Another Dead Laser - Warning Thread Contains Swearing!

[fluff]

Hi Jem

Sorry to hear of your woes

I will have a box of various dpss and diodes at the meet , so your welcome to have a route around. 635's , 660's and one or two 671 units.

All the best

Fluff

[450nm]

Shit, Bugger, Arseholes, Piss, Cock, Fart !!!!!

I'm getting seriously hacked off with the fragileness (if that's a word) of diodes.

'Fragility'.

Yours helpfully - Dave

[Jem]

Thanks Dave

I knew there was a 'proper' word somewhere, but I was a bit stressed when I wrote the original message.

Mark, i'll see you at the meet

Jem

[Starburst]

Hi,

also here. 2 modules burned. The last one burned in a very strange way. I turned on the power of my projector. The module was lightning (without modulation ! ). Also when i start scanning it was still lighting all the time. I thought there is a problem with a wire or something. I turned the projector off and opened it. I haven't seen any troubles inside. so i turned on the projector again to make another try. But this time the module was dark... and it is dark... and dark... and dark.

I have bring the projector to my customer on 8th of february and i don't know what to do know. Emails take long. And also there is no chance to get a new module in time. Don't know what to do... :-)

All the best
Karl

[laserLips]

I was just about to post a following to this but then I realised my maxzys are again working....

Mine whent very dim with no modulation just likes startbusrt but then I started tyaking things off the plate to give up put it all away and go cry in a corner, but then I said to one more try, and hey presto they are back on.....

Mayby its a dodge wire connection somewhere....It was after my blue was added into the mix that my maxyzs whent dim.....Perhaps try somthing similar...take off compoentnts and see if they come back on or try them completely on their
own.....

graham

[Jem]

Sadly Graham...

It's passed on! This Laser is no more! It has ceased to be! It's expired and gone to meet its maker!

It's a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace!

'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! it's off the twig!

It's kicked the bucket, It's shuffled off this mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!!

THIS IS AN EX-LASER!!

Oops... Sorry, got carried away there but I think Monty Python summed it all up quite well

I can definately say this laser is DEAD.

Cheers

Jem

[Pitts]

Jem,
Sorry to hear of your problems with the Maxy's ..so far touch wood mine are going fine.
Something that Buffo commented on and thats voltage.
I am sure you have this under control so please don't think I am stating the obvious but is your power pack or supply regulated.
Plug packs, wall-warts (nice American word that) whatever you want to call them (if that's what you are using) are not born equal by any means. There is a reason they are cheap.... that is because they can be completely unregulated and contain "nasty" cheap electronics. (if any at all). A sophisticated way to describe most Wall Warts is "crap".

An unregulated unloaded wall-wart may run many volts above what is on the label. It only drops to the correct voltage, even if then, when it has its stated load connected. I suggest avoid unregulated power supplies look for the word "regulated" on the pack. If not labeled may pay to assume not regulated.
I have struck this many times in my work and simply some devices are not tolerant to poor quality power supplies. (over-voltage, hum, noise, spikes, RF, etc etc)
I am using a small switch mode fully regulated with my Maxy so far so good.
A little dearer to buy but way more stable. $80.00 compared to $30.00 here in NZ.
Is it a human thing that we spend our hard earned money on the lasers sometimes many thousands of dollars then couple up a $30.00 Wall wart to
supply it mmmmmmmmmmmmm ! wonder what they says about us?
Chuck tells me there is another voltage regulator inbuilt on board the Maxy, have you checked these ?? if they went out to lunch the thing may not go either.
Anyway good luck hope you get sorted in time.
Ray
NZ

[Starburst]

I tried it again with anohter supply on the desk. Still the same. So they are dead....

All the best

[Jem]

Thanks Ray

The power supply i'm using is a fully regulated switched mode supply delivering a constant 9 volts so I can't think that is the problem.

I'm more inclined to think it's a possible back reflection issue. The beamsplitter cube on the dual setup is very close to the laser output of the H. Pol. laser and it looks pretty square on. I'm fairly good at keeping the optics clean, but I just wonder if some dust or other unexpected crud on the cube would be enough to cause a significant back reflection.

This has happened a few times now and each time i'm left wondering what i've done, which is of course nothing! plus it's getting bloody expensive! As previously mentioned i'm going to try moving the BS cube further away from the output aperture of the diode, this should allow me to get a better angle on the cube in order to ensure that ANY back reflection at all doesn't hit the diode square in the face.

I think i'd really like a couple of watts of DPSS 671nm

Either that or buy a Faraday Isolator http://www.luminex.co.jp/Catalog/FaradayIsolator.htm

Cheers

Jem

[buffo]

Hey guys...

Just an update on Chuck's condition. Basically - lousy. I called him this afternoon and he didn't even want to be on the phone with me because his back was hurting so much. (And yeah, he was lying down when he answered the phone.)

Bottom line, he's not been very active here because, well, he just can't sit in a chair long enough to answer messages. But he did say that he'd try to check in here later tonight or tomorrow. He understands that there are a couple people here with dead modules that are looking for repair work. Be patient folks - the guy is really hurting. (Personally, I think he needs to fire his doctor and get a new one. The creep didn't even give Chuck any decent pain meds... What an ass.)

As for the trouble folks have been having - all I can say is that once you get a pair of Maxyz modules hooked up and aligned, DON'T TOUCH THEM AGAIN. I've had my pair installed for about 8 months now, and they've been just fine. I probably have close to 200 hours on them so far, and they're still going strong. But I don't even get near them. I just leave them alone.

Adam