Hey guys. I have a 300mW Viasho green and it is a pretty decent laser. The problem I am having is thermal instability. The laser likes to be warm. Once warm, it performs beautifully with analog blanking and great output. If it is cold, the power output is horrible. Normally, before I run a show, I have to run the the green at full power for a few minutes to get the white-balance correct. The problem is, if the green is "off" for anything longer than 30 seconds, the power drops again and the white-balance shifts back to a violet white. I don't even have this laser mounted on an aluminum plate and there is no active cooling. *edit* by active cooling, I mean there is no forced fan cooling. I have no doubt that there is a tec in there.
I was thinking about building a box around the laser that is lined with foam. I just want something that will keep the laser thermally stable for times when the green is not needed for 1/2 a minute or more. Obviously, it will cool if not being used for several minutes, but it is normally never off for that long during shows. I have tried to compensate with the software settings, but it is either too much or too little depending on what temp the laser is at.
Any thoughts on insulating it? I don't want to cut the life of the pump diode by letting it get too warm.