Norm's Homemade Laser Show
Mini-RGB Laser Project
(Updated Jan 30, 2009)
Hello to all,
Here's what I affectionately call my "Mini-RGB" laser.
It is a smaller version of my full-fledged system, but also has some major
differences.
- Uses my latest triple diode driver
- Uses a high power 405nm violet-blue laser, driven at 120mA
- Uses a red diode from a DVD-RW drive, driven at 110mA
- Uses a hand-built green DPSS (and yes, it has the IR filter)
- Is powered by a LiPo 11.1V, 2200mAh battery
Please don't email to ask me for plans or schematics. This is not a kit for sale, but just a personal project for fun.
On the other hand, the triple diode driver will be available for sale on eBay starting around January 26, 2009. See seller eKits4All. The version I will sell won't be the one you see here. This one uses surface mount technology, whereas the one I will sell is all through hole.
Note the strange angle of the dichro mirror near the end, the one that adds red. This dichro would cut more than half the power of the green laser if left at the typical 45 degrees. So I played with the angle and realized that when it was positioned like that, the overall power could be cranked up significantly. Otherwise, green was so low, that I had to tune down the red and blue to match. Now, as is, I get a strong white output, with an accent on blue. On he photos here, I see that back then I didn't have the blue at full power, thus giving a reddish look.
I also have a red stripe sticking out on one side of the white dot. Usually, I am supposed to have two, i.e. one on each side, due to the geometry of the red emitter. But anyways, these will disappear during projections.
Bye,
Norm