"dot" or "button"lasers?

[wes]

i want to install a new laser in a beam box i have.
it's a lumalaser and i paid far too much for it new.
within weeks the red dot laser burned out.
the green laser is only about 26mw or so.
i thought it would be 50mw when i bought it.
i only have room for a dot laser and i'm wondering if i can find a reliable green dot laser of 50-100mw output.
i'm not much with electronics so i would want a power supply i could just plug and play with.
i'm not concerned with hooking it into the onboard blanking of the beambox.
what about cooling?
any links to sites selling these or other small dimension lasers in this power range?
thanks for any help.
peace,
wes

[buffo]

Hi Wes;

I thought you said the red laser burned out. Why are you looking for a green one to replace it?

Describe what you mean by a green "dot" laser. Do you mean a small module, like you find inside a green laser pointer? If so, remember that those modules really don't have good cooling. Running them CW for long periods is not a good idea. (You might be able to drill a hole in a heat sink and mount it inside that to increase the cooling capacity though.)

Green laser pointer modules are cheap, but not if you need 100 mw of output. If you're looking to get that kind of power I'd say you're going to need a bench laser. Some of them are quite small (figure 1.5 inches square by 2-3 inches long for the head). Is there no way to mount the laser in the back of the case (or even outside the case) and then use a mirror to bounce the beam into place so it hits the optics/mirrors inside like it's supposed to? You can always strap a second enclosure to the thing to house the power supply.

On the other hand, if you really are looking for a 100 mw red laser, those are quite common - even in the laser pointer form factor. You want an OEM laser diode module. It has the laser diode and a small driver board all housed inside a round metal case that is maybe .5 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches long. Feed it 3 - 5 volts and it's happy. I'm sure several folks here can recommend some suppliers.

Adam

[wes]

the red is the one that burned out but since i will be running the replacement on its own power it wouldn't be hooked into the blanking.i don't want red on all the time and if i add more green power it won't matter since i do mostly beams and only simple scans on the little scanner that goes with this setup.


i'm such a rookie at this but what i want to do is just drill a hole in the bottom of the case and shoot the beam up through pass through mirror that the red originally passed through.that way i will just combine the two greens.
i just need to find something of a reasonable dimension.

i would REALLY like to find one of the small 1.5" x 2" or 3" ones you mentioned.
p.s. thanks for the reply adam

if anyone can help point me to a supplier for one of those i would be thankful.

[dave]

I would be looking to the maxys modules (thread in buying and selling) that Marconi makes. Everyone loves them around here....

[buffo]

Dave;

I not sure, but the way I read his post, I think he said that he'd rather replace it with a green. (He mentions the 1.5 x 1.5 x 3 inch form factor from my post.) The small green DPSS lasers I was describing were the lasever modules that you and Aijii sell. Maybe you can hook him up.

Yeah, for a 200 mw red, the MAXYZ modules that Marconi sells are hard to beat. They're around $275 these days, if memory serves, and they're damn near bullet-proof. Slightly larger than the barrel-shapped reds I was talking about above, but if he's going to drill a hole in the case anyway, it should be easy to fit.

Wes: you may be able to connect the blanking signal from the original electronics to the blanking input on the module, either one of the green DPSS units from Dave, or a MAXYZ module from Marconi. You just need to check what the voltage is on the blanking wire when the unit is operating. If it's +5 volts and 0 volts, then you're golden!

Adam

[dave]

Dave;

I not sure, but the way I read his post, I think he said that he'd rather replace it with a green. (He mentions the 1.5 x 1.5 x 3 inch form factor from my post.) The small green DPSS lasers I was describing were the lasever modules that you and Aijii sell. Maybe you can hook him up.


Adam

Opps!

These days, we are trying not to sell any lasever lasers. Too many problems as you well know. The CNI stuff is so much more reliable...

[wes]

Opps!

These days, we are trying not to sell any lasever lasers. Too many problems as you well know. The CNI stuff is so much more reliable...

i'd like to get something reliable for sure.
i may have to go for a 50mw depending on price but even that would make a huge difference in the results i get with this box.
if it isn't too much trouble could you direct me to specific models on your site?

i also have to work out mounting the laser and really would like to find something adjustable so i can position the beam.
i'd like to find what is available in the way of hardware for this.

i love this site.
thanks for being so helpful.
peace,
wes

(added in editing)your replies have helped me see how to mount this thing.i've been picturing shooting the beam straight into the case but theres no room in the case for a mirror to redirect the beam.
if i mount the laser horizontally on a plate i could place the mirror on the same plate outside the case.
cool,i've been wondering how this would work.

[dave]

if it isn't too much trouble could you direct me to specific models on your site?

No worries,

the LP series are the cni lasers.

www.lasershowparts.com - there is a bit of a cost saving over ebay here..