1.3w 650nm cni maybe rubbish?

[jammah]

Hi all,
I have spent the lase few weeks wading through forums here and on lpf researching for my first build
Parts started arriving last week

2x m140 445's with a pbs cube some meirlight 30k scanners, mirrors, a 12mm base plate, a 1.3w cni 650 and some other bits
with a 1w cni 532 on the way

I made a housing for the first m140 it seems ok nice and bright and with the g2 lens its beam is pretty good

my drama is the CNI red its terrible, really really faint and the beam is MASSIVE like 14mm at the module, ill put up a pic you couldn't see the 10mm ruler marks so i highlighted them in black marker

I have read about adjusting the tec pots, could this be the cause? I haven't touched them yet
at the moment a 6+ year old 150mw module from a crap Chinese stepper motor laser is brighter

I really hope the postman didn't drop it or something

cheers
james

[badger1666]

the tecs are not going to make a difference to the red beam size ....
you should of read some more and you would of found out that these red 650's are torches. big ugly nasty beam
and at 650nm you would need around 4w to go with your other lasers, send the red back and get a 1w 638, that would go nicley with the others.
and the blue's will need a bit more correction than just the g2 lens ,or that beam will diverge fairly quickly , use either prisms(easiest to set up )
or some cylinder lens sets pain to setup but better suited for use with the g2 lens

[jammah]

Thanks for the reply badger,
I think a 1w 638 might be above the budget at this stage maybe later in the year,
I got the 650 for $300 AU delivered, privately. The guy I got it off got it as a replacement for a blown unit, so sending it back is prob not an option I have been in touch with him and he is making efforts to sort it out,
I did do allot of reading about the 650's and was aware It was going to be a LARGE beam but I expected 6-8 mm not 14mm and this still doesn't explain why it is so faint
In a pitch black room you cannot see the beam at all just the spot on the wall, even with a little smoke it is only barely visible.
I have found links to places that sell prism pairs off these forums but if you could point me in the direction of someone selling the cylinder lens's that would be fantastic
thanks for your advice
I have allot to learn

[LaNeK779]

Sorry to hear about your troubles with the red. I hope you get it sorted.

A succesfull projector has matching beam characteristics in all three colours. For 1 watt green CNI you can expect something close to 3mm diameter abnd 1,5 - 2,0 mrad divergence. This can be turned into 5mm diameter 1,0-1,2mrad divergence if you use a pair of pcx and pcv lenses as an inverted telescope. There are many posts and part numbers here, look around and you' ll see.

So, with such beam properties on the green, maybe you don' t need cylinder lenses for the blue. The good thing about prisms (apart from ease of use) is that you will be able to change the beam magnification ratio by moving a prisms to suit your needs, something that is not possible with cyl lenses (at least without purchasing more lenses) http://shop.stanwaxlaser.co.uk/anamo...-red-311-p.asp

I see that you are able to fabricate simple mounts etc, so I would suggest making your own 1watt 638nm. It really is not that difficult. Please bear with me as i suggest some parts (no commercial interest or profit for me, these are just sellers i and others trust and have worked with many times)

So, you get a slab of alu, you buy two of these diodes here https://sites.google.com/site/dtrlpf...m-500mw-diodes . Then you contact member " dave " via pm and ask about this http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...de-optics-kits . You will need an extra diode mount and lens for a dual setup. These cylinders will also work for correcting blue diodes if you choose to go that way. Member DrLava here also sells cylinder lenses for blue and his set is the one most people here use. Dave's cyls are a new addition to our arsenal but they, too yield nice results. Important note: Purchasing these parts and putting them together will not give you any usable results right away. There is a process to centering the lens to the diode and adjusting the cyl lenses, but if you go thatroute, we will be here to assist you. No worries! So far you have spent around 300usd and you are very close to making your own 1watt 638. All you need is a diode driver and power supply and possibly a setup for TEC cooling the diodes if you decide to push things too hard (way ovrspec etc). Diode drivers can be found here http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...ivers-in-stock or here http://hacylon.case.edu/ebay/laser_diode/FlexModP3.php

Maybe it is worth a try...

Wellcome to PL, wellcome to the money pit hobby. People here are helpfull and knowledgable and they have numerous ways to help you get broke

oh, and here is an excellent board to wire everything together and include safety features as well http://shop.stanwaxlaser.co.uk/ilda-...board-55-p.asp

[jammah]

WOW that blows me away I have only been around here for such a short time and already you guys are willing to use your time to help me I'm wrapped thankyou very much!
You Have me sold on building a 638 my next click is onto the links you provided to buy parts
DTR is where I got my m140's
I figure I can sell the 650 if it gets fixed
I am already hopelessly obsessed, I have always been interested in lasers and lighting but now Im hooked
thanks again
james

[badger1666]

Well thats what we do here, help each other out
Btw that green you got coming, i do hope it analog modulated ?
And you did not buy cheap ttl modulation one.
And what dac will you be using to control
This new build ? Please dont say ishow

[LaNeK779]

WOW that blows me away I have only been around here for such a short time and already you guys are willing to use your time to help me

Hey, others have used their time to get us up to speed, too. That' s the way it goes i guess

Before PL, I remember a time where i believed that i could purchase a manual off fleabay and make my own dpss greenie...
Heck, I even bought ishow and laserworld gear... such a waste. I was lucky enough not to buy the expensive stuff though

May I also suggest leaving enough room in your build for bigger galvo drivercards?
It is possible that in time you will want to swap them out with dt30 or dt40 galvos and these driver boards require some space

Well thats what we do here, help each other out

you mean help each other in... deeper and deeper into the pit! hahaha!!


ps1: 2x m140 diodes is some serious power. I don't think you need so much for 1 watt of green and 1 watt of 638nm

ps2: please fill out your location in your profile, it helps people suggest stuff that is closer to you

[jammah]

Cheers Guys ill fill out my details now,
I just bought two of the 638 diodes and sent pms about drivers and optics
its nearly 1am here in NZ I seriously have to think about sleep haha
and yea I have found the M140 to be damn bright I love it
james

[LaNeK779]

just a couple of important parts i have failed to mention earlier

depending on your choise of stacking method (overlapping or knife0edged) you will also need a PBS (polarising beamspltter cube)and a waveplate suitable for 638nm. dave @ lasershowparts or stanwax can supply such things

if you decide to go for knifedging, a single flexmount and a mirror will do the trick. user " lasertack " had some excellent mirrors for this and flex mounts are all over the place here

[Picasso]

I have that same 650 and the beam does not look like that. It's big but not above 8mm at about 5-6m.