buy a box power ratings

[polishedball]

I am wondering if anyone has done out the front window power ratings on the dime a dozen projectors from china, it seems like the individual laser powers are always given, is this what the module is in the unit? or the power of the color out the from window. Say the 3W units we see available is that measured 3W out the front? confused if they are telling us output power or the rated power of the internal diodes.

maybe i have missed this on the forum, if already discussed please link me.

[Bradfo69]

I think that depends on the number of dimes you've paid for your dozen. Some companies do give you power out the window. I don't think however, when they list individual modules that it's out the window. In my own experience, Lightspace has been pretty good about giving me numbers out the window. My 12 watt for example, I know is really more like 11.3 and, they gave me that option because improving the divergence was going to cost some in terms of power over what the >12 the modules added up to.

I think it boils down to the quality of the seller.

[VDX]

... but I've seen modules too, where they've stated not the laser output power, but the drawn electrical power from line

Viktor

[norty303]

I think the biggest issue these days is that they report the raw diode powers at spec sheet current, not a measurement out the front after optics.
Which is why people have received "2W" 520 modules only giving ~1.7W after correction.

[polishedball]

I think the biggest issue these days is that they report the raw diode powers at spec sheet current, not a measurement out the front after optics.
Which is why people have received "2W" 520 modules only giving ~1.7W after correction.

That is what I was thinking, then in a projector add the loss on dichro's, bounce mirror, galvo's, and front window.

I'm not knocking these boxes, they look great, but in some of my recent builds i'm trying to figure out how they are getting there power ratings when I bet I am using the same diode's and if anything better optics and seeing smaller numbers.

Wondering why if this is the case everyone bashed laserworld back in the day for doing it, but now it is accepted. (if that is the case)

[flecom]

That is what I was thinking, then in a projector add the loss on dichro's, bounce mirror, galvo's, and front window.

I'm not knocking these boxes, they look great, but in some of my recent builds i'm trying to figure out how they are getting there power ratings when I bet I am using the same diode's and if anything better optics and seeing smaller numbers.

Wondering why if this is the case everyone bashed laserworld back in the day for doing it, but now it is accepted. (if that is the case)

back in the day laserworld numbers were not just added up diodes... 3w projectors would be doing 500mW etc... obviously things have changed with laserworld as we saw recently, but pretty much every manufacturer adds up the power of the modules (or diodes as the case may be)... some people do measure out the front window but those are few and far between and they have had their own issues...

so really it's a crapshoot... but most of the chinese sellers will list the individual laser power outputs by wavelength so you should be able to do the math yourself and figure out if they just added it up or if there is some power missing

[hitekvoop]

Every lightspace projector I've metered to date did the advertised specs off the mirrors post optics.

Just my $0.02

[dkumpula]

back in the day laserworld numbers were not just added up diodes... 3w projectors would be doing 500mW etc... obviously things have changed with laserworld as we saw recently,

Yeah, I was a victim of the Laserworld "power drawn, not power out" ~12 years ago. My 532nm on what was supposed to be a 0.45-0.8W + projector was a whopping 5mW and the 473nm was under 1mW. I still have the modules in boxes if someone wants them for the cost of shipping. ;0

That said, before I started building my own modules, I found at least for the modules, power delivered started exceeding power advertised by a comfortable margin (20%+). At least this was true from the more reputable companies many of us have purchased from (e.g. Goldenstar and a Canadian company whose name escapes me at the moment.)

-David

[logsquared]

I would buy that 473 from you. I could use it to calibrate my spectrometer.