Removal of Laser Pointer Cap

[highamperage]

I'm having some trouble getting the cap off of this laser pointer. I'm wondering, do you think it's pressed on, or screwed on? Or what? Can anyone provide any tips on removing it? I want to get the PCB out. Thanks!

 

[stevetexas]

Looks like a leadlight. Should just be pressed on.

Lasermod did a big post on it long ago (http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=65847&page=1&pp=30). You'll be pleased.

Also, you should probably take a razor blade or knife and remove the plastic oval button before removing the module.

 

[Nisei]

Hm, I don't think it's a Leadlight. The button sticks out too much and the Leadlight button is more rounded at the edges.
And the warning label (bottom left) shows "Made in China". Leadlight labels says "Made in Taiwan" and has a serial number on it.

 

[zigziggityzoo]

Hm, I don't think it's a Leadlight. The button sticks out too much and the Leadlight button is more rounded at the edges.
And the warning label (bottom left) shows "Made in China". Leadlight labels says "Made in Taiwan" and has a serial number on it.

Leadlight has two places of manufacture. Taiwan is their original location (some believe the lasers are higher quality when from Taiwan), and China is their new location.

This laser looks like a Leadlight to me, but the warning label does not. So I will agree with above poster. Though this may be a leadlight laser, I don't think it is.

 

[highamperage]

No, it's not a leadlight. I have a small import business and I imported this directly from an OEM manufacturer in China. Perhaps leadlight uses the same company as an OEM manufacturer, but probably. not.

I've been working on the razor blade approach in the laser modding article, and may be getting somewhere, but it's extremely difficult.

 

[iemand]

It takes a while with a razor, and you get the chance to cut a finger.
I used a big, sharp, but a lot handier kitchen knife, you know the ones that are used for chopping vegetables. These have a long blade with a very sharp edge, sharp enough for getting between the endcap, yet the long blade allows you to use enough force to quickly get the cap out the pointer. A plier goes even faster, but you damage the soft copper endcap.

 

[stevetexas]

Oops, my bad - I see what you're looking at and retract my opinion about it being a leadlight. Sorry. Still, the cap is probably pressed on and you may be able to do a quick pot mod.

Don't use anything too expensive to pry the cap out, you may chip the blade...

Steve

 

[highamperage]

Well, this seems to be attached differently than the lead lights. I was unable to get it off with a knife or pliers. So, I used a shaped peice of metal and inserted it into the the apature, and pried on it. I was not overly concerned with damaging this laser, because this one is broken - however, you need to be very careful not to damage the lens if anyone uses this method.

Anyway, now I can't get the pcb/lens/anything out. It seems to be pressed in pretty tight. check out this pic:

Any ideas?

 

[SenKat]

TINY needlenose pliers ? That looks too tight for almost anything - perhaps a non-scratching cylinder could be pushed in with great force, to push it out the other end ? If it is already broken, can't hurt (much) to try, right ?

 

[Hemlock Mike]

I use a small punch and a drill press as an arbor press. Try to push against the brass part.


Mike

 

[stevetexas]

Since it's broken, try to push it out from the back side where the batteries go. I have done this a few times with other lasers using heavy duty tweezers (forceps). Just be careful that the tips of the tweezers hit the brass metal rim of the heatsink and not the PCB.

Usually works best for me with the tips "open" spanning the board so you push on 2 sides instead of one. Also, a VERY narrow screwdriver could be used...

Once you get it out a little, then try to pull it out the front with some pliers... (Don't risk damaging the board when you can safely pull it out.)

 

[Nisei]

I don't think you'll ever get this out since it's pressed in very firmly.
Why not cut it open above the switch? Then you can see if there's a pot and if there is you can drill a hole at that location at your undamaged units.

 

[highamperage]

Yea, the more I work on it, the more I think you're right. *becoming disgruntled* I flat out put a screwdriver down the tube and beat on it, still didn't budge. Time to get out my chainsaw, I'll teach it a lesson! haha.

After I've opened it with some outrageously violent method, and see whether it has a POT adjustment, Maybe I'll contact the company and have them send me some units with the driver/diode/lens assembly not installed in a tube, and then make my own box for it... using a Li-Poly battery or something. Keychain sized. Sounds good.

 

[highamperage]

Well, that was fun. Sawed it in half and got the PCB out. So, I found that on this model the POT is on the bottom of the PCB. Also, I don't know if most lasers have this, but the PCB was enclosed in a plastic case. I think I can drill a hole right over the right spot on my other working laser in order to do a POT mod.

----

PCB in the plastic case

PCB & Plastic Case

Back of PCD showing the POT

Diode/Lens Assembly

 

[highamperage]

So, I'm wondering… there are 3 pins on this diode. There's 2 for power (- is attached to the case) and there is one for a photo connection. However, I don't know which is for the photo and which is for power. There is one attached to the case, and two "black" pins. Any ideas?


I think I can figure out which pin was connected to the POT's output via the PCB. But it looks like it's the grounded one, could that be right?

 

[stevetexas]

for some reason, only the last picture shows up and stays visible. could you repost the other pictures separately?

The positive lead of the diode often has an indicator (+) and is the only diode lead on one side of the PCB - the neg and ground are on the other side. Correct me if I'm wrong...

 

[SenKat]

The negative, or ground should be alone on the PCB - the hot one(s) will either be joined, or only on will be soldered to the opposite side of the PCB. Some of the manufacturers just solder both of the (non-negative) pins together, and run juic throught them. I have not had any problems doing this, either on all my diode mods and experiments. I may have just been lucky, though - so I cannot tell you for certain that is okay to do.

 

[highamperage]

Ha, get this. I found the pot on the working laser, adjusted it, and it failed shortly after. Hmm.. well, so I was like.. dangit, and went and bought a leadlight 105 (5mw). But, That thing is so dim compared to the Chinese laser! They must have pre-modded it or something, I don't know, but there was just no comparison vs the leadlight.. the cheap Chinese one was tremendously brighter. I'm gonna sell my leadlight and import more of the others.

 

[highamperage]

Or, do you think I should attempt modding the leadlight 105?