reducing power to green laser pointers

i am planning on using a green laser pointer, true <5mw leadlight GPL-105 from abeland, for a small home made laser show. I already know that you cannot leave them on for more that 3 mins at a time so as not to burnout/damage the laser. I was wondering if i reduced the voltage to that the laser was giving out much less power, say 1-2mw, would this allow me to leave the laser on for alot longer? maybe 30 mins at a time?

has anyone done this or know if it might work?

thanks people! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

mmm... reducing it will give you a lower output that might not be so great... how about active cooling? peltier cooler anybody? LN2? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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TheFire said:
mmm... reducing it will give you a lower output that might not be so great... how about active cooling? peltier cooler anybody? LN2? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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I vote for the Peltier cooler. That's what they use in fiber optic transmitters.

You can find Peltier junctions here...

ah yes peltier coolers, i have seen them before but how would i mount it on something thats round in shape like the laser pointer??? are they flexible?

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greenlasersrule said:
ah yes peltier coolers, i have seen them before but how would i mount it on something thats round in shape like the laser pointer??? are they flexible?

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Well, they're not flexible at all - you'd probably have to fashion a small automobile hose clamp along with some thermal grease to conduct the cooling from the peltier to the case of the laser. The portion of the pointer case that's in direct contact with the peltier would conduct some of the heat away from the pointer's case since the case is metal, and the hose clamp would collect some of the heat from the circumference of the pointer's case and deliver it to the peltier.

that could work, although i dont think the laser would get hot enough for the hose clamp to conduct enough of the heatt to the peltier, i think i would need to get hold of some sort of heat sink that would clamp the laser pointer case with a flat top surface to put the peltier on, i have no idea if anythink like that exists though..... hmmm... will check it out. cheers for the help