Can any laser diode be modded for fixed use?

[blasterman]

I currently have a 250mW Q-beam I'm using at a Rock-N-Bowl, but there's only so much I can do with it. I want more beams - not brighter beams for the light show. I have a variance, so the 10mW junk from Chauvet, etc. isn't worth my time.

I see cheap green diodes (50-100mW) all over Ebay with leads, but don't know much about them. I assume they are the same ones that go in pointers, but without the pointer.

Anyways, If I were to mount one of these on a heatsink and hit it with a current regulated supply would work as a cheap, fixed laser? Before the FDA stuff went into effect I thought about just getting a big cheap pointer from DX, tearing it apart, and seeing if it would work this way.

 

[HobbyLaser]

I see cheap green diodes (50-100mW) all over Ebay with leads, but don't know much about them.

Those aren't diodes (green laser diodes are still highly experimental & VERY expensive $$$), they are green DPSS modules. They use a complicated, multi-stage process to generate the green laser light.

I assume they are the same ones that go in pointers, but without the pointer.

Yes, the same sort of device is also used inside of green laser pointers.

Anyways, If I were to mount one of these on a heatsink...

Yes, you can do that...you also want to make sure that the heat sink makes good contact towards the back end of the brass case, as that is typically where the pump diode is mounted and a lot of the heat is generated on many of these modules.

... and hit it with a current regulated supply...

No, you DON'T want to do that. Because of the somewhat unique power requirements, these green modules typically have a constant-current driver already installed as part of the module. These drivers are often designed to work only at a specific voltage, and typically have little to no transient filtering.

If you want to power one of these off of something besides batteries, what you want to connect it to is a well-filtered, VOLTAGE regulated supply, typically set @3V.

Also, watch the polarity! - unlike other lasers and many flashlights, green modules are typically case-positive.

Before the FDA stuff went into effect I thought about just getting a big cheap pointer from DX, tearing it apart, and seeing if it would work this way.

You may be interested in knowing then that DX now also sells green modules separately, this is likely where some of the eBayer's are getting them from. (These appear to be the same modules that DX uses inside of their "True Series" green pen lasers) They come in power levels ranging from 5mw to 200mw. And because these are OEM modules with wires that require soldering skills, and NOT completed lasers, they also ship these to the US!

They don't list these in the green lasers section (there is a old-style small module in there, but you don't want that to get that one). Because they're parts, they stuck them in a DIY Parts category. Prices aren't too bad either, for example, here is the 50mw one -

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26889

How's that compare to the prices (w/shipping) you've seen on eBay?

 

[blasterman]

I'm seeing the same prices everywhere, but I simply assumed DX was blacklisting everything to the U.S. thanks to morons shining them at helicopters. I'll stick to DX since I've bought a lot of parts from them.

Thank's for the power supply tips. I'm used to LEDs and not the particular quirks of laser drivers. My ultimate plan is to power about a dozen of these in a cluster, but I need to verify they'll work in a fixed role first.

 

[alpg88]

few lasers that i used in my mods came from ebay and dx.
those are the same modules that are used in pointers, with already build in driver, all you need is 3v battery. one i even had to separate, copper diode optic module and driver board, there was no room for it as one long peice, had to only solder 3 wires.
some of my lasers are not parts of pointers, bit have a diode, optic in one module, and driver board separately, those can take wide range of volts, in my case from 3 to 18.
whenever you buy a laser module it tells you power requirements, if the board is attached to the back of the module has a switch, and a spring,(body is a positive contact, spring is negative) or a red\black wires, those 99% need 3v.