Post your interesting eBay finds...

[Laser Ben]

Yeah really! I wonder how the guy ended up with it?

[Stoney3K]

People should be aware that this seller is not very reliable in my experience. These modules are very likely based on the SF-AW210 sled diode, which is nowhere near capable of providing 250mW reliably.

Of course, I haven't bought this module specifically, but the other modules I purchased from bandtled all died in very short order when following the seller's guidelines for current.

The current and power on the diodes are over spec on his listings. The sled is based around the Nichia NDHV220APA or NDV-4313 diode:

http://www.nichia.com/specification/ld/NDHV220APA-E.pdf

http://www.nichia.com/specification/ld/NDV4313-E.pdf

The typical output power for the -220A is 200mW for 230mA, with a maximum of 270mA, but the specs on the listing look like they're from the 4313 (which is from a different sled).

I'm guessing you can squeeze about 220mW out of it reliably, if you get the cooling right. Get NDHV220A's here:

http://cgi.ebay.nl/405nm-300mW-blu-r...item2a026f16dd

The specs on that listing are correct in accordance with the datasheet, and the diode should be able to make 250-300mW, and run reliably at 200-250mW.

[Root]

Cambridge technology 6850P

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[FourDee]

Great for someone with a cvl ...

[ElektroFreak]

The current and power on the diodes are over spec on his listings. The sled is based around the Nichia NDHV220APA or NDV-4313 diode:

http://www.nichia.com/specification/ld/NDHV220APA-E.pdf

http://www.nichia.com/specification/ld/NDV4313-E.pdf

The typical output power for the -220A is 200mW for 230mA, with a maximum of 270mA, but the specs on the listing look like they're from the 4313 (which is from a different sled).

I'm guessing you can squeeze about 220mW out of it reliably, if you get the cooling right. Get NDHV220A's here:

http://cgi.ebay.nl/405nm-300mW-blu-r...item2a026f16dd

The specs on that listing are correct in accordance with the datasheet, and the diode should be able to make 250-300mW, and run reliably at 200-250mW.

How do you know that's what he's using? Do you have some form of hard proof? The diode in the first datasheet you linked to is multi-mode, while the diodes BANDTLED is selling are single-mode (I can tell you this because I have purchased them before) so that cannot be the correct datasheet.. The second datasheet is for a 120mW single-mode diode, which is a far cry from 250mW..

I'm speaking from personal experience here, hopefully it saves people from dealing with a disreputable seller.

I have purchased several diodes from this seller (BANDTLED) and they ALL failed very shortly after purchase after being run at precisely the rated current. It was driven by a constant-current source and protected from ESD.. These diodes are nothing more than DVD/HD-DVD drive diodes. They might be able to handle these current levels for a short while, but they will die rapidly regardless of cooling.

I'm telling you, BANDTLED's ratings are not to be trusted.

The o-like diode is a SF-AW210 sled diode also. They are NOT capable of 300mW of output except perhaps for a short time. For laser show usage a diode should be able to run for at least 5000 hours. I really dislike when ebay sellers sell diodes that are horribly overrated, and I really dislike when a laser quits mid-show because the diode was sold as being more powerful that it really is.

[Stoney3K]

How do you know that's what he's using? Do you have some form of hard proof? I'm speaking from personal experience here, hopefully it saves people from dealing with a disreputable seller.

Well, at least he's listing the wrong specs. I don't know of a diode that has a lasing threshold that is as low as 33mA and cranks out 250mW reliably. The specs he's listing are more in accordance with the ND4313, which has a maximum rating of 140mW @ 150mA, so if it is a 4313, he's selling the diodes on a serious overdrive.

I have purchased several diodes from this seller (BANDTLED) and they ALL failed very shortly after purchase after being run at precisely the rated current. It was driven by a constant-current source and protected from ESD.. These diodes are nothing more that DVD/HD-DVD drive diodes.

I'm telling you, BANDTLED's ratings are not to be trusted.

If you ran them at the rated current in the listings, that could explain it, since that's beyond the diode's actual rating. I doubt he would post data sheets of his diodes.

His seller service is OK, but his listings are just incorrect.

[ElektroFreak]

While you are right about the cause of death, I find incorrect listings to be part of what defines an unreliable seller.. He did get the diodes to me in a timely manner and they were adequately packaged, but when I took his word for the output, I was severely disappointed. Requiring a buyer to expect the ratings to be inflated isn't right to me.

[sugeek]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Extruded-Aluminu...mZ220456768844

A nice little case with a punched db-25 plate end cap. FB3 enclosure @$3 + shipping almost not worth cutting a db-25 hole.

-Adam

[greenalien]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

... and you thought lasers were dangerous!

[LesioQ]

How about these two:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Spectra-Physics-...item5ad50a280c


http://cgi.ebay.com/Spectra-Physics-...item5d2707b08e


Piotr.K