Laser Flashlight Hack!!

Step 6 The new DVD Laser Diode!

Here is what your extracting diode will look like!

You can get the burning LASER DIODE HERE

Comments

[Tobor 2.0]

do you know some where i could buy (besides online) a laser housing or where i could find one

[Jedrokivich]

I found a bunch at a local thrift store for cheap.

[algviper]

if i get a 300mw diode off ebay would it work in the aixz from this project

[belldrakejared]

but if i havent aixiz?

[gnolnats]

Why is it when I power the diode there is no narrow stream of light? This is the third diode that I have tried with same results: wide spray of red light.

[PikminRed]

You need the laser housing or lens to focus it to one small point.

[lasermaster3531]

seriously? jeez, man you need to do some reading on laser diodes before doing things like this. every laser diode on this planet,and most of the ones on mars are like that. you need to get a laser housing from somewhere like Axiz and put this in it for it to focus. next time when you decide to undertake a project like this, you might want to consider crawling out from under that rock and doing some research.

[kiss my donkey]

This is a good thing gnolnats its supposed to do that. you just need to get a lens you should put the diode in the AixiZ Laser Module which as he said serves as a heatsink and a lens then you will get the narrow stream of light

[gnolnats]

There was no mention of a lens in the tutorial, that I saw anyway. Where would I get this lens? Thanks for your reply.

[UbuntuNinja]

Actually, there was a mention of the lens in the Instructable. Read the comment over the picture of the housing being inserted into the Maglight in step 10.

[gnolnats]

OK, I got a new question. The new module came and I hooked it up to the maglite and it burned bright as expected for about 10 seconds and now it only barely lights up. The same for the dvd led that I removed from the burner, it only barely lights up. I got 2 modules so I hooked the other one up and it burns bright also, but I didn't leave it connected for very long. Why do they burn so dim, are they being damaged? Also, do you de-solder the original laser and then solder the dvd laser to the little circuit board or wire it directly to the mag lite ignoring the circuit board that came with the module?

[IdDa420]

 same a gnolnats says whats wrong with my laser is on buts realy dim
i used a mini mag lite and put the diode where the light was and its dim. am i doing something wrong. if so can you tell me cause i ripped another dvd+rw burner drive out of a dell and the same thing keeps happing. no pointing just a dim light i ordered the AixiZ housing for the diode. do i not use the little circuit
that came with the weak 5mW laser

[lasermaster3531]

what the ninja said. try connecting the laser diode directly to the batteries. and make sure the batteries are putting out no more than 1.52 volts each, or they could fry the laser diode. if they are over-voltaged, they may have already.

[Intenzity]

Yea, what he said - I took the laser out of a Pioneer DVD burner that had a broken tray (it is buried waaay deep in the guys of the unit) and hooked it up to a 9 volt battery and it lit up...but now is dead :(. I think I cooked it, but for about 5 minutes it worked. But now I know how to get the lasers out, and to only use 2 AA not a single 9 volt.

[UbuntuNinja]

I am still not totally sure of this, but I think the little circuit board that comes with the module because its purpose seems to be regulating the current to the laser diode. That would also probably fix your other problem with the dim light. You might need a new DVD diode though.

[gnolnats]

OK, so I hooked up the second module that I got without modifying it at all and it works, just like the first one did. I only left this one connected to the 2xAA batteries (maglight) for about 4 seconds, where I left the first one connected for about 10 and it then went dim and still is even with new batteries. It's rated for 3.2 volts, so how did putting 3.0 volts on it damage it? Now the first module and the dvd diode both burn very dim, but the second module burns bright like you would expect. What's going on? I tried new batteries. So, I should put a new DVD laser on the new PCB in place of the weak laser?(the working one, I assume the first one that burns dim is damaged somehow?) If I get all of this done and it burns for 10 seconds I'm going to be pissed.

[cgosh]

Proper procedure is to limit the voltage AND the current to the diode AND remove excess heat. Failing to limit all three will blow up your diode.

Some people use a high-wattage resistor or a $15 circuit to limit current. Some circuits control voltage and current, with an upper limit on current (you can't get 1 watt through a circuit that's rated for 300 mw). All solutions will benefit from using a heat sink and heat sink compound (toxic, stains clothing, most look like toothpaste) to remove heat from your diode.

You'll need a lens to focus the beam to a point. The AixiZ barrels sink some heat if the diode matches the housing, and they usually include a lens. You'll pay extra for a glass lens instead of a plastic lens.

[UbuntuNinja]

Did you hook the first DVD diode up to the PCB? You said that the first module and DVD laser are dim now but can you tell me more about the light? What I am asking is do they produce just a weak dot, or was it somewhat weak but also more of a spray than a point? Because when I first hooded my unmodified Aizix module up to the AA batteries, it was not very bright, just a broad stream of light, like you would expect from a regular flashlight. Only once I adjusted the focus lens did it make a point.

