Wicked Laser 473nm Reference Series Lab Module

[allthatwhichis]

Look what some parcel service left on my door step...

Wicked Laser 473nm Reference Series Lab Module

Here are the specs I was provided:
"Wavelength (nm) 473±1 Output power (mW) >200 >400 Transverse mode Near TEM00 Near TEM01 Operating mode CW Power stability (rms, over 4 hours) <5%, <10% Warm-up time (minutes) <10 M2 factor <2. 0 Beam divergence, full angle (mrad) <1. 5 Beam diameter at the aperture (mm) ~3. 0 Beam height from base plate (mm) 29 Polarization ratio >100:1 Noise of amplitude (rms, 1~20MHz) ~30% Pointing stability after warm-up (mrad) <0.05 Operating temperature (℃) 10~35 TTL modulation/ Analog modulation Optional, 2kHz or higher (others on request, up to 30kHz) "

It was nicely packaged.






I of course opened it immediatly and turned it on.





BIG, (4 and 1/8 inch H, 9 and 7/8 inch L, 6 inch W), Power supply/driver with key lock, interlock, emergency off button, power light, laser "on" light, and alarm light. The unit takes about 5 seconds to lase after turning the key on and cuts off immediatly after the emergency button is pressed or interlock is pulled.



The key DOES stay in while in the on position.




It has a BNC connector for blanking; I like not having to mess with a tiny ass plug.



Sturdy head with very quiet fan.

(2 and 5/16 inch H, 5 and 11/16 inch L, 3 and 5/32 inch W),






1 and 1/8 inch beam height





When pointed through a blue PBS, you can see is it fairy polarized but there is some loss. You can also see the beam is TEM01. It is a nice tight beam but there is definatly two of them. You can also see the TEM01 in the beam pics below and on the 100 foot beam diameter measurements.






Comparison shots to the 445nm of the Kvant.


















Through some DT40 Pros; you can again see the TEM01 on the pattern.







I pointed it out the back window and bounced it back to my house for roughly 100 feet.

Can someone do me a favor and give me the divergence? We'll use the stated beam diameter: "Beam diameter at the aperture (mm) ~3. 0" or, can someone give me the formula and I will see if I can do the math?












And here are some pictures of the LPM-1 I borrowed from Mo. I have a 3.5 hour graph on my work PC that I will add later. I am avoiding booting that computer up.

The label says "200" on it but it looks to be a 300mW and after warming up seems to settle in around 315 to 320mW. These measurements were taken after 20 minutes of CW "activity". I have about 40 more, this was every 5; I took with the camera just taking quick shots, 3 per sec I think.















This units is only TTL modulated, I found this out after I remembered how to program Pango for TTL lasers... but it did not jelly bean at all and played some shows very well. I would really like to see this unit with analog modulation.

It did flicker some like it was having some temperature control issues and mod hopped a bit once and a while I was taking readings for the graph.

My overall opinion of this module is good, although the price tag on WL's site seems a bit high for what we are used to.

Pros:
Very nice looking construction
quiet head fan
Safety features on PSU
smooth TTL blanking
(beam height is almost perfect for DT40Pros w/included baseplate)

Cons
beam is TEM01 (obviously my main problem)
Mode hopping
PSU is BIG, although driver is included
polarization could be be better

[platinum]

Wow, that was a lot of pictures!

Are you on vacation or something?


-J

[Things]

Try this: http://www.pseudonomen.com/lasers/ca...alculator.html

Did you buy this laser or was it sent to you for review, like they have been doing for pointers?

[ledfreak3d]

looks nice
to bad that laser is not manufactured by wickedlasers them selves
thats just a cni clone both on the outside and inside

[allthatwhichis]

No vacation, just a good camera and it took me close to two weeks to gather all the info for the review; work has been taking up a bit more than 40 hours per week... We like pictures; correct?

Wicked Lasers sent me this laser for review purposes only and unlike the handheld modules I have to send this one back... once the prepaid shipping label gets to me.

Thanks for the link, looks like at .01 ft @ 3mm to 100 ft @ 1.75 inches = 1.3600433023309805 mrad...

Does that make it a CNI clone, or a CNI laser licensed by Wicked Lasers?

[ElektroFreak]

Based on conversations I've had with Steve (WL CEO), they aren't actually made by CNI. I don't know who makes them, though. That info wasn't forthcoming, unfortunately.

Interesting that the unit runs TEM01. For the kind of price tag those systems have it should be TEM00 and stay stable.

My 80mW 473nm CNI system flickers like you mentioned, but I've come to find that amplitude noise is very common in blue systems. The noise is generated during the doubling process in the LBO crystal. CNI quotes amplitude noise levels to be <30%, which is still kind of a lot IMO..

[allthatwhichis]

Interesting that the unit runs TEM01. For the kind of price tag those systems have it should be TEM00 and stay stable.

My 80mW 473nm CNI system flickers like you mentioned, but I've come to find that amplitude noise is very common in blue systems. The noise is generated during the doubling process in the LBO crystal. CNI quotes amplitude noise levels to be <30%, which is still kind of a lot IMO..

I agree.

Was your CNI running CW for a while? I did not use this much with my scanners and I was running it CW most of the time. I noticed it mostly after it had been on for over an hour or so.

There is noise present in scanned graphics like all other DPSS blues, but I was expecting that. The flickering did not look like that noise; more of a mod hopping flicker but it stays TEM01 to my eyes.

[ElektroFreak]

The noise in my CNI's output occurs while blanking. I haven't really ever run it CW, TBH. It's been run inside a projector the entire time I've owned it. It is rock solid in terms of transverse mode, though. Never mode-hopped once that I've seen.

If the flicker you describe doesn't look like the typical blue DPSS noise, then its probably blanking induced power loss of some sort.. neither that nor mode-hopping should occur in a >$3000US laser, though.

EDIT: reread your last post.. if the power fluctuations you describe are happening when you run the laser CW for a time then it has to be a temperature or alignment issue..