DVD burners that rock for diodes.

The purpose of this thread is to educate and let others know of our own success. It is my hope for this to one day become a sticky and people looking to make thier own DVD burner lasers can come to this list of DVD burners and choose from the list which burner to get to make thier own Laser.

Essentially what you do is if you have torn into a DVD burner for the specific purpose of harvesting a DVD Laser diode, post what your findings were. 1. What was the brand? 2. What was the model #? 3. Was the diode open or closed? 4. What kind of power did you get out of it?

I will start things off with my own experience in this and my own findings thus far.

1. Plextor
2. Px-708a
3. Diode was closed
4. Output power in the range of 100mw.

By "open or closed" do you mean if the diode package has a window (glass over output aperture) or not (as many cheap reds have none for cost reasons)?

I have a burner coming for a project and will participate, though I have no power meter...

1. Pioneer
2. DVRA07
3. Closed
4. Don't know

1. Pioneer
2. DVRA09
3. Closed
4. Don't know

1. Pioneer
2. DVR112
3. Open
4. Don't know

Corona by open I mean that there is no glass covering the output aperature. Closed has glass.

Thanks for your input Krisp.

1. LG
2. GSA-H42N
3. Uncovered (open).
4. Melts through a trash bag. Makes cigar butts smoke (blackened tobacco). Pops balloons with black marker spot. Won't easily light a match, but I'll be trying again.

Operating at 150mA in Elly-based assembly, 10 ohm 1/2 watt resistor. Assembly has variable focus and Aixiz brass module, plastic aspheric lens.

I've run it for in excess of 5 minutes at a time and it doesn't even feel warm. The Elly body does a great job of heatsinking the laser module!

The size / length of the semiconductor laser in the diode is way cool; it's easily 3mm long. One problem this introduces in the Elly (as I make them) is it places the output mirror facet a bit closer to the collimating lens, preventing point-blank focus (the brass collar / lens has to be unscrewed too far - all the way off if you're not careful). It will safely (?) achieve about a 6 inch (15cm) focal distance to a sharp spot, and adjusts out to a fairly well collimated beam for general "oh wow" duty and beam shots.

Against my ~25mW greenie, it appears to have about equal luminosity both to the eye and digital camera. It's a whole lotta red!

Thanks for the input. Doesn't anyone have any experience with which DVD burners netted you a good diode?

NEC good, 150-180mw

LG good, but open can ( when i say open can I mean bare diode no metal at all not just a missing window ) 200mw+, but fragile as hell, every one has died while i tried to make it into something.

Hello Aseras,
Do you happen to know the model number of the NEC?

I just got done tearing into a Sony DW-D26A Bought the drive as-is on ebay and was not functioning for reading or writing so I figured what the hay! Lo-and-behold closed cans. Pretty good power.

So here it is.

1.Sony
2.DW-D26A
3. Closed diode
4 unknown output.

Hi, my laser is

1. Benq
2. Dw1620
3. 5.6 mm with glass (closed)
4. Don´t know output power

I use it at 150 mA and Vd=2.59 volts (389 mW input power) with a collimator from a laser copier. So output power must be near 100mW.
None heat problem and very low divergence.

another report of a good dvd rewritable drive

1. Memorex
2. MRX-525G
3. closed cans
4. output power unknown

and another I tore into the other day.

1. HP
2. ZD8000 notebook drive.
3. Red was closed can IR open can
4. Unknown output power.

1. Benq
2. Dw1625
3. 5.6 mm with glass (closed)
4. Greater than 100mw

I am guessing on output power, but I think it's close when driven with greater than 200ma. Currently I am driving the diode with around 240ma. It will light a match with a light gray head as long as the focus is perfect. I am using a Meredith module with a glass lens. It does start to heat up if left on for longer than a minute. Anything less and it stays cool.

1. LG
2. GSA-H42L
3. Closed can.
4. Output Unknown.

It must be noted that this particular model had a very large heatsink that the red diode is mounted into. It is very difficult to remove and takes lots of patience.

1. Sony
2. DRU-700A
3. Closed can for both IR and Red.
4. Unknown Output

1. Lite-On
2. LH-20A1P
3. Open can for both IR and Red
4. Not Known

1. Sony
2. DRU-800A
3. Open diode
4. 342mW peak @ 650mA with good heatsink

1. Pioneer
2. 112D
3. Open diode
4. 345mW peak @ 650mA with good heatsink

I assume most of the red diodes used in 18x DVD burners are the same. I've tried Samsung, LG and Lite-On 18x burners (forgot the model) as well with similar results to the above.

PS: Just keep in mind that these diodes get extremely hot real quick when being fed at 650mA without proper cooling (gets to 50C within 2 minutes with ambient room temp at 18C). So an active cooling such as fan assisted heatsink or peltier cooler is very recommended for longer duty cycle.

Cheers.

those are some pretty impressive output power levels. Can you post pictures of what your open can's look like. I've got a few open cans that I've seen but for some reason I am thinking they are completely different that what others are getting. I will post a pic of mine!


Shot at 2007-07-03


Shot at 2007-07-03

I find it odd I keep finding diode's that are rectangular instead of circular. This particular diode is IR.

Here you go mate. From all of the DVD burners I have dissected above, I always ended up with this type of diodes. They look "prettier" than the closed one I reckon . Very sexy :naughty:.

PS: This particular one have been through a lot as you can see from the scars on its body in the picture. However, this one is still putting out 342mW of red goodness without a hitch :twothumbs. I found them to be quite durable and I don't know why you are keep on breaking yours Aseras. Maybe you need to be more gentle in handling these beast .

Kenom: I've only come across with this type of diode once. It was the IR diode in a SCSI 12x Pioneer CD-ROM drive. Exactly like yours, the weird looking ones.



Shot at 2007-07-04

Hello VaThInK,

Hmmm they do look somewhat sexy. That's a lot of power coming out of that diode. I wonder if the diode has a tendency to stay cooler because it is open, not sealed like the ones most of us are familiar with. I definitely must try one of these. A quick search on e-bay revealed both of the drives you mentioned can be found for less than $40.00 including shipping. Maybe soon I can get one. The one I pulled from my Benq is still going strong.....