xenophobe
Newly Enlightened
My original BTG-10 from z-bolt.com. I hit "buy it now" on ebay for $69+ shipping, and it arrived four days later.
I got the package and opened it up. It contained a rather cheap and flimsy case that really didn't do the unit justice, at least not like the metal case does for the standard GLP-105/110 units. I'd post a picture of it, but I don't remember where I placed it. lol
It's a very sturdy and thick unit. Short and stout, but it fits nicely in the hand. Here is the unit compared next to a standard GLP-105.
In this photo, you can see how much more mass the body has. You can also see a little Artic Silver remaining between the laser body and head.
Output read slightly above 3mW on my Analog Green Laser Meter. Compared to a commercial grade 5mW AtlasNova leadlight, it was noticably dimmer. Seeing how this body has a thick aluminum body around the area of the laser, I decided that I should try adjusting the potentiometer and would be able to have a constant-on device with relatively minimal duty-cycle time.
Here's my unit before modification and the punch I used to press the laser barrel out of the unit:
Looking down into the battery compartment, you can see plenty of area where the barrel can be securly pressed with the punch.
Here's a picture of my unit on the drill press I used to ress the module from the body. I attached the press bit into the drill collet, and then placed the BTG-10 face into the plastic tailcap protector and placed it against the cloth I set down to protect it. I put the punch inside and aligned it so it was touching the brass laser assembly and used maybe 15 pounds of force. It slid out rather easily.
A picture of a laser assembly inside the cap (ffs lol)
Complete dissassembly of the unit:
A closeup of the driver board. Standard Leadlight 105 with the switch shorted with a piece of wire.
After performing a standard potentiometer adjustment, I assembled the unit and got 17mW. I ran this unit for about an hour without fluxuation. The next morning I run it for about another half an hour and the same, a nice, stable 17mW. The unit DID get noticably warm to the touch, at first I thought it was because of the battery, but it was definitely because the laser barrel heated up. Despite reaching 80-90 degrees F, it did not show signs of overheating.
The next day, a friend comes by my work to see it. He accidentally brushes it and it drops to the ground. Grrrr.... It works, but the output is inconsistent.
Checking the meter, it starts at about 40mW and in a few seconds it floats, fluctuating between 15mW and 17mW. I'm not happy at this point, so I dissassemble it again, and fiddle with the pot, which seems to be rather touchy.
After tinkering with it for about half an hour, I get it set at 15mW and it appears to be stable. I reassemble the laser, putting a nice amount of Arctic Silver between the barrel and the unit, making sure not to get any on the driver board, and press it back together. I powered it up with a new Energizer Lithium battery, and it's at a relatively stable 30mW. It starts at about 40mW and in a few seconds, drops to about 33mW and around two minutes or so later is at 30mW, where I usually turn the unit off.
Anyways, I'm not sure what I'm accomplishing here, but figured a few people might like to see this all explained. Yes, I have a ammeter, and no I haven't checked the draw, but the pot isn't even adjusted for full brightness. It's backed off perhaps 1/5 a turn from it's brightest position.
The only real complaint I have about the unit is that the tailcap on/off switch is MUCH too sensitive. A light touch will turn the unit on. Perhaps I need to try to dissassemble it and put a stiffer spring in there... hmm...
Also, it would be nice if there was a vertical mount potentiometer that could be placed on the driver board, so it can be adjusted without having to dissasemble the unit or drill a hole in the body.
Other than that, it's a great unit that's suitable for modifications that require more heat dissapation.
So, here are the pics I promised... a bit late no doubt! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
I got the package and opened it up. It contained a rather cheap and flimsy case that really didn't do the unit justice, at least not like the metal case does for the standard GLP-105/110 units. I'd post a picture of it, but I don't remember where I placed it. lol
It's a very sturdy and thick unit. Short and stout, but it fits nicely in the hand. Here is the unit compared next to a standard GLP-105.
In this photo, you can see how much more mass the body has. You can also see a little Artic Silver remaining between the laser body and head.
Output read slightly above 3mW on my Analog Green Laser Meter. Compared to a commercial grade 5mW AtlasNova leadlight, it was noticably dimmer. Seeing how this body has a thick aluminum body around the area of the laser, I decided that I should try adjusting the potentiometer and would be able to have a constant-on device with relatively minimal duty-cycle time.
Here's my unit before modification and the punch I used to press the laser barrel out of the unit:
Looking down into the battery compartment, you can see plenty of area where the barrel can be securly pressed with the punch.
Here's a picture of my unit on the drill press I used to ress the module from the body. I attached the press bit into the drill collet, and then placed the BTG-10 face into the plastic tailcap protector and placed it against the cloth I set down to protect it. I put the punch inside and aligned it so it was touching the brass laser assembly and used maybe 15 pounds of force. It slid out rather easily.
A picture of a laser assembly inside the cap (ffs lol)
Complete dissassembly of the unit:
A closeup of the driver board. Standard Leadlight 105 with the switch shorted with a piece of wire.
After performing a standard potentiometer adjustment, I assembled the unit and got 17mW. I ran this unit for about an hour without fluxuation. The next morning I run it for about another half an hour and the same, a nice, stable 17mW. The unit DID get noticably warm to the touch, at first I thought it was because of the battery, but it was definitely because the laser barrel heated up. Despite reaching 80-90 degrees F, it did not show signs of overheating.
The next day, a friend comes by my work to see it. He accidentally brushes it and it drops to the ground. Grrrr.... It works, but the output is inconsistent.
Checking the meter, it starts at about 40mW and in a few seconds it floats, fluctuating between 15mW and 17mW. I'm not happy at this point, so I dissassemble it again, and fiddle with the pot, which seems to be rather touchy.
After tinkering with it for about half an hour, I get it set at 15mW and it appears to be stable. I reassemble the laser, putting a nice amount of Arctic Silver between the barrel and the unit, making sure not to get any on the driver board, and press it back together. I powered it up with a new Energizer Lithium battery, and it's at a relatively stable 30mW. It starts at about 40mW and in a few seconds, drops to about 33mW and around two minutes or so later is at 30mW, where I usually turn the unit off.
Anyways, I'm not sure what I'm accomplishing here, but figured a few people might like to see this all explained. Yes, I have a ammeter, and no I haven't checked the draw, but the pot isn't even adjusted for full brightness. It's backed off perhaps 1/5 a turn from it's brightest position.
The only real complaint I have about the unit is that the tailcap on/off switch is MUCH too sensitive. A light touch will turn the unit on. Perhaps I need to try to dissassemble it and put a stiffer spring in there... hmm...
Also, it would be nice if there was a vertical mount potentiometer that could be placed on the driver board, so it can be adjusted without having to dissasemble the unit or drill a hole in the body.
Other than that, it's a great unit that's suitable for modifications that require more heat dissapation.
So, here are the pics I promised... a bit late no doubt! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
