simple mod idea...

[Ashton]

I have a ~70mw red diode (I think... I know it's <120) and I have a cheep red ebay AAAx2 laser pointer.

IIRC, red lasers do not use a drive circuit, and all opperate at the same voltage. Could I feasably open up my red pointer, remove the diode within, and install my higher-power diode? or would it just burn up my better diode?

havn't tried to take the ebayser appart yet, so I dont know if this is even possible, though I'd ask first, since it's acctually a very nice pointer for what I paid for it (very happy, but, like all of us, I want more power! lol)

 

[Hemlock Mike]

Ashton -

If the "cheep" pointer has a 5.6 mm LD, It should work if there is enough mass for heatsinking. Sadly, many of the newer cheep reds have a LD chip installed and no way to fit in a REAL LD..
HOWEVER --- You may be able to fit an Axiz module into the pointer holder and it will work -- I've done it. You may be able to run the LD direct off the cells but start with a couple ohms and don't forget a capacitor across the LD terminals.

Mike

 

[The_LED_Museum]

Many inexpensive red laser pointers use what's known as a "C-Mount".
It looks like this:

 

[Kenom]

Why do they call it a c-mount and is it better than a ordinary LD?

 

[Ashton]

ok, this is bizzare...

took me a while,. but I finally got the pointer appart. IT consists of the tube, button, spring (which fell off...) a rubber washer, a switch, and a heatsync with lens... I can find no diode at all! I turn the board where I'm looking down the heatsynk to where the diode shoudl be, and I turn it up towards a light and I see all around it! eitehr the diode is <1mm in diameter, or.....?

I'll try to post soem pics, but the heatsync is large neough to easily hold a LD, but there isn't one in it, just the board the switcdh is mounted on!