Q on laser optics.

[Ashton]

as I said in my other thread, I'm building a 200mw laser from a DVD recorder. I have a cheep <5mw pointer I canibalized and ripped the heatsync and lens out of (oh, if only I'd know at the time that it was pot modable! I'd have just ordered a $10 one to destroy!) But I'm having trouble aligning the DVD diode with the heat sync and lens. I end up with a very large spray, over an inch at 2 feet, and to really focus it, I have to bring the target within 2" (without a lens, as one can guess, it surpasses 3 feet in <3feet of distance).

I've yet to be able to remove the DVD diode from it's square heatsync (terrafied I'll destroy what ammounts to a $50 diode) so it's around 3mm off from the alignment used by the old pointer. and if I take the optics assembally appart and place the diode against the second tube, it's about 3mm off too close.

So my questions are these:

1. judging by my results, will this heatsync/lens combo work with my diode to give me the normal laser focus

2. if so, assuming I need to remove the DVD diode from it's square heatsync, what's the safest way to do this w/o damaging it? (I have access to most common handtools/power tools)

 

[SenKat]

First things first - get yourself a few of the <10mw modules (650nm) from Aixiz....you punch out the 10mw diode, and press fit in your dvd-diode. It has focusable optics (easily turned) to focus near or far.....


Secondly - removing it from the square heatsink takes patience ! Two needlenose pliers is what I used -basically trying to BEND the assembly - the diode pops out ! So - have a nice, safe, soft landing place handy for the diode to land when it is liberated from the last confines of the dvd-burner....

Hope this is helpful ! The Aixiz modules cost around $12.00 US. I used one - unaltered - to boost the output of a little cheesy scanner ($20.00 at spencers) from 1mw to 10mw ! Thus increasing the visabilty vastly ! It STILL sucks - but looks better than when it was purchased !