bad diode

[Draco]

any one know how to take this apart or is it pressed in?
[ATTACH=CONFIG]46850[/ATTACH]

it died today and has less then two months of operation on it, i also tried a different controller too, i would hope i can reuse the housing

[Draco]

well my theory was right, enough toluene will solve most problems if not all of life's problems. The back cap had a threadlocker in it, and i now have an idea to why this failed so fast, the diode is not pressed in like some modules are, and no heat sink compound, it, i believe was overheating.
I am thinking of putting a 635nm in it.
Now my question is will the same constant current controller this laser used run a 638nm diode, the failed one was 650nm so i think i can reuse the driver

Now are there any preferences on what brand of diode?

[Datsurb]

I use what look to be the same housing for 2watt 445nm diodes. So far so good. Important to make shure the cooling fan is operating at full speed.
The low hourcount are most likely a result of overdriving the diode than the diode was made to push.

What diode to put in depends on a lot of factors?
What is the purpose of use?
What driver are you going to use.

Singlemode diode for a crisp sharp beam, or a multimode 638,n if you settle for a powerfull red flashlight. The collimating lense is of course also important for the final result.

I would look at what DTR have in stock, and order from him. The Opnext 120mw 638nm is far more powerful than 120mw indicates. Singlemode diode produces a thin, bright beam.

I also have slaughtered some old dvdburnes, and extracted the red 650nm diode from there. If you can get your hands on an old fast DVDburner, it might be a positive experience in terms of beamquality vs cost.

[Draco]

Thank you for the info, i was using it an open loop galvo and mixing it with green to make a burnt orange look, so having a tight beam is nice and i do have a dvd burner and "some one " managed to spill pop inside it, so i will harvest the laser tonight, the controller i have can do about 120ma turned all the way up, one for another project will do 200ma so that rules out the higher power ones because of the threshold current.
thanks

[Draco]

Morphy's law strikes again, the dvd burners that i have all use an inline diode, it's not a round can

[Draco]

The 120mw single mode on DTR's sight is too small, i need a 5.6mm diode, I would teat my hair out if i had any on the front of my head left

I wonder why the 170mw one is so much more expensive, it's at lest twice the cost

[Draco]

For use in a normal galvo system do i need to have a single mode? or will a multi mode work ok?
I am thinking the multi mode is probably with this hunk of crap had in it.
are there adapters for the TO38 can to fit it into a TO18 hole?

[Draco]

Thank you for all the help, i picked 2 single mode diodes, one Mitsubishi single mode and then a Opnext 120mw single mode at 638nm with lasorbs stuffed as close as possible.

I have a 445nm blue that i want to use as well but it is in an odd aluminum disc i don't want to destroy as it is part of the pointer and i guess it's press fit in, battle for another day. thanks for the help and my red is back up!