Confirmation!! NewWish Lasers ARE Pot Moddable!!!!

[Sputnik]

Ark, APC stands for Automatic Power Control. It is a Photo Diode that measures the output and automatically adjusts it for constant, no fluctuation output.


I have now confirmed that disableing the APC does indeed increase the output dramatically.

Just cut both wires off, you will no longer need either. Unless you intend on using APC at some point.

The output after APC disable is 54mW @ 397mA. Again using LED method, so theres error here.

I have not operated it for more than 15 sec. with no APC yet.


BTW, I removed my module by using a mini pipe cutter about 3/8 in. back from where the tip goes on. The module slid out very neatly and this allows me to slide it back into the housing to use it as a pointer. A piece of tape holds it nicely in place.


I also disassembled the module itself. There is a beam splitter that directs output to the PD. I will remove the splitter soon to see what effect it has. It is green in color so I will assume it is also used as an IR filter. Removing it will let more IR through. It should also increase the output slightly as part of the output is being split and directed to the PD.

More to come...........

 

[badinstincts]

woohoo, a 5mw laser turned into a 54mw laser, cant wait till he gets rid of the beam splitter, and tries running it for a minute or longer... =)

 

[pixar]

BTW, I removed my module by using a mini pipe cutter about 3/8 in. back from where the tip goes on. The module slid out very neatly and this allows me to slide it back into the housing to use it as a pointer. A piece of tape holds it nicely in place.

Any chance of a pic?

 

[archangel080]

1. Is there a way to cut only 1 of the two wires to disable the APC? Which? And would it be possible to add a switch to turn the APC on and off? (That way we would get the option of weak and no cycle or powerful and short duty cycle.)

2. You didnt try the way I removed the module? (Leaving deep teeth grip marks around the tube that holds the module, that way, the module slides out easily and can be put back no problem.)

3. Sorry for my multiple beginner's questions but I find the members of this forum rather knowledgeable and good teachers. What does a splitter do? and by removing it, thus removing the IR filther at the same time, would the IR light come out as a focused beam or spread out? and are eyes in danger of any harm when expose to those kind of intensity levels?

EDIT: I've desoldered the black wire. But because of a lack of measurement device, I have no idea if it did anything... The only difference I have noticed now is that I have to push the button extra hard to get maximum output. Again, because of my inexperienced eye, I try to measure by seing how much of the beam I can see in the dark... and the visibility is still minimal...
Sputnik, at what voltage are you getting your 50+mW reading? Can you burn through a garbage bag?

 

[badinstincts]

4. Would I go blind if I point the 54mw laser in my eyes?

 

[blindsided]

it doesn't matter how strong it is, if it goes into your eye you can cause serious damage. Usually though, the eyes natural instinct blinks and closes itself so there probably won't be too much damage. I wouldn't do that.

 

[badinstincts]

well, yea i just got my 3 lasers from the same guy you got it from, but I had to pay almost $50 each. Anyways, i pointed it between my nose and your eyes start hurting already, i dont think i'll try it. heh, and i'm a guy who would do it anyways just to see what happens. well i'm about to take the drill to the laser and open up the pot, hehehe. i'm going to try on the worst one, the one with bad divergence just to see...

 

[pixar]

10mw has been quoted as causing eye damage - 10mw+ is supposed to cause eye damage even before you blink - or so they say. Why point it at your eyes, even a 5mw? Who can tell if the IR radiation is properly stopped let alone the visible radiation - cheaper units or those dropped/knocked in shipping can have a loose filter - you really want all that going into your eyes - just to see, but not for long !

 

[badinstincts]

Stupidity removed by Kiessling.
Do that again and be gone from CPF for at elast for a while.

 

[badinstincts]

does shorting the pot work better than just finding the max spot. i would guess that shorting it would be better since the pot would still have some resistance...

also i totally ruined my pot (stripped the screw marks off) i didn't know how to exactly do the mod, can you guys please explain it to me. I've read that if you turn the pot more than 270deg its ruined... also which way do i turn it on this laser? I got the same one as sputnik...

 

[Athoul]

Counter-clockwise should lower the resistance, making the laser brighter.

 

[badinstincts]

aha, i started turning it clockwise, like 10 turns, i thought it unscrews or something, thats how it kinda worked on my ccd camera with the pot. i did find a bright spot but it wasn't all that great, the laser was fairly bright to begin with and got dimmer once i started turning the pot. then at 1 spot it would be bright, i'm not sure if its the same as it was when i didn't turn the pot yet, or any brighter but once I get that spot i cant even move it a little clockwise or counter to get it any brighter. I then started turning it counter clockwise and got that same spot again... so now, this laser produces a bigger dot at the same distance as the other lasers that have a nice small powerful dot... so all that i accomplied is making it throw just as far as the unmodified 5mw lasers with a bigger dot... i can see it from about 2000-3000ft (but its already flashlight size at those distances) (500ft its about 1-2ft big and as bright as the small dot the others produce, 1000ft i'd say 3-5ft big still just as bright or brighter than the small dot the others produce, 2000-3000ft its about the size of a large car, i couldn't really see the other lasers dot at that distance but i kinda could, for this one its noticable but dim) (it was pretty much like this unmodified though, i would probably have to adjust the lens, and perhaps I'd see better performance from there)...

