect passing students from exposure to the light.

Mine is running at 190mA in an MXDL with a Jayrob heat sink. It runs cool to the touch for up to 3 minutes.

If we are lucky (and we have teased him enough) Frothy Chimp will set up a unit with active cooling.

Anything more or different than that is part of the experimentation with these diodes. If you join the experiment, be ready to accept failure.

Peace,
dave

 

[drlava]

very interesting results, I'm going to have to push my test diode further on the graph to see what is going on! thanks for posting. Oh, and have you turned up the current on the 6x kryton yet?

 

[daguin]

very interesting results, I'm going to have to push my test diode further on the graph to see what is going on! thanks for posting. Oh, and have you turned up the current on the 6x kryton yet?

I only turned up the 6X a bit. It's doing 165mW now. I was and am much more willing to push an 803t around I've got four more of those in my drawer.

Peace,
dave

 

[Maelstrom]

[quote author=Maelstrom link=1214100163/36#39 date=1214319456]Since we were talking duty cycle and no duty cycle, is 120mA no duty cycle safe?WIth moderate heat sinking?

Climbak's long term test diode is up to 120mA input.  It ran for over a month with 90mA input.  It only has the stock heat sink (the little one that was on it when they took it out of the drive).  It is burning 24/7.  It is sitting UNDER a piece of paper to protect passing students from exposure to the light.

Mine is running at 190mA in an MXDL with a Jayrob heat sink.  It runs cool to the touch for up to 3 minutes.

If we are lucky (and we have teased him enough) Frothy Chimp will set up a unit with active cooling.

Anything more or different than that is part of the experimentation with these diodes.  If you join the experiment, be ready to accept failure.

Peace,
dave[/quote]
I think I will initially run it at 100mA and push it up to 120 if im not very satisfied

 

[Aaron636r]

Good job Dave!

 

[disma]

ok, I have an 803t running at 125ma, it has about 7 min on it total, I have been keeping the duty cycle down to about 1-2 min. Its in a small aixiz module, and gets hot within about 45 seconds. This diode has always put out about 85 mw at 125 ma, I will let you all know if there is any change.

Max

 

[IgorT]

I already mentioned this before in other threads, but i have one, that turned out to put way more than all the others at the same current.

At 125mA it was already doing 120mW! At 143mA, it was 133mW. Now it's at 172.5mA, and 154mW..


I'm changing the current to 189.5mA right now..


Oh, and this is all with a plastic lens.. One more week.....

 

[IgorT]

So i selected the proper combination of resistors for 189.5mA.. I was a little worried, so i also doubled the output cap before turning it on..
A deep breath, and....


175mW after a plastic lens!  

This diode is gonna be amazing after 405nm optics! I can't believe how sturdy these diodes are!  


Until a short time ago, my most powerful laser was a 186mW red.. Now a PHR is coming close to that!  ;D

Of course, this is a freak PHR diode, that tested much higher, than all others at lower currents.. I have not yet tested others at this current, but it's possible, that some of them would actually come close, as their behavior is not really that linear. Some that start slow, pick up at just a slightly higher current sometimes.. Others stay weaker over the entire range.