Tmack customs

[Tmack]

While burning is a cool feature about these, the real beauty is in the beam. At the right power, the beam is so defined, and bright. It's just astonishing the beauty of a pure wavelength that is piercing the sky. The color and brilliance is stunning.
I guarantee your jaw will drop the first time you click on a real laser and see the beam in a fully lit room.

 

[TEEJ]

While burning is a cool feature about these, the real beauty is in the beam. At the right power, the beam is so defined, and bright. It's just astonishing the beauty of a pure wavelength that is piercing the sky. The color and brilliance is stunning.
I guarantee your jaw will drop the first time you click on a real laser and see the beam in a fully lit room.

I believe you. If the beam hits a window, can it reflect back and blind you, etc?

and

What do these things COST?

:sweat:

 

[Tmack]

A window will bounce back a percentage of the beam that could potentially do damage yes. You learn to be very careful with your surroundings.
You definitely need to give them the proper respect. Eye protection is highly recommended for up close use. But just viewing the beam, or star pointing, just be aware of dangerous practices, and you'll save those eyes.

 

[Tmack]

A fully built maglite with the best lens possible is $350 for a 3w maglite build.

An envy is about 300 ready to go.



I can build some flashlight host for a bit cheaper, but the performance suffers.

Fully custom hosts like a anodized zaser of course will cost more.

 

[TEEJ]

A window will bounce back a percentage of the beam that could potentially do damage yes. You learn to be very careful with your surroundings.
You definitely need to give them the proper respect. Eye protection is highly recommended for up close use. But just viewing the beam, or star pointing, just be aware of dangerous practices, and you'll save those eyes.

I figured. I do a lot of work with other wavelengths (UV, etc) so I have a lot of respect for eye damage, and am pretty much paranoid about my environment when operating things that can ricochet in general.

 

[TEEJ]

A fully built maglite with the best lens possible is $350 for a 3w maglite build.

A custom host can run more or less depending on host price.
The ms envy is about $300 ready to go.

I can build some flashlight host for a bit cheaper, but the performance suffers.

Fully custom hosts like a anodized zaser of course will cost more.

A pocket sized version, with function as priority one, rather than form....I suppose like your MS Envy, would be about the least expensive w/o compromising performance?

 

[Tmack]

Yes sir. The ms envy has exceptional performance..
Most small hosts just have the heatsink in the head. The envy uses the entire host as a huge heatsink. Very thick sidewall for great runtime. I can get almost the same runtime as a MUCH larger host.

 

[TEEJ]

Hmmm, you sold me on the 445 nm wavelength and the envy....

Yours is 2.6 watt....is there a reason it could not be 3 watt or 5 watt, etc? What are the limiting factors? (Cells/amp draw? Heat dissipation?) HOW powerful can that go? (In that host)

How much of a difference would there be between say 2.6 w and 3.0 w in use?

 

[Tmack]

It can go 3.5w but that's effecting the diode life at 2.5a
I drive mine at 2.4a for around 3w depending on diode efficiency (some are better than others) the ms envy I have now is driven at 2.2a and I'm getting 2.6w which is the best of all world's. You will not notice a couple hundred mw at that power.
The best setup is a 9mm diode at 2.4a. Tons of power, without sacrificing the life of the diode, or the runtime.
3min is a long time to run a high power laser, and the envy does that fine. A laser us not like a flashlight. If it's hot, your running it too long. I recommend 2-3 min on a envy or until it's too warm. A host that size normally only a min is recommended, but the envy is that good.

 

[Tmack]

I can make it 6w with the new $500 9mm diode. But that would be a very short runtime, and a bunch of cash

 

[TEEJ]

It can go 3.5w but that's effecting the diode life at 2.5a

I drive mine at 2.4a for around 3w depending on diode efficiency (some are better than others)

the ms envy I have now is driven at 2.2a and I'm getting 2.6w which is the best of all world's.

You will not notice a couple hundred mw at that power.

The best setup is a 9mm diode at 2.4a. Tons of power, without sacrificing the life of the diode, or the runtime.

3min is a long time to run a high power laser, and the envy does that fine. A laser us not like a flashlight. If it's hot, your running it too long. I recommend 2-3 min on a envy or until it's too warm. A host that size normally only a min is recommended.

Digesting and processing....

OK, so it sounds so far as though I want an ms envy with 2.4 amp/3 w and 9mm diode at 445 nm, with roughly 2-3 min max run time, heat limited.

