SilthDraeth
Platinum Member
650nm 12mm x 30mm is what his instructable lists. And the site has them listed by those sizes etc.
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Turn a flashlight into a handheld burning laser
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650nm 12mm x 30mm is what his instructable lists. And the site has them listed by those sizes etc.
MisterJackson
Lifer
My sharks thank you
SilthDraeth
Platinum Member
Just ordered 2 laser modules. I will get back to you guys, I need to grab a cheapo dvd burner, and I got the flashlight to mod. I will be using a mag-lite knock off though. I only own an LED mag-lite and I don't want to ruin it.
SlowSpyder
Lifer
Is my sarcasm meter broken?
Kadarin
Lifer
According to comments in the Slashdot story on this, the 250mW rating of this laser qualifies it as being dangerous. The light intensity can cause permanent eye damage so fast that you will not have time to blink. If anyone here is crazy enough to actually make one of these, please do not treat it like a laser pointer and shine it everywhere among people.
SilthDraeth
Platinum Member
I plan to make a high-powered laser rifle so I can assassinate jack rabbits from a 100 yards with it.
NuclearNed
Raconteur
Marked for a later time when my employer overlords won't be able to censor what I watch.
middlehead
Diamond Member
Lucky for me, I AM the censor at my job 😀
Are you new to this whole internet thing? You know there are plans for atomic bombs on here, right?
Plus, if lots of people build CO2 lasers at home, a slightly more powerful diode laser isn't a big deal.
And for the record...there's a big difference between lighting matches with the laser, and being able to actually set wood on fire.
Rubycon
Madame President
This is old news and has been going on for at least a year over at other forums. I guess the photonically challenged just found out. 😉
On a serious note I must add a few things about this video. I will not get into the safety aspect of building a class IIIb laser with no safety features at all. But it is really dumb. Especially using a flashlight housing. I wonder how many people will hose down their eyes with this thing! Gee it's red, that's cool, turn it around BAM! 250mW WILL BLIND YOU before your eyelids can close!!! Do NOT shine it into your good eye ok? 😉
The other thing is the project as outlined in the video shows connecting the laser diode (VLD for short - Visible Laser Diode) directly to the battery! This is VERY BAD for the diode. To understand why requires quite the explanation of rise time response, catastrophic facet failure, etc. Basically the diode is MUCH more static sensitive than anything in your PC! In assembly of VLD products ALL leads are strapped together to prevent stray currents from getting to the diode. A sneeze across the (open) leads is enough to damage it! I'm not kidding. BTW the third lead that's "unused" is actually the photodiode output - used for monitoring the output of the rear facet. This is critical to (again) ensure the diode does not blow out from getting over driven. A colder laser is more efficient so the same current into the junction when the laser is 33°C at 16°C will probably do it in without monitoring and a proper driver circuit to prevent facet damage. Once a VLD experiences facet damage the output will have dark stripes or just stop lasing all together and become an inefficient LED. (DLD - dead laser diode)
On the other side of things the feedback circuit will often provide MORE current as the diode warms up but will always have a max to level off to prevent the diode from cooking itself. As one can see (unlike an LED) this is NOT something you just want to hook up to a battery by itself.
If you really want to learn how to build one that will last, head over to candlepowerforums and check out the laser forum. There's plenty of discussion and some safety information that EVERYONE even THINKING about doing this SHOULD read. I know it's boring but losing your eye (or worse someone else's) is a misfortune you don't want to experience.
In closing I will say I thought I would post this as seeing the video makes me rather angry as it makes it look too easy like retrofitting a flashlight with a new emitter (which technically is correct) but of course modified flashlights are not capable of inflicting permanent damage to one's eyesight! (well at least not yet 😉 )
Additionally laser radiation at 650 nanometers does not appear nearly as bright as 532 nanometers of the (now) common green pointer. 250@650nm will look about as bright as 35@532 given similar beam profiles. 35 is still dangerous but 250 is halfway to class IV territory - can burn the skin quickly and damage TFT panels and CCD's found in cameras, for example - instantly. :Q
On a serious note I must add a few things about this video. I will not get into the safety aspect of building a class IIIb laser with no safety features at all. But it is really dumb. Especially using a flashlight housing. I wonder how many people will hose down their eyes with this thing! Gee it's red, that's cool, turn it around BAM! 250mW WILL BLIND YOU before your eyelids can close!!! Do NOT shine it into your good eye ok? 😉
The other thing is the project as outlined in the video shows connecting the laser diode (VLD for short - Visible Laser Diode) directly to the battery! This is VERY BAD for the diode. To understand why requires quite the explanation of rise time response, catastrophic facet failure, etc. Basically the diode is MUCH more static sensitive than anything in your PC! In assembly of VLD products ALL leads are strapped together to prevent stray currents from getting to the diode. A sneeze across the (open) leads is enough to damage it! I'm not kidding. BTW the third lead that's "unused" is actually the photodiode output - used for monitoring the output of the rear facet. This is critical to (again) ensure the diode does not blow out from getting over driven. A colder laser is more efficient so the same current into the junction when the laser is 33°C at 16°C will probably do it in without monitoring and a proper driver circuit to prevent facet damage. Once a VLD experiences facet damage the output will have dark stripes or just stop lasing all together and become an inefficient LED. (DLD - dead laser diode)
On the other side of things the feedback circuit will often provide MORE current as the diode warms up but will always have a max to level off to prevent the diode from cooking itself. As one can see (unlike an LED) this is NOT something you just want to hook up to a battery by itself.
If you really want to learn how to build one that will last, head over to candlepowerforums and check out the laser forum. There's plenty of discussion and some safety information that EVERYONE even THINKING about doing this SHOULD read. I know it's boring but losing your eye (or worse someone else's) is a misfortune you don't want to experience.
In closing I will say I thought I would post this as seeing the video makes me rather angry as it makes it look too easy like retrofitting a flashlight with a new emitter (which technically is correct) but of course modified flashlights are not capable of inflicting permanent damage to one's eyesight! (well at least not yet 😉 )
Additionally laser radiation at 650 nanometers does not appear nearly as bright as 532 nanometers of the (now) common green pointer. 250@650nm will look about as bright as 35@532 given similar beam profiles. 35 is still dangerous but 250 is halfway to class IV territory - can burn the skin quickly and damage TFT panels and CCD's found in cameras, for example - instantly. :Q
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