Post your interesting eBay finds...

[andythemechanic]

http://cgi.ebay.com/500mW-Blue-Laser...QQcmdZViewItem

Looks interesting.

Hm, a seller with no feedback as a seller and only very little buyer feedback, and an offer too good to be true. This smells a bit! Or maybe I am just paranoid! :-)

[mixedgas]

Hum, at 1800 to 2200 a sample, I'd be skeptical too..

Steve

[Laser Ben]

Plus, assuming that is just a basic glass plate as a pick-off for the spectrometer, the laser is likely putting out 600mW assuming the uncoated glass is 4% reflection per side.

[greenalien]

No idea what this is - perhaps someone could enlighten us all - but it looks interesting...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LASER-SCIENCE-...item335c4ae30f

[dream beamz]

looks kinda familiar but not

[krazer]

So some news on the 'blue' diode-
I contacted the seller, and he says he has 20 of them, and will be putting them up BIN after this one sells. So I recommend that you guys not go too crazy with this one, for all of our sake

Also, I am still not sure, but he mentioned computer equipment as to where they came from, which makes me wonder if it might be a 404nm diode, with either a typo or some malice. The fact he wouldn't give a definite answer told me as much as I needed to, I won't be getting any until someone tests one at least!

[krazer]

Some cool ebay stuff

http://cgi.ebay.com/GOOCH-HOUSEGO-AC...#ht_1134wt_941

that appears to be both a nd:gdvo4 laser rod and matching q-switch (just add mirrors and a pump )

also has a pm-digital which is the same thing as a powermax, but no display
http://cgi.ebay.com/COHERENT-PM-DIGI...3#ht_952wt_941

also a very nice acromat from thorlabs, that should give a diffraction limited spot from a singlemode yag (I am using a similar lens at work, producing a 10um spot!)
http://www.thorlabs.com/thorProduct....er=AC508-200-C

[Laser Ben]

So some news on the 'blue' diode-

I contacted him and this is what I got:

Dear **********,

I see you're presently the high bidder. Do you have any questions?
Thank you

- laserlightgeek

Dear laserlightgeek,

I would like to confirm with you that the diode is infact 444nm. I would also like for you to confirm that it is rated for 500mW as claimed in the auction. Finally, I would like to understand where this diode comes from and I would like to confirm that it is not from computer equipment, for example, a blu-ray drive.

Please confirm this for me.

Regards,
Ben

- **********

Dear **********,

Good afternoon Ben,
I just finished confirming the measurements. Center wavelength is 444nm measured with an Ocean Optics Spectrometer. Power is 500mW at 604mA CW drive current measured with an Ophir Nova display connected to a 30cc head. Laser was mounted in a Thorlabs LDM 21 mount driven by Thorlabs DC 220 LD controller. Temperature was held at 25 deg C with a Wavelength Electronics LFI 3551 temperature (TEC) controller. The Thorlabs LD mount has a TEC in it.

Laser threshold is 220mA. Voltage is 4.14 Volts at 500mW. The laser is taken from a device, however not a computer drive, blu-ray or any cheap electronics. It is a new device and has less than 10 hours burn in time. If you are not satisfied I will refund your money and shipping costs. I can forward I/O curves and spectrum plot if you would like.

I will not dislose where the laser came from, however, I gaurantee that is has less than 10 hours burn in time.

Thank You,
John

- laserlightgeek

[krazer]

Did you get it? Would be interesting to see if it works!

[FourDee]

O boy o boy o boy ....