[gnolnats]

I did not hook either of the two dvd lasers so far up to the PCB. Both of them produce a weak wide spray of light, not bright at all like the module was initially. The 2 PCB's that I just received both burned bright initially. The first one I left connected (unmodified in any way) to the maglite and it went dim after about 10 seconds and still works but is always dim. The second unmodified module burned bright for the 4 seconds that I hooked it to the maglite, but I quickly disconnected for fear of frying it too. I assume that if I power the dvd laser behind the lens that it will produce a point, but it's so dim that I don't believe it will burn anything, I mean it's barely on.

[UbuntuNinja]

I am not sure what your problem is, and I am not really an expert on this sort of thing so at this point you might want to seek help from someone more knowledgeable, although I would be happy to continue giving you assistance based on what I know. Are you sure you are connecting the polarities right? Check that both the DVD diode and the PCB are connected right. For the PCB, I am pretty sure that the lead in the middle of the board is - and the one closer to the edge is +. For the laser diode you should refer back to the Instructable. No matter what diode you use you still have to adjust the focusing lens until the beam comes to a point.

[killmore231]

The diode is dead. There should be a big warning on this saying to use a driver. Check out Laser Pointer Forums for more info, and find out how to make your own driver so it doesnt die in a VERY short amount of time. Also, you can get a nice LPC for ~$10 shipped! (250mW)

[kiss my donkey]

yeah I'm sorry If I wansn't clear UbuntuNinja Is right

[UbuntuNinja]

I actually have a question about the video you provided. What is the little thing that the guy puts the soldering iron over to de solder the circuit board? And just to confirm no resistors are needed if I use the circuit board in the end product? If I do need resistors what value should I use?

[nomooremr.niceguy]

The thing that guy was using is called a desoldering braid. It's a braid of copper wire for, well, desoldering. Like the name says. It's all very creative, I know. So you place the braid on the solder and the iron on the braid. The solder then melts and bonds to the braid as opposed to the joint. It comes in handy. I generally use a desoldering bulb, but most of the time the braid would be more effective. I hope that was helpful.

[kiss my donkey]

To be honest I was wondering the same thing that thing was?? But you do need to have something in the circuit to limit current. What I did was use an LED and a 100k ohm potentiometer and I started with 4.5v and it cut down the voltage to around 2.8 which is fine for me

[UbuntuNinja]

How does the LED help? How did you wire the potentiometer into the Maglite and how did you start out with 4.5V? Two AA batteries (what goes in a Maglite) only make 3 volts. To get to that 4.5 volts you would need 1 more AA battery. Is there a certain value of resistor that I could use that would reduce the maglite's 3V down to the 2.8 you are talking about? Do I need to have extra resistors even if I use the little circuit board from the back of the Aixiz module?

[kiss my donkey]

well I didn't even use the Maglite. I made my own circuit and I used an LED so that when ever the laser is on the LED would light up its just a safety feature. When I wired the potentiometer I wired it to the positive wire. I ran a wire to the center pin and then out then one next to it, If you do that make sure to use the center pin it doesn't matter what edge pin you use but you have to the center pin. I am not sure the value of the resistor you would need to make 3v down to 2.8v but It wouldn't be much. I hope this Helps!

[kiss my donkey]

You probably fried the diode from to much voltage, but you may have weak batteries. you should just take out the little circuit board and put the DVD diode in the heatsink with the lens from the module and then hook it all up. This whole Instructable is a bad idea because of the voltage going to the diode the lifetime will be very short you should at least use a resistor or potentiometer to limit the voltage

[kiss my donkey]

oops sorry I was thinking of another instructable. To get a good lens go http://www.mfgcn.com/_wsn/page2.html then order the 5MW 3.2VDC one. when you get it, take of the warning label untwist the top off it and then take out the weak diode and put your powerful diode in close it all back up. and add power and than your done

[UbuntuNinja]

Do you know what the specifications for a laser would have to be for the beam to be visible when it is going through the air without using smoke? Would any of the lasers on that page fit that description?

[dakkenly]

Green lasers. Shine it into the night sky and it goes forever.

[gnolnats]

OK, I ordered that one. Thanks for the tip.

[kiss my donkey]

great, let me know if you have any questions

[kiss my donkey]

Hey gnolnats here is a great video I found on how to put the diode in the AixiZ housing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOhyJ8JyBEo&feature=related

[gnolnats]

Thank you so much for helping me out with this. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[kiss my donkey]

Thats great Thanks!

[djr6789]

dude are you using a focusing barrel?

[gnolnats]

I guess not. What's that?

[ANNM013]

LOL

[ryan!]

A quick question: Does the laser diode have to be from a DVD burner? Or can it just be from a DVD player, CD player, CD computer drive, ect.?