China RGB laser modules: worth it?

[swamidog]

on the other hand a decent diode driver would compensate for this and protect your modules.

Ktroy,

You may want to measure your 12V supply with nothing connected on the power supply leads. Your lasers seemed to work fine on batteries which would not fluctuate to higher voltage levels. But on the power supply, if it was poorly regulated it may have higher output voltages at power up, and thereby fried your red beams.

[SaltyRobot]

I have one of the 400mw versions of these. I am satisfied with what I got for the money, but I can't wait till I get my FlexMods so I can get a real analog driver on these diodes. These are a real good way of getting up and running quickly so you can spend time to learn what you really want in an optics table. Its nice that I can satisfy my need to make pretty lights while I accumulate parts to make better pretty lights.

[Dylan]

I've used quite a few of those chinese/ebay modules without any trouble. I think they'll be okay for a while.

[dsli_jon]

...a little historical perspective...back in the day...If you walked around the back of the Griffith planetarium there was a garden hose...Bill

Woah! Is this 'Bill W'?? If-so, *awesome* to see ya here! If not, *awesome* to see ya here! Not sure if you know, but our dear Brian Worthamillion aka 'laserist', is here, and a couple of other 'past-Brethren'... Will enjoy seeing the fountains of experience / sage-advice pouring-forth from this profile..

cheers..
j

[electrowiz]

Woah! Is this 'Bill W'?? If-so, *awesome* to see ya here! If not, *awesome* to see ya here! Not sure if you know, but our dear Brian Worthamillion aka 'laserist', is here, and a couple of other 'past-Brethren'... Will enjoy seeing the fountains of experience / sage-advice pouring-forth from this profile..

cheers..
j

dsli_jon's

Hey this is Bill Cameron. Used to do laser show work in the Mt San Antonio college planetarium. Some work at Pasadena City College and laser shows for rock bands in the 1978 to 1982 time frame. Have had a lot of fun with laser and electronics over the years. At this age I really feel like anything I can share or help others with, makes me happy. Any way I can help just let me know.
I remember how much fun this hobby/addiction can be back in the younger days. Used to talk with the guys at Laserium back in the day. Remember one time at Griffith with a new show opening they had a 22Watt argon shooting across the San Fernando sky. He allowed me to quickly put the show brochure in front of the laser and zap a burned hole. Still got it somewhere.

Thanks for the warm welcome.

[Nemo222]

So I have one of the 500mw versions of this I bought from the Opt-laser ali-express website. I have been running it in my super crap Chinese projector with a dead green for a while now and have no problems with it in TTL mode. Beam looks good, focus is good, runs with no issues for 6+ hours. when ordered they asked if I wanted the analog or the TTL one and I requested Analog. I am very happy with it, but am replacing the green TTL and would like to get this one in a new projector that I can coax analog out of. I was wondering if anybody has had success in this regard and how it was done?

Thanks

[WolfMax]

Ok. Has anyone actually got one of these TTL/Analogue bricks to work as analogue? Did you work out what was meant by "Short the TTL jumper"?
Also, I see at one end of the board are the 3 colour input sockets and the general 12v input socket and at the other end the 3 colour outputs to the laser diodes and a socket to supply a fan. But what are the other sockets at that end for?

[Datsurb]

I have a 400mW "analogo" and a 1000mW "analogo" version of the Bricks. The 400mW is wll aligned with a nice white beam. The 1000mW is uses a multimode red diode, and the result is a "pink" laser. Not usable for graphcs, but OK for beams. Common for both is that the "analogo" is NOT analog. It does not modulate the colors by fading, but uses insted a raster pattern. It kind of works, but for a "laserist" it is not the read deal.

My experience: 400mW is ok. Stay away from the more powerful bricks, as they use cheap multimode diodes without the proper optics to correct for the BIG FAT RED beam.

This is som pics outside my house a foggy evening with the 1000mW @10 meters (30feet):

[electrowiz]

[QUOTE=Datsurb;281028]I have a 400mW "analogo" and a 1000mW "analogo" version of the Bricks. The 400mW is wll aligned with a nice white beam. The 1000mW is uses a multimode red diode, and the result is a "pink" laser. Not usable for graphcs, but OK for beams. Common for both is that the "analogo" is NOT analog. It does not modulate the colors by fading, but uses insted a raster pattern. It kind of works, but for a "laserist" it is not the read deal.

My experience: 400mW is ok. Stay away from the more powerful bricks, as they use cheap multimode diodes without the proper optics to correct for the BIG FAT RED beam.
************************************************** *********************************************
WolfMax - I feel your pain.

The RGB bricks that are sold as analog control are not true analog. The bricks that are sold as "analog" are actually a pulse width modulation that varies the average intensity with a varying input voltage. Not a problem for Lumina effects but once you start scanning the image, you will see the beam switching on/off at lower power levels other than full on. This means that you cannot set the three colors to variable levels that will give mixed colors without some ON/OFF strobe effect when you start scanning. I have years of electronics experience and offered to help the vendor devise some simple changes that would result in true analog, but despite multiple emails he won't provide schematics or even a sub-schematic of the analog inputs would do, but I think he is worried about proprietary issues from his higher ups. These are nice compact modules at a good price. Very frustrating that due to vendors worries, it has stopped the possibility of coming up with a few circuit changes that would make these bricks much more useful.

Can I forward your email to the vendor and try again to get the schematic?

Bill Cameron
electrowiz

[Nemo222]

Ok. Has anyone actually got one of these TTL/Analogue bricks to work as analogue? Did you work out what was meant by "Short the TTL jumper"?
Also, I see at one end of the board are the 3 colour input sockets and the general 12v input socket and at the other end the 3 colour outputs to the laser diodes and a socket to supply a fan. But what are the other sockets at that end for?

Looks like the questions about the analog-nes of these bricks has been answered. I tend to agree but I am not sure if mine even goes that far. I have only recently acquired an analog capable DAC and when I get more time to work on my projector after the laser cutter has been fixed I will hopefully find out more.
For the connectors from the driver board, the green has TEC cooling integrated and a second fan, and that is where the rest of the unaccounted for wires go. the IR pump diode is more powerful than both the red and blue lasers and needs more cooling.