Shark Buck 2-amp driver, Thumbs Up

[Exerd]

I had made mention of the Shark Buck 2A driver a while back when people were looking for high amperage drivers to power A140 diodes. I just wanted to say that I have had a chance to use this driver now for some time and it has become one of my favorite drivers.

I currently have the 2A version, but there is also a 1A and a 3A version that use different resistors for the max current setting.

The driver has a potentiometer that provides very precise adjustment of output current from 10mA all the way up to 2A. This single driver for $27 can power just about everything in most peoples diode collections.

I have been using the Shark Buck with output set at 1750mA, powering an A140 diode and using 2x18650 batteries in series for supply. In bench testing at this amperage, the driver barely gets warm. The driver has a copper heat sinking plate on the back that is in a U-shape. This will provide excellent thermal transfer into a driver heat sink should you choose to use one.

Since I had the room inside the test bed laser, I placed the driver on an old aluminum northbridge sink from a computer motherboard. It will stay very cool this way.

For anyone interested, I give it a thumbs up.

Remember, this is a buck driver, and that means that your input voltage must be higher than the asking output voltage.

Sandwich Shoppe

Shark Buck in 2x18650 lab build:

 

[danefex]

You live ~25mins from me. I hope to visit you someday & get one of these drivers in one of several 405/445 planned builds :beer:

+1

 

[Exerd]

Come down to my property sometime and we will burn the sky.

 

[danefex]

HA you have no ide.... the sky has no idea :beer: ......you wouldn't happen to have an LPM would you?

 

[Exerd]

Yes, I have a meter.

 

[danefex]

Well without unintentional hijacking here, I've PM'd Excerd :beer: Everytime I read about another driver that's cheap yet capable of tweaking like this.... Yes, it's going to be a good year

 

[steviedezie]

hey exerd, you happen to know anything about the shark boost converter? It seems strange to me that it states the output being 11.5V but says it can driver anywhere from 2-5 LEDs, so is that voltage constant or variable base on Vf of the load? I like the sharkbuck but sometimes 2 cells arent practical at higher currents.

 

[Exerd]

It will either voltage regulate or current regulate based on whichever comes first. With many diodes hooked up to it then it will voltage regulate. With a single diode hooked up, you would hit the amperage limit you set before the voltage limit. This would not deliver the full 11.5V then when that happens. It's the same thing with the Buck driver, but instead of pushing voltage it is cutting voltage. It simply supplies what the load asks for, up until an amperage limit is hit. Remember that voltage increases with amperage together in a diode, the driver does not increase one without pushing the other up.

BTW I'm curious, what do you mean 2 cells aren't practical at higher currents? The more current I am using, the more cells I prefer to use, because less amperage is then required from each cell. Using 3 18650s with the buck board would provide some huge run time.

 

[HIMNL9]

Well without unintentional hijacking here, I've PM'd Excerd :beer: Everytime I read about another driver that's cheap yet capable of tweaking like this.... Yes, it's going to be a good year

The one you linked is based on AX2002 from Axelite manufacturer, and this IC is stated as step-down only ..... not as a boost driver.

 

[danefex]

The one you linked is based on AX2002 from Axelite manufacturer, and this IC is stated as step-down only ..... not as a boost driver.

OK I see, thanks. I was just referring to that link as an example of cheap drivers not boost drivers, but I hadn't even noticed they were step-down.

 

[HIMNL9]

No problems ..... finding good (small, cheap, high current, all in one ) boost drivers is almost a global quest, for laser hobbysts

 

[kozack]

Does this driver have protection from voltage spikes, I mean, is it safe to use it with an expensive diode? Do you know what are the input voltage requirement/limitations?
:thanks:

 

[steviedezie]

I noticed that all the sandwich shoppes boost drivers are all limited to 1A output. It makes me wonder why they dont use another IC to get higher currents, or maybe its because LED's dont need over 1A? do you guys think that we could find a suitable IC and do a reflow on those boost drivers?

 

[HIMNL9]

No, some SST LEDs requires more than 1A, some models can go til 5A (for flashlights, there are also bigger ones, but not used in flashlights) ..... probably is a commercial choice, cause ICs for 1A and around are relatively cheap, where instead ICs for higher currents have more complex circuits and are more expensives (boost ones, at least).

 

[Exerd]

They have voltage spike protection. I made sure of that. I have driven 12x diodes on 8.4v without any problems.

About the voltage input. The info thread is currently down. It surprises me that they don't list specs on the website, but to my best of knowledge, I want to say that input was a maximum of 18v.