When the diode life is impacted at say 2.5 amps/3.5 w, is it significant, or is it like LED where its dropping from 30 years of use to 15 years of use?






----------------------------------------------------

I can make it 6w with the new $500 9mm diode. But that would be a very short runtime, and a bunch of cash

PS - ~$500 MORE or, ~ $500 vs ~ $300?


I assume the runtime is limited due to the doubling of heat produced....


Can these things have MODES? (Hi/Low etc?)

 

[Tmack]

Going to 3.5w first of all isn't guaranteed at 2.5a. Like I was saying, some diodes are just more efficient than others. So pushing that hard may not benefit, only hurt it.
The driver is also getting hotter faster.
The life span is also effected by the amount you use it, the length of each individual runtime, the randomness of the diode. Some just last longer. So I can't say definitively, but it is definitely more harm then good to overdrive like that.

I wish I had the hard numbers to give you, but because of all the variables, I just can't say.
I will tell you, if you had two lasers next to each other, one at 2.5a, and one at 2.2-2.4a, you would wonder why anyone would overdrive the diode, for such an insignificant gain.
They burn just as well/far, and go the same distance. Blue= midrange laser.

 

[TEEJ]

Going to 3.5w first of all isn't guaranteed at 2.5a. Like I was saying, some diodes are just more efficient than others. So pushing that hard may not benefit, only hurt it.
The driver is also getting hotter faster.
The life span is also effected by the amount you use it, the length of each individual runtime, the randomness of the diode. Some just last longer. So I can't say definitively, but it is definitely more harm then good to overdrive like that.

I wish I had the hard numbers to give you, but because of all the variables, I just can't say.
I will tell you, if you had two lasers next to each other, one at 2.5a, and one at 2.2-2.4a, you would wonder why anyone would overdrive the diode, for such an insignificant gain.
They burn just as well/far, and go the same distance. Blue= midrange laser.

OK, I just needed to know what the trade offs were, being a laser newb.

I can't think of a single practical use for this thing, but, I'm drawn like a moth to a flame.



As you are NOT a newb, I'd follow your advice for the 2.4 am/3 w version as a good idea.


Modes possible?

 

[Tmack]

No modes possible. Sorry. The drivers I use are specifically made for lasers, with soft start functions. They are the absolute best driver for this application. If they don't offer modes, I'm no driver expert to argue

Just the one mode is what I prefer. I don't want to assume it's safer being on a low mode and do something I usually wouldn't.
Diodes are extremely sensitive, so 1 mode may be attributed to that. I know of 1 builder who uses cheap led drivers with modes, and I don't agree with many of his build qualities. I go to every extreme ( sometime overkill) to make sure the diodes live a long happy life

 

[Tmack]

Oh and it would be more than $500 more as that's Just the diode cost! Insane!

 

[TEEJ]

That's fine. Just seeing if it could actually be used to POINT at things too, WITHOUT fulmination. (So far, clouds should be OK)




As for $500+ MORE, I guess the 3 w diodes are cheap in comparison, as their cost is not subtracted as a difference to upgrade to 6 w.

Maybe after I'm addicted to 3 w I'll need a 6 w fix...but, for now, a gateway laser should be good.

 

[Tmack]

Your not joking. A few of the guys I've built for are now full fledged laser addicts!

 

[TEEJ]

Your not joking. A few of the guys I've built for are now full fledged laser addicts!

LOL, so its NOTHING like flashlights then?




PS - Does the TSA care about these things in luggage on flights, etc? (I assume a carry on is verboten, but, in a checked bag with no cells in it?)

Anything I need to know, legal-wise?

 

[Tmack]

I'm not sure about that. I've had guys fly with them. Of course no battery inside. But I don't want to misinform you. I know customs like to confiscate them when shipping to a country with regulations, but as far as flying with one, I'm not sure. I had a friend say he travels with his by plane, but I'm not sure of laws on that.

 

[TEEJ]

I'm not sure about that. I've had guys fly with them. Of course no battery inside. But I don't want to misinform you. I know customs like to confiscate them when shipping to a country with regulations, but as far as flying with one, I'm not sure. I had a friend say he travels with his by plane, but I'm not sure of laws on that.

I'm going to be flying to AZ in May, and, well, I WILL be looking across the Grand Canyon, and, well, it occurs to me that that would be a potentially sweet spot to have this puppy at.

:devil: