How does Variable power work

[LaserBuddy]

How would one go about modding a high power (1-2W) laser to have a variable output of 5-30mW? I'm wondering why I don't see kits like this around. Is it very difficult? :yh:

 

[sinner]

It is not very difficult, But people are not comfortable with a live pot arround the laser host, The Potentiometers , no matter how good quality it is, will tend to deviate in an unstable manner.

However , if a potentiometer like this one in the picture is used on the side-clicky style host and the clicky switch is installed in the tailcap , The current rise/fall will be some what much more stable.. So It is doable..

 

[lasersbee]

How would one go about modding a high power (1-2W) laser to have a variable output of 5-30mW? I'm wondering why I don't see kits like this around. Is it very difficult? :yh:

It is not very difficult, But people are not comfortable with a live pot arround the laser host, The Potentiometers , no matter how good quality it is, will tend to deviate in an unstable manner.

However , if a potentiometer like this one in the picture is used on the side-clicky style host and the clicky switch is installed in the tailcap , The current rise/fall will be some what much more stable.. So It is doable..

Putting a Potentiometer across the Clicky Switch to the
Driver either Linear... Buck or Boost will not allow you
to safely adjust a 1-2W Laser down to 5-30mW...

Why would you want to reduce the output of a 1-2W Laser
to 5-30mW. Why not buy a 5-30mW Laser if that is what
you want..:thinking:


Jerry

You can contact us at any time on our Website: [URL="http://www.bauer-electronics.com/"]J.BAUER Electronics[/URL]

 

[LaserBuddy]

You have a valid point I guess I'm lazy, and just want High+low power in one device.

 

[sinner]

laserbee, you totally mis-understood.. The potentiometer will be attached directly to the buck driver..

Same principle as described here..

 

[Bionic-Badger]

Note that you're not going to get 5-30mW out of a 1-2W laser even if you solder a pot to the driver. Those 1-2W lasers don't even begin to lase until they're putting out 200mW or something.

 

[LaserBuddy]

I've given up on that idea

 

[sopark4000]

Note that you're not going to get 5-30mW out of a 1-2W laser even if you solder a pot to the driver. Those 1-2W lasers don't even begin to lase until they're putting out 200mW or something.

This.
Most of the high power diodes (1W and higher) begin to lase at an output of 100-200mW.

Heres a graph I did a while ago showing the output of an M-140 diode.

As you can see the diode doesn't even begin to lase until it's given 150mA and at that current it outputs a little over 50mW and it's a very unstable 50mW jumping anywhere from 50-100mW.

 

[Cyparagon]

The Potentiometers , no matter how good quality it is, will tend to deviate in an unstable manner.

Am I missing something obvious? Because I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

 

[sinner]

Please feel free to correct me,

The context here means that the commonly used "cheap" potentiometers hobbyists use are not always reliable and they deviate a lot.

 

[Cyparagon]

I'm pretty sure they don't change value (more than a few hundredths of a percent anyway, like any other component) unless you adjust them yourself. What would cause them to "deviate"?

 

[Blord]

If your laser has a buck driver, the output of the laser will greatly reduced when you are using one 3.7V battery instead of two batteries.