The "40W laser shotgun"

[planters]

but I fear we are just waiting for something bad to happen.

Aren't we always.

What is something to think about is that with better drivers, better construction, a little effort on the optics many of us could throw together a 100W version that had some real reach. I'd use a folding stock and mount the battery like an ammo clip...

But, nobody has.

[VDX]

... oh, some people did ... but not public

I've assembled and tested some high-wattage diode modules with 12 Watts @445nm, but some with even higher powers -- one of the modules was extracted from a medical laser and resembled a 20Watt @652nm module, emitting out of a 0.6mm thick fiberbundle ... the used laserdiodes were 60x fibercoupled 400mW types!

And for a SLS-application I've tested an assembly of two fiberlaser-heads and 16 fibercoupled 9W@975nm-diodes ... averaged to 170W@1070nm+140W@975nm on a spot of 0.5mm diameter ...

This 'medical lasers' and even the fiberlasers or fibercoupled IR-diodes are available at ebay or can be found for free as 'industrial scrap' (sometimes even in working condition) all over the world! -- so imagine the danger potential with this type of invisible radiation !!!

Viktor

[planters]

so imagine the danger potential with this type of invisible radiation !!!

I hear you. Also, consider adding a "nice" aiming beam to these IR arrays. Now, you have a visually impressive laser****, but the real power is completely independent. There are some CN sources for really powerful fiber coupled modules that cost much less than Dilas. Oh, and not to mention these IR diodes in the 9xx range are up to 60% efficient!

[VDX]

... attached is an image of one of my first 9W@975nm-modules with optical head -- the new modules are much smaller/compacted and I'm using single 9W- or 25W-diodes ... or can be combined to bundles with 7x to 19x (concentric 1x+6x+12x) diodes with collimating or focussing optics, not bigger than 50mm in diameter for the complete device.

Tried with smal GRIN lenses (have some from 0.2mm to 2mm diameter) as collimators -- then a bundle of 32 fibers with collimators will have an overall diameter of 6 to 20mm and a possible power output of up to 800 Watts!

Viktor

[lasersbee]

I like the way the beams reflect off the magnifying lens back in your face...

Jerry

[Draco]

I have bar diode my self that's is about 20 watts i was going to use for fireworks shows mounted to a gun stock with a visible aiming laser and glasses for the people around me but honestly i lost interest in it, i still need a collimating optic and i forgot what the damned fitting was for the fiber optic end, infact here it is


what is that type of connector called? I had ordered one from thor labs some time ago but was the wrong type, i want to use it for carving wood now but the bare fiber bundle is useless to me, even the slightest contamination causes damage, it's been repaired once allready
3

[VDX]

... search for FSMA-connectors.

What diameter is the output area?

With one of my 25W@810nm-bar diodes it's 0.7mm, so not perfect for engraving, another 25W@975nm-diode emits through a 0.1mm glass fiber, what's much better focussing and engraving ;-)

If you clean the front face, then you can insert a focussing lens in a tube and fix the fiber in the right distance ...

Viktor

[Draco]

I so your going to make this old dragon get out his calipers, the fiber bundle seems to be of 19 fibers in a 1mm bundle, the fiber ends where repaired for me by a coworker i had when i worked for a pin diode company in ann arbor , advanced photonics if they are still around, i don't need a really fine line, just something to make my equipment worth having lol, it's a telecom diode bar that i think is rated at 20 watts, it consumes 40 amps, i have not operated at full power since the fiber was repaired as i no longer work for that company and lack the equipment to fix it IF i burned it again, it was contamination from burning a smiley face into a wood back massager that caused the damage, and a line from a move i think we all know came into mind, something like "checking to see if the optics where clean buddy boy"
the size of the area including the metal around the fiber bundle is about 2.5mm

[Elektrotechniker]

Pointless, IMO.

[VDX]

... you can try to file+polish the end to get it plane and clear again, if the damage is only at the outer ends ... otherwise it's rubbish ... or you open the housing and realign the bundle anew ...

Viktor