Senior Member
Why not consider keeping your 473 and getting the 445.. combine the two . Semrock do a dichro to suit.
Another brand for the 445 is Arctos, I have an Arctos 445 very simple but not cheap I think its the diode that is the real cost here. I just chose to buy the 445 unit complete as I would not be happy to bungle the driver and then own a dead 445 diode.
Look into this 445 + 473 you may have more blue than you need.
Cheers
Ray
Senior Member
Yep, that's what I originally wanted to do. But 1W of 445 should reduce my 200mW of 473 to nothing, especially when mixed with green, and the DPSS will still bring its down sides to my projector, like noisy beam, slower modulation, etc, without saying I will not be able to make a true deep blue, as I only have 3 color channels on my DAC ... And for sure my old 473 will do a happy hobbyist when I'll sell it for a lot less than a new one
THIS USER WAS CLUEBYFOURED
I really love the shade of 473nm, but using a diode has so many more advantages over DPSS. The rock-solid beam specs and the snappy, predictable modulation response makes using a diode the winner for me. In order for me to have my cake and eat it too they're gonna have to work on some longer-wavelength blue diodes.. If we could just get all primary colors using only diodes. Bye-bye AOMs...
Whats the beam quality of the Arctos like? Just out of interest?
Originally Posted by Pitts
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Senior Member
Hello!
I had also arctos 500mW 445nm on my table.
Yeah, its a really simple build, no special optics, no special drivers (the same "drivers" as for red also for the blue diode - without any securitys for the Laserdiode... The drivers are driven with a 5V linearregulator and 2 diodes to get it to 6V input for the driver to get >5V to the diode).
The beam is how all the 500mW 445nm beams will be without a special after collimation (and still the most lasershow companys didnīt makes this after collimation!) : ~3,5*1,5mm beam @ ~ 0,8 - 1mrad - after ~15meter the beam is not round, itīs not square, itīs a really bigger and bigger gone rectangle with more distance.
This is the reason why for me personally blue laserdiodes are useless withous special aftercollimation and useless with more than 2Watts blue power.
Greets,
Phil
Wow! I would have expected more than that
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Senior Member
In answer to the main question... YES !!!!! 445 is worth it...
Just took delivery of my 500mw 445 from Kvant and that is one sexy colour...
Here are some pics of a 445 and 473 together... Camera doesn't pick up the colour too well, but looking at the colour of my walls, you get the gist of it... As somebody else (Allthatwhichis I think) said the 473 looks far more green compared to 445...
Mark
Senior Member
Thanks for the pictures! You're now a lucky 445nm laser owner, I'm envious, can't wait to have one too
Well, the 473 really looks more green, I never noticed that on mine, probably coz I didn't compared it with a pure blue laser...
About the power of the 473, I guess something like 250mW?
Senior Member
The 473 is rated at 200mw, my Coherent laser meter measures 300mw. It came from Lasershow Parts and I believe it has an IR filter, but I can't guarantee that some of that power isn't IR... Either that, or I got lucky...
Here are a couple of pics of it with its brothers and sisters ready to go into my new beast
The green measures 750mw @ 532nm and the red 650mw @ 640nm
The Troll formerly known as Herbert Von Poople-Futtocks
Ya jammy git !!
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