Maker Pro
Maker Pro

Laser pointer problem

D

David Sewell

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hi,
I just acquired a red laser pointer. Unfortunately it needs reassembly.
It's the type that takes three button batteries and has a little round press
button on the side of its metal housing. It fits on a keyring and came with
twelve screw on tips.
Anyway, I tightened a tip a little too much and this moved the whole
assembly around in the case so that the switch did not line up with the
press button anymore. I tried to rotate the assembly from the battery end
with a small tool and the innards fell out.
Looking down the tube to the back of the lens stuff is a slot cut offset
across the circle of the lens housing.
There is two tiny boards, one has a spring for battery contact, the switch,
an smd component and a square area of silvery coloured metal plating top and
bottom at opposite end to battery spring. The smd component connects to one
plate but the other plate has no contact with anything on this board.
The other board has what I assume is the laser diode mounted on it. It is
about the size of a grain of salt and is attached to a bronze looking metal
plate one side of the board. This tiny part (or diode?) has a wire going to
a silvery looking plate on the opposite side of the board.
Now, please, if above is enough information to identify what I mean, I would
be very grateful for advice on how to put this back together.

Thanks,
David
 
S

Sam Goldwasser

Jan 1, 1970
0
David Sewell said:
Hi,
I just acquired a red laser pointer. Unfortunately it needs reassembly.
It's the type that takes three button batteries and has a little round press
button on the side of its metal housing. It fits on a keyring and came with
twelve screw on tips.
Anyway, I tightened a tip a little too much and this moved the whole
assembly around in the case so that the switch did not line up with the
press button anymore. I tried to rotate the assembly from the battery end
with a small tool and the innards fell out.
Looking down the tube to the back of the lens stuff is a slot cut offset
across the circle of the lens housing.
There is two tiny boards, one has a spring for battery contact, the switch,
an smd component and a square area of silvery coloured metal plating top and
bottom at opposite end to battery spring. The smd component connects to one
plate but the other plate has no contact with anything on this board.
The other board has what I assume is the laser diode mounted on it. It is
about the size of a grain of salt and is attached to a bronze looking metal
plate one side of the board. This tiny part (or diode?) has a wire going to
a silvery looking plate on the opposite side of the board.
Now, please, if above is enough information to identify what I mean, I would
be very grateful for advice on how to put this back together.

The little board with the laser diode and circuitry just presses into the
slot in the lens housing but if it came out, may not stay there.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Home Page: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Site Info: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: The email address in this message header may no longer work. To
contact me, please use the feedback form on the S.E.R FAQ Web sites.
 
D

David Sewell

Jan 1, 1970
0
Thanks, but I am not sure if, or which side of the diode board faces to the
silvery plating on the other board or, indeed, if the diode board was once
an extension of the switch board. Two boards or one so to speak. I am
guessing the smd is a resistor, and the double-sided plating on the swich
board is a capacitance. Just not seeing how the boards are positioned in
relation to one another.

David
 
S

Sam Goldwasser

Jan 1, 1970
0
David Sewell said:
Thanks, but I am not sure if, or which side of the diode board faces to the
silvery plating on the other board or, indeed, if the diode board was once
an extension of the switch board. Two boards or one so to speak. I am
guessing the smd is a resistor, and the double-sided plating on the swich
board is a capacitance. Just not seeing how the boards are positioned in
relation to one another.

Maybe this will help:

http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/slasptr.jpg

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Home Page: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Site Info: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: The email address in this message header may no longer work. To
contact me, please use the feedback form on the S.E.R FAQ Web sites.
 
D

David Sewell

Jan 1, 1970
0
Sam Goldwasser said:
Maybe this will help:

http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/slasptr.jpg

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Home Page: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Site Info: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: The email address in this message header may no longer work. To
contact me, please use the feedback form on the S.E.R FAQ Web sites.
Ha, thanks sam. It is similar but different. This is like two totally
seperate boards. I think it might help if I knew if the anode or cathode
goes to the heavy heatsink and even better, a diagram.
Thanks very much.
David
 
D

David Sewell

Jan 1, 1970
0
I can see after totally dismantling this thing that the metalwork is really
bad. There is no way I can see of getting it back in its original casing
and working reliably. I would not recommend these for build quality alone.
But, for the price what can you expect.

David
 
S

Sam Goldwasser

Jan 1, 1970
0
Ha, thanks sam. It is similar but different. This is like two totally
seperate boards. I think it might help if I knew if the anode or cathode
goes to the heavy heatsink and even better, a diagram.
Thanks very much.
David

Can you take a photo? Usually, the anode will be attached to the heatsink.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Home Page: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Site Info: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: The email address in this message header may no longer work. To
contact me, please use the feedback form on the S.E.R FAQ Web sites.
 
L

Lawrence

Jan 1, 1970
0
Those pointers sell for $1.00 (Canadian) around here so for the price of a cup
of coffee I just buy a new one every 3 or 4 months. That's about how long the
button stays working when it gets crunched around in my pocket when not in use.
Like you say, build quality isn't the best but the price sure is right. ;-)

Lawrence
Flt. Sim. Tech.
 
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