 

[archangel080]

wow wow... you werent suppose to turn the pot more than 1 revolution... you were to turn the laser on, look at the brightness of the dot, turn the pot, see the brightness vary and then adjust the pot to get the brightest dot you can.

 

[badinstincts]

BTW, I removed my module by using a mini pipe cutter about 3/8 in. back from where the tip goes on. The module slid out very neatly and this allows me to slide it back into the housing to use it as a pointer. A piece of tape holds it nicely in place.

what exactly do you mean 3/8" back from where the tip goes on. you mean the head of the laser? you measured 3/8" from the line it makes with the part of the tube that has the power button? so you cut the tube with the power button 3/8" back from the line that that tube makes with the head...

if so i'm gonna go get a pipe cutter and do so too, sounds like it would be a whole lot easier... i'm pulling and pulling to no avail...

 

[badinstincts]

wow wow... you werent suppose to turn the pot more than 1 revolution... you were to turn the laser on, look at the brightness of the dot, turn the pot, see the brightness vary and then adjust the pot to get the brightest dot you can.

yea thats what i did, it wasn't working so i kept turning and turning... until i got the lucky spot that i got now where its brighter. theres only 2 levels, bright or dim, dim sucks bad, bright is only a little teeny bit better than an unmodified, i actually think bright is the same as it was unmodified.

 

[Athoul]

I could be wrong, but I have a feeling you broke the pot by turning it to many times. You could just bypass the pot enirely if you just want a brighter dot, but you might want to use a resistor in case you kill the diode.

 

[Frankdux]

sorry I ahvent updated about the mods on this unit yet.. I have been away on a somewhat emergency. When Im back home I will finish my mods and give updates....


Thanks

 

[Sputnik]

OK, To answer some questions first.

1.The APC can be disabled by cutting EITHER WIRE, it does not matter

2. You could add a switch to APC if you wanna.

3. I cut mine 3/8 from the groove where the tip goes on. The tip actually holds the module, not the case, so there is clearence between the module and case. Cutting the case just where the tip ends inside allows the module (with tip) to be slid out/in.

4. A splitter is a piece of glass that is set at what is known as Brewsters Angle. At this angle, light is reflected off even if the glass is optically transparent. Im sure youve noticed this effect at some time in your life.

5 The IR leaking by removing the filter will be mostly focused with some stray non-focused radiation leaking out of the slot where the rod sits, in this laser anyway.


Now for more mods.

I completely disassembled the entire module. I totally removed the photo diode for the APC and its glass mount. I also removed the splitter/filter.

The splitter/filter actually skews the beam a bit to align it with the colimating optics. SO, after removal of splitter the beam was no longer directed strait out the optics. Rather, I got just a snip of the edge of the beam.

Heres the tricky part.

In order to re-align the rod with the optics, the rod mount(with rod) had to be removed and aligned PERFECTLY with the optics. The mount was glued in place with a very easily removed adhesive. I just slid a razor under the mount and it came right off. I re-aligned with very careful measurement using a digital caliper and a scribe to mark the brass.

Another tricky part.

As the pump diode does not emit from exact center, it also had to be aligned. I just loosened the retaining screw from the board end and turned it until it was dead center of the rod. However this must be done while the laser is ON. Care must be taken. I also added some thermal grease around the diode to help with heat dissipation.

OK, now for the cool part. The rod emits a very thin very intense beam even with no optics, however with a large divergence, so I decided to try some burning cutting experiments with no optics. The direct beam is VERY VERY THIN. It will cut strait through a thick industrial garbage bag VERY VERY FAST. However the only way you know it burnt through is to see the beam out the back side as the hole it makes is too small to see. Thats how small the beam is at about 1/2 from the rod. Although it is about 5 inches at 10 feet.

So now the optics, rod and diode are as perfectly aligned as I can get with the tools I have.

The beam/spot isnt noticeably brighter with the eye but measurement now shows 61mW using green LED and burns thin plack plastic a wee bit faster.

I took the black foam out of the case the laser came in and was able to burn my entire name into it in just over a minute. Albeit this is very light foam, easier to burn than a garbage bag.

Next mod is to try powering the diode directly with a CV/CC PSU, completely bypassing the original driver. Then I plan on pumping the rod with a 10Watt diode that I have coming. The rod will probably over heat and explode or fracture with a full 10 watts of IR so some power mangement will be in order.

Next time..........Adventures in Destroying Expensive Lasers....ON CPF

 

[archangel080]

eum... alright... so it seems like Im done modding... the rest sounds way too complex and difficult. Sputnik, since clearly your knowledge of lasers is very complete, why not design and build yourself one instead of buying cheap ones and boosting it to breaking point?

 

[badinstincts]

i agree with archangel080. with a 10w ir diode you could probably get 5w of green laser. why would you bother with a 5mw greenie and trying to boost it 1000x... A 5w green would give you a visible beam in daylight...