How to detect a efficient crystal set in Leadlight

Ive been ordering alot of leadlight 105 pointers for a small side business im doing involving a mount for these lasers. My question is... Sofar im just checking each laser by doing a pot mod then turning them back down. Im hoping to run across a super efficient laser that i can keep for myself, sofar the highest ive found with just a pot mod is 19mw. Will a unit with super efficient crystals give higher output with just a potmod(like say 40mw maybee) Or would I also have to align the diode and turn up the pot before realizing if the crystal set is good or not? I hope I have not let any good pointers slip by,what do you all think?

I just ordered 6 more leadlight 105's . I just dont have the time to align,potmod,and resistor swap each one. I will just potmod them all and keep the highest output unit and then fully mod it. I hope by just doing potmods i can sucessfully find the most efficient unit. Any suggestions?

Re: How to detect a efficient crystal set in Leadl

Just keep on checking, several months ago I purchased a couple greenies from a fellow cpf'r that were in the 50-60 mw range
( coherant laser check ) with pot mod only. And running a conservative 300ma current. They came from Vital Spirit, who is known for passing them along without culling them. The one you are looking for is out there somewhere. I wonder if 105's are still being manufactured, or, are you buying leftover stock?? .... Someday I'll get inside one of the good ones and see how much it can be pushed, they appear quite stable now, but I wont leave well enough alone for long.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

For checking crystal efficiency, maybe it is easyer to measure just current consumption per mW. If it is lower than normal, then it is worth to try pot-mod.

The majority of 105's ive bought from vital spirit already had the hole drilled for the pot. But since ive been ordering alot from them ive asked if they could throw one or two in that where not checked or already drilled. I did recieve one once that had no hole, I just ordered 6 so ill let you know when they get here. I guess i will just keep the highest output one of the 6 units with potmod and then fully mod it- I hope this procedure will work for finding the best unit.

Re: How to detect a efficient crystal set in Leadl

You seem to be confused... What exactly are you looking for? An efficent laser, or an efficent crystal set?

Adjusting the potentiometer (hardly a "mod" IMO) will only show you how well THAT particular unit can be driven. The leadlight potentiometers are pretty crappy... some have intermittant connectivity, others have gaps instead of a smooth curve in adjustability, as well as not being able to get full current with others, or a combination of the three. So you may only get about 20mW out of a particular unit that might be able to sustain 40mW+, only because of a bad potentiometer.

Adjusting the pot will also show you how well a particular laser diode is aligned in the molding and barrel in conjunction with how well the MCA crystal set is aligned in conjunction with that led.

A perfect crystal will only output as well as the original LED will allow, and the LED's alignment in the barrel, as well as the crystal's alignment in the path of the IR beam also plays a significant role in how well the whole unit will visually perform or rate at.

Testing just the efficency of an MCA is completely different, and would require complete dissassembly of these lasers, a testbed to be laid out for testing, and some serious equipment that isn't cheap by any means.

In other words, you could have the most efficient GOD crystal with 100% efficency, but because of the other crappy components in a leadlight, you may not ever know just by turning up the pot.

So I guess you're just looking for the 'brightest' lasers out of the batch? You could have just said that. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Re: How to detect a efficient crystal set in Leadl

ill check current draw to find the most efficient

Re: How to detect a efficient crystal set in Leadl

That won't determine if a crystal set is efficient.

If you check the draw AND output, you would only be checking which units have better LEDs and better alignment.