Swapping Laser Diodes for diffrent colors

[Weiland]

I have a few small lasers that I bought from a retailer, the are regular club lasers. (American DJ Galaxian 3-d )

If i wanted to switch the colors of them to a Blur-ray UV laser , is it as simple as making sure the laser i am replacing is the same mill wattage ? If not then what should I look for to switch them out.

Thanks Weiland

[300EVIL]

Judging by the way you ask the question, I'd say you should swap out the whole module, diode and driver. Output power is not linear to input and you will need to adjust the laser diode driver to match the diode you are using. Another factor to consider when switching to 405nm(blu-ray) is that most galvo mirrors aren't coated to handle this wavelength and it may not be worth your investment. If you are looking for the best bang for your buck, drop in a more powerful DPSS green.

[Weiland]

Thanks for the reply Evil.

In my case, the laser im talking about does not require lens reflexion.

It is shot straight from where it mounted through a Hologram lens , that turns and in a circle. There is a green 30 mw on one side and a Red 80 mw on the other, each has it own exit hole.

I have taken them apart to look at them and believe the lasers have every thing built in, all i see is a red and black wires exiting them.

With this in account, if i didn't have to reflect the laser could I just shoot it out the exit port of what ever laser i decided to replace ?

This link will give you an idea of what it does. http://www.eliminatorlightingdirect....axian%203d.htm

I have found cheaper models and wanted to try switching the red to a Blue-ray.

Thanks
Weiland

[shrad]

I'm affraid by the price of such laser effects

[buffo]

In my case, the laser im talking about does not require lens reflexion.

Yeah, the projector you have doesn't have galvos, so no mirrors to worry about. 300Evil assumed you were talking about a scanning projector.

could I just shoot it out the exit port of what ever laser i decided to replace ?

Yes, assuming that the new laser module will fit in the space occupied by the old one. Also, you do need to be careful, since a more powerful laser may increase the individual beam power above the MPE for the "spray" of beams that come from the HOE.

I have found cheaper models and wanted to try switching the red to a Blue-ray.

This is probably a bad idea. Blu-ray diodes emit light at 405 nm, which is right at the limit of the response curve for the human eye. You won't be able to see the beams from the HOE in the air at all. If you want to add blue to this projector, you'd be better off buying a 50 mw DPSS blue laser (which lases at 473 nm).

What are you using this projector for?

Adam

[Weiland]

I use the lasers for Djing and any other club related event that need my DMX lighting.

The venues i set up at are not very big at all. In Columbia we don't have a venue that is much bigger them 75ft x 75ft and thats pushing it, more like a 30ft x 30ft dance area . I really dont need super powerful beaming just enough that people can see and enjoy.

Thanks Weiland

[buffo]

OK. So long as the HOE's in that projector are of decent quality (that is, the 0th order beams aren't significantly brighter than the rest), then you should be OK as far as US regs go. Remember though that anything over 4.99 mw falls under federal rules (Specifically, 21 CFR 1040.10 and .11), and you *don't* want to run afoul of them!

But since you're splitting the power amongst 100's of beams, you should be good for now. Just keep in mind that you are in a very special special case because of the multiple beams of extremely low power. Ordinarily a projector with lasers like yours would need to be varianced with the CDRH, and even then you wouldn't be allowed to send beams into the crowd.

There's plenty of information about these restrictions here on the forums; I suggest you familiarize yourself with the basics. That will help you stay legal if you ever decide to upgrade in the future.

And as stated above, if you want to add blue to your existing projector, a 50-100 mw DPSS unit will be your best bet. You won't need any fancy modulation, since it will be running at 100% power all the time, so just about any unit will do. I'd start watching the auctions on E-bay if I were you and see if you can snipe one at a bargain price. Something like this one, for example. (Actually, I'd probably offer them $380 first and see if they take it...)

Adam

[Weiland]

Thank yo guys for the input. It gives me some direction of what i can do, and ill be sure to get up to speed with the regulations and laws on the site here.

Thank you Weiland