That's not a 473nm laser, it's a 445nm, or 405nm mislabeled. 99% it will also not be 1W.
If you're going the more budget route, and willing to chance it a bit, but far far less than the option you're looking at, I'd suggest lazerer.com or o-like.com instead.
I asked them to confirm 473nm, and they said âYes, we confirm. We have test sheet provide that measure wavelength will equal 473nm. Please see beam color: âhttp://oi44.tinypic.com/2ahdyix.jpgâ:http://oi44.tinypic.com/2ahdyix.jpg it is guaranteed minimum 800mw on test sheet but we can look at test sheets and pick you one with highest result. Please do not run light for more than 180 seconds without letting cool fully before restart. Thank you.â
That 180 seconds worries me a little, it gets that hot, that fast?
I saw quite a few negative reviews of lazerer lasers. Mostly to do with dirty lenses/poor beam quality with glued bodies impossible to disassemble or clean
An actual 473nm handheld laser is not going to get anywhere near 1 watt. 80mW 473nm, sure, not 800mW. And even at 80mW it would be double that price.
Regardless of what they âconfirmâ or claim to guarantee its mislabeled.
Crazy! Would be funny if I received it âOh, we meant 80.0mW, whopsâ. Crazy though. Should I ask for the copy of the certification certificate she talked about? See if itâs from a reputable source, or specifies the testing equip, etc??
The o-like people got back to me with a paypal invoice, theyâre payment processor is having trouble with credit cards so they said they can do it through paypal. Iâll post it up when I get it
Is there any diodes better/cheaper than the one from dtr I had linked in the blue/violet/purple range I should look at? I wouldlike it to easily pop balloons and burn.
Also, is there a driver that has multiple modes that's not pwm based that will be good for driving a laser diode? Ramping would be cool
Not certified, but very good. The other option is to go with certified goggles but those can end up running quite a bit more.
Most blue-ray burners will have 405 nm diodes in them capable of either ~100mW or ~500mW depending on the specific diode. Usually it will be the lower powered ones. I suggest going with dtr for diodes instead of buying dvd drives.
In terms of burning, it's not so much about having the opposite color, but rather absorption. When you see something red, what you're seeing is the object reflecting back red light. Same goes for green, or blue.
But, BUT, shorter wavelengths like 405, and 445nm, are generally very well absorbed by most materials. Also just because something appears to be of a certain color to you, does not mean that it won't burn from a laser of a similar looking color. Apply enough power and a red balloon will pop from a red laser.
My knowledge comes just from reading about lasers for the past 3 years or so, and playing with them a lot in the same way as with flashlights, but I definitely do not consider myself a laser guru. Kind of wish I'd studied a bit of electrical engineering in the past instead of philosophy.
Wow InfinitusEquitas (I'll save IE for casual conversation), that was a great LPF contribution. Thank you for taking one for the team. As you said, one can not rely on one test alone, but it is a good sign. I like how your linked to tsteele93's testing too.
I've lurked quite a bit over at LPF the last couple days. It seems like a good place.
I broke down and ordered and already received the laser module and a pair of safety glasses that Pulsar is considering above. Very fast delivery. The diode is potted in the module, so the bar code is not visible. I'm considering pulling the diode and reflowing it to the copper "pill" with silver based solder.
For now, I think I will just build a pill and put the module in a Ultrafire Trustfire X8 host. It has plenty of heat sinking and the stock driver delivers 1.5 amps on high with 2 cells. If not, I will use one of the other 2S stock drivers I have laying around. I'll upgrade the driver later, after I decide which one I really want.
I'm thinking of also eventually making the laser a triple emitter LED light too. I need to find a security key switch so that I can lock out the laser circuitry.
I don't know when I will get a chance to build this though.
Youâll need a diode press (diy or brought) to try to get it out without damage.
Heavily potted? Pic?
Which laser? If its DTRâs in copper, personally Iâd leave it be.
So it's pressed in and should already have a good solid direct thermal connection to the copper "pill". thingy?Sounds like I shouldn't need to reflow the diode. You have an opinion on that? I searched the concept and didn't find good info about it.
I don't know how heavily potted it is. There is which some thermal glue oozed out around the connection posts, but it's doesn't completely cover the back of the diode.
EDIT: OK, found some info on how the parts fit. The diode is pressed in with force as it's a tight fit. So reflowing is not necessary.
So I think I am set on running this off either two 18350s or two rcr123a lifepo4 cells. Could/should I get away with using a buck driver made for LEDs, or should I stick with a driver made for laser diodes? If so, how many amps can I safely drive the m140 at? Would 2.5-3a cook it?
Hi Pulsar. I have no experience so I will quote what DTR says in the ebay ad:
You must use a "constant current" power source like a current limiting driver or variable current power supply with the current limited to no more than 1.8A or you diode will suffer thermal runaway and die.
I would think you can use any of your CC flashlight drivers as long and as you get you max current down below 1.8A.
