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Thread: My first burner!

  1. #1
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    Default My first burner!

    Just got a collimator from Robin and with 200 mA through a red diode have my first burner!

    I'd been trying to set light to white tissue and the penny suddenly dropped. A dab with a black Biro and flames! It also cuts throught black insulating tape.

    I then made a black blob with the Biro on my hand and pointed the beam at it. OUCH!

    I'd love to stuff a bit more current through the diode (it'd a red one that came from a Philips DVD RW) but as it's the only one I have I won't. I have a suspicion that it would be good for at least probably 200mW.
    A lovely childhood. Just me my mother and the voices.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by 450nm View Post
    I then made a black blob with the Biro on my hand and pointed the beam at it. OUCH!
    Err... This just begs me to ask... WHY would you want to do that ?????

    Perhaps I just completely bypassed the 'Wow - lasers can burn things' syndrome, ah well, each to their own

    Perhaps if you enjoyed that you could let Andy blast your hand with his 60W Yag - OUCH Indeed

    Jem

  3. #3
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    Default

    Only YOU can prevent forest fires.

  4. #4
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jem View Post
    Err... This just begs me to ask... WHY would you want to do that ?????

    Jem
    Errrrrrr because I don't have a power meter? A slight 'ouch' is 100mW. A 'sod that' is 200 mW and an 'EFFING ADA' is >300mW!
    A lovely childhood. Just me my mother and the voices.

  5. #5
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    Good Answer, i'll have to try that myself sometime when there's nothing on telly!

    Jem

  6. #6
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    'Hand'-y power meter A lasercheck might be a little more accurate tho.

  7. #7
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    Apparently oldtimers with large frame argons and such would pass a hand quickly across the beam to gauge power. If you do it often enough you get a sense of what to expect, if you also calibrate it with looking at a meter reading at times. It gets you through when you have no meter or time to set one up, and want to confirm a power drop, or unusual boost.

    I used to gauge DPSS's this way before I had a meter, and first suspected IR leakage in a 100 mW laser when it made unusual heat compared to what was visible.

    Using a laser to try burning stuff is good. What other way can anyone use to get a real sense of perspective?

  8. #8
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    If it lights cigarettes, its doing about 1 watt.

  9. #9
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    The front plastic hinged flap off of an old VHS tape makes a fairly good measurer that I've been using for relative power . Will burn a hole clean through it ~ just measuring the time it takes to do it..

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