Disassembling $1 LASER pointers

[chuck]

Yep, this is what I want to do. I found a store, locally, that sells the <5mw keychain red pointers, and want to disassemble one of them. I hate button cell batteries.

The first one I bought doesn't work right. I took it back, he fiddled with it for a while, and we did see some LASER light come out of it -- the thing works, but the switch is probably bad. He replaced it with a working one (confirmed in the store), and then gave me the broken one to play with. So...it's time to take something apart!

It appears to be either press fit or glued in...but it's impossible to say from the outside. Does anyone know how to take these things apart? I prefer not just going in without any idea of what I'm doing. In case it makes a difference, it's the newer style one, with the red rubbery button.

Thanks!

-- Chuck Knight

 

[Daedal]

I have tried many different things with these lasers, I actually have some of the diode assemblies left...

I was controling the diode form a computer, and you can see that I used a solder wire to jump the switch

The easiest way I have found is to simply dremel, or saw off, the barrel right behind the diode. The barrel will slide right off (make sure to pull the button out of the hole first) and the diode assembly will be left to it's own, you can now rewire as needed.

--DDL

 

[chuck]

Thanks! Y'all are all so helpful...and supportive.

But, a question. Does it pull out through the aperture end, or the battery end? Thought I might try an ice pick (that's a heatsink around the diode, right?) and a bit of pressure, before breaking out the hacksaw.

-- Chuck Knight

 

[Kenom]

Never seen a red laser pointer at a dollar store so I've no clue how to assist. I've always got a Dremel with a cutting tool handy for anything I can't open. I just cut till it comes out. I did purchase a gun laser sight that was red and the diode on it was not the traditional diode but was a teenie surface mount thingy. So be very very careful.

 

[chuck]

I actually was in a small country town, and this wasn't at the dollar store. It's a Chinese tool store (think Harbor Freight, but a different brand) and the price was $1.68. Still, it's cheap enough. Can't wait to get it disassembled, and mounted in something with a proper power supply.

-- Chuck Knight

 

[Kenom]

it's actually kind of stupid. We had some kids here brought up on charges for shining a laser pointer at an airplane and blinded the pilot. Needless to say the pointer scene is rather skimpy here. it's impossible to find a laser pointer no matter how cheap for under $14.99 and even those are kept under lock and key.