Defcon Blue - First laser build

[Likquidblur]

Well after many trials and tribulations, I have almost completed my first
laser, labby style build.
Colour: blue 445
Power: somewhere in the region of 600mW - 1000mW.

Only thing left to do is add a heatsink/fan and tidy up some wires.
Couldn't wait to show you all on the forum, so here are some pics (beam shots coming soon), enjoy:wave:

Also any feedback would be appreciated

[EDIT] Just realised this should've been put in the 445 section, ma bad

 

[drevil]

I was gonna say "where the heck is the heatsink but nvm". I like the switches. I am fan of lab hosts and want to build one when I get more cash.

 

[Likquidblur]

I was gonna say "where the heck is the heatsink but nvm". I like the switches. I am fan of lab hosts and want to build one when I get more cash.

Yeah, I havent decided yet how I should to cool it, I could probably shape down a square cpu heatsink..... major overkill, but what the heck (are they rated at 10W?)

Missile switches FTW. With the cool fan grating aswell it looks kinda cold war era style or something, idk just my first impression.

Also this can be pretty cheap to make if you dont keep wasting components and materials left right and center, like i was

 

[anselm]

Looking pretty good there on the outside!
What exactly does each switch and the button do?
I can tell you right now, the heatsink for that LM317 ain't gonna cut it,
if you're planning on currents >1000mA, especially if you feed it 12V (my guess).

Where's the light supposed to come out of?

 

[Likquidblur]

Looking pretty good there on the outside!
What exactly does each switch and the button do?
I can tell you right now, the heatsink for that LM317 ain't gonna cut it,
if you're planning on currents >1000mA, especially if you feed it 12V (my guess).

Where's the light supposed to come out of?

The first switch enables the power to be turned on without the laser coming on, making the box live I supose you'd call it. Also the fan when added will turn on at this stage.
Then the next switch turns the laser on and off, if the unit gets hot the laser can be switched of without affecting the fan.
The button is a momentary one which can only be activated when the main switch is on.
I will add some blue indicator lights soon to make it even cooler looking and safer.

Ok thanks for that, theres only 1260mA or less at 7.5 volts at the moment so it doesnt get too hot, but i will make that upgrade when i swap out the LM317 with the LM338
haha . The light is meant to come out the front, but i havent cut the hole for the module yet or aquired a heatsink, so the diode is soldered there temporarily so i could check and make sure the driver was working properly.

 

[Leodahsan]

What module are you going to use?

additional heatsinking? :yh:

Very beautiful dude.. It would be cool for you to put a red cap to prevent 'accidental' triggering, and a red led together with the laser, so you can know when it is on using goggles

blue laser?

remove the 'engine' word, add a SCR and a resistor and you're done.

 

[Likquidblur]

What module are you going to use?

additional heatsinking? :yh:

Very beautiful dude..

:thanks: man, took a bit of work to get the driver all good, but im very pleased with it.

Im using an aixis module for the 445 diode, and I just found the heatsink im going to use. Xbox lovers will probably hate me for it but the cpu heatsink in 'em is perfect, has a nice copper bottom and fits the box perfectly.

haha i love that button, thats an idea for my next build. :beer:

 

[3zuli]

defcon blue? :thinking: did you mean Defqon.1?


j/k, cool build :beer:

 

[Likquidblur]

defcon blue? :thinking: did you mean Defqon.1?


j/k, cool build :beer:

WOAH!!... that would be so sweet to see, is that in germany?

 

[Likquidblur]

OHH NOES!!, i must have been a bit rough with the diode and the +ve pin came unstuck , i hope it makes it to diode heaven :friend:

On the other hand, the heatsink and double fan unit i salvaged from the xbox 360 did its job very well, i'll post pics of the finished laser when i receive the replacement diode.
:wave:

 

[jakeGT]

Always treat diodes with love and care. I have only had one diode go to diode heaven so far, and hope it'll be my last, it died so young

 

[Wolfman29]

I couldn't seem to think of an obvious solution for a system where one switch powers on the circuit and another switch powers on the laser diode without running the driver without a load when in "hot-but-inactive" state. Unless, you just made a "test load" and stuck it in parallel with the diode and had the second switch control which route those little electrons take... which I may do.

I ask this because I am building my own labby and I want something along those lines.

Also, what wall-wart are you using? None of the 9Vs I can find output more than 500 or so mA.

 

[Likquidblur]

I couldn't seem to think of an obvious solution for a system where one switch powers on the circuit and another switch powers on the laser diode without running the driver without a load when in "hot-but-inactive" state. Unless, you just made a "test load" and stuck it in parallel with the diode and had the second switch control which route those little electrons take... which I may do.

Im not sure if that would be reliable, but a much easier way (which i did) is to use the set of switches to switch on or of the power coming into the driver. If you wire it the way you are suggesting there would still be charge in the caps and when you switch it over POOF dead LD.... thats what im guessing anyway i havent tried it myself so i cant be sure.

heres a drawing of my setup if it helps, paint FTW! haha

The power-pack im using is called "powertech" from leading edge which used to be dicksmiths. Im australian so your equivelant shop would probably be digikey, or so i've heard. It's actually a 12v 18 watt (1.5 amp) but its switches between 3v - 12v so at 7.5 v (which is what im using) the current rises up to 2.4, if measured it right....so be wary and make your driver to suit your power source.

:yh:

 

[Wolfman29]

Oh, awesome, sounds great! Thanks for the assistance.