After recent discussions on this forum, I decided that Laserwave's new 1W 520nm green diode module http://pro.laser-wave.net/laserwave-...-520nm-1000mw/ appeared to meet my requirements, so I ordered one. For the current price, send a PM to bridge. Don't forget to allow for shipping costs - in my case, $85 from China to the UK - and any customs charges - I had to pay import duty and VAT on arrival. Shipping from China was via DHL, and being fully tracked, I was able to follow its progress across the world for the 5 days it took to arrive on my doorstep.
When I opened the box, the first layer of packing was a thick layer of black foam, presumably anti-static. Inside were the diode module, pre-wired to the driver board.
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There was a separate power supply and a small cable with a 2-way plug on the end to connect the modulation source.
The driver board and power supply were bubble-wrapped, while the laser module was shrink-wrapped in anti-static plastic film.
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The driver board has options for either TTL or Analogue modulation - I will be using analogue modulation, so I plugged the short lead into the appropriate connector. The driver measures 86mm x 50mm x 29mm
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The laser module baseplate measures 98mm x 46mm, the module itself is 78mm long and 46mm wide, the overall height is 38.4mm and the laser aperture is 8mm in diameter with a centre height of 27.4mm.
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The power supply measures 110mm x 78mm x 35mm and is rated at 5.5V, 7A
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In part 2 of this review, I will be connecting the module up and measuring the power output and modulation response.