If I understand you correctly you swapped the 405-G-2 lens for an O-Like and you are happy with the results? You do know that the O-Like is a longer fl than the 405-G-2 and that the reason for getting a subjectively better beam is the clipping of the fast axis and huge loss?
Andy... still waiting on some data on the mystery lens?
I did not have a 405-g-2 available, others are on order. I just had a O-Like Blue half thread not full around got impatient waiting and decided to test. The 405-g-2 i would expect better results from if the FL is smaller, but I was just playing around until real lens arrive.
Also not sure what you mean by huge loss as this will still put out 600mw when driven hard, I just kept it down since there was no cooling and wanted the stability. It ran at 400mw steady for over an hour and half.
leading in trailing technology
400mW with an o-like lens? Wow. Is this with a HL6388 or MG520G71?
See post 38.. here a small cutout: The raw diode power without optics = 312mW @ 400mA
I then tried an O-Like which gave some halfway usable results. Output after the O-Like coli was 190mW and after prisms (prisms setup @ Zoofs Brewster angle) 168mW. Divergence after prism correction was @ 1.66mrad. Beam size @ the prism aperture 4.5mm x 1.75mm, farfield 4.5mm x 20mm.
Sure you can get 400mW driving the diode hard but the loss is still > 38% just on the O-Like lens. That means with a lens like the Optima (4mm FL, >97% transmittion) you will get approximatly 540mW at the same power. Get the picture?
I got 290mW at 500mA with the MG520G71 using an olike red coat lens. The lens looks identical to the aixiz glass. The math says it should be around 200mW. I guess there is more power in the center of the beam? I don't really understand it. The divergence was around 4mRad.
@polishedball: what current is that at? I haven't taken mine over .5A. Very tempted though.
I happened to have the diode on the bench. So, i retested with the olike red coat. I used a precision ammeter to be sure the current was correct this time. At 400mA got 223mW at 500mA got 302mW.