China RGB laser modules: worth it?

[swamidog]

those 3.8mm 445/450nm diodes are only factor specced to 120mW. that might be part of your problem. if you can get the diode out, you can get replacement diodes for ~40$ from DTR.

Well, I've had my RGB brick 2 days and with playing around fitting it into my KAM Laserscan RGY 170 unit, it seems I've blown the Blue diode. So close to playing with RGB. It was all together, I powered it up and Red, Green, no Blue. Gutted!
I've powered it up with out any connection to the inputs and all I get is Yellow where I used to get white.
I don't think I can repair it as the diode can is pressed into a 8mm diameter by 4 mm thick brass block which goes into an ally block and is held in place by another brass fitting, which screws into the ally block followed by a spring and the focusing ring.
The diode itself is approx. 3mm across the brass base with a 2.5mm can the can sticks out from the base 2mm. The brass fitting that holds the diode assembly into the ally block has a hole in the centre to allow the can to poke through. The diode specs were 445nm 150mW.
Haven't seen another 400mw brick for the price I got it for and from a UK seller, so it looks like I'm saving up for a more expensive one from China.

[WolfMax]

Well I might be able to get the old one out by destroying it completely, but I've no way of pressing a new one in without great risk of destroying it too.

[Datsurb]

DTR have a tool for pressing inn new diodes for a few dollars. I beleve they are made for each diode size.
Sorry to hear that the blue diode died on you. I have been able to purchase spares from some of the chineese suppliers, so if you find the same module from china, you might be able to just get the blue diode ready to go in the housing.

[WolfMax]

just bought a set of these https://sites.google.com/site/dtrlpf...gb-diode-budle The ones with the glass lenses

Now all I need is a case, laser mounts, 3 flexmod P3's (or other good analogue 3 way driver), 2 more flex mounts (I already have one and the dichroic mirrors from my busted RGB brick and I also have some front face mirror I can cut to size), PSU and scanner set (ScannerMax Compact 506s if/when they become available to individuals).

Oh yeah almost forgot, THE MONEY TO BUY IT ALL!!

I will get there honest!

[swamidog]

you will get excellent beam specs and modulation. here's a show through a projector i built with the DTR diode bundle:

just bought a set of these https://sites.google.com/site/dtrlpf...gb-diode-budle The ones with the glass lenses

Now all I need is a case, laser mounts, 3 flexmod P3's (or other good analogue 3 way driver), 2 more flex mounts (I already have one and the dichroic mirrors from my busted RGB brick and I also have some front face mirror I can cut to size), PSU and scanner set (ScannerMax Compact 506s if/when they become available to individuals).

Oh yeah almost forgot, THE MONEY TO BUY IT ALL!!

I will get there honest!

[Datsurb]

just bought a set of these https://sites.google.com/site/dtrlpf...gb-diode-budle The ones with the glass lenses

Now all I need is a case, laser mounts, 3 flexmod P3's (or other good analogue 3 way driver), 2 more flex mounts (I already have one and the dichroic mirrors from my busted RGB brick and I also have some front face mirror I can cut to size), PSU and scanner set (ScannerMax Compact 506s if/when they become available to individuals).

Oh yeah almost forgot, THE MONEY TO BUY IT ALL!!

I will get there honest!

That did not take long. I see that you are really suck in the moneypit called laserhobbyist. Welcome til the club
Good luck with your build, an keep us posted with pictures and reports.

[Galvonaut]

Nice one Colin! I've got maybe one more component than you (a set of CTs) and this build has been a long time coming. Money is always an issue, especially as I'm pairing the green and blue up for bit more welly on the output.

Swami: I've just watched your show again and the detail is huge. At the 2 minute mark there is some real complexity in the abstracts which I am sure I missed on your other projector.

Keith

[WolfMax]

you will get excellent beam specs and modulation. here's a show through a projector i built with the DTR diode bundle:

What scanners were used in that projector? And did you use any focusing other than that supplied with the bundle (those beams were sharp!!)?

[WolfMax]

After blowing up the blue diode in my RGB brick, I decided if I wasn't going to repair it, I'd use it to replace the Red/Green lasers in my KAM Laserscan 170RGY (Waste not, want not)!


I took the driver off the side and used those mounting holes to secure it to the projector. I had to use 4mm stand off's to get the right height for the beam to hit the first galvo.


I mounted the galvo driver board where the original laser driver board used to be,


and used the case from the original laser driver as a shelf to mount the new laser driver and attach it to the side plate where the galvo driver used to be.
The small bit of strip board is a basic breakout board to allow me to quickly change from the DMX card behind it to an ILDA connector. At the moment the R/G input wires are connected directly to the DMX card along with the Blue although it is not used by the DMX card (and wouldn't work now even if it was). The 3 wire connector attached to the strip board is the Galvo input which is X+, Y+ and common ground.

It was a tight fit but it works perfectly and only goes to show I could have had a neat little RGB projector if I hadn't blown the blue


Here is the offending article still pressed into its mount. I am contemplating replacing it with one with an 8mm case to save on trying to get the old one out of the mount and a new one in.

Anyone know where I might get a 445/450 nm around 150mw diode that size?

[Nemo222]

Well after 6 months of semi-regular use I too have suffered failure of my blue diode in my RGB brick. I'm talking with the seller as they advertise a 1 year warranty and want to know if they will send me a new one but I don't have high hopes. Anybody with success or suggestions on replacing the blue diode would be very helpful as I am defiantly willing to try that. I have a project for it that I'm putting together and am rather annoyed that it up and died on me. I was quite happy with it until this point.