Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!samsung!think!mintaka!bloom-beacon!Athena.MIT.EDU!maddog
From: maddog@Athena.MIT.EDU (Matthew J Marjanovic)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Looking for cheap visible red laser diodes
Keywords: laser diode red
Message-ID: <1989Dec20.201756.13059@athena.mit.edu>
Date: 20 Dec 89 20:17:56 GMT
References: <1975@eric.mpr.ca> <2290@sactoh0.UUCP> <1237@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>
Sender: news@athena.mit.edu (News system)
Reply-To: maddog@Athena.MIT.EDU (Matthew J Marjanovic)
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Lines: 15


About 7 to 25 *watts* looking like a misprint:

	There are laser diodes in the watt range, however they have
	very short, pulsed beams, unlike the continuous output types
	usually found in CD players and the like.

	As the posted specs said, these have a threshold current of 1 amp,
	and some kind of peak current of 8 amps:  they are powered by a 
 	high current pulse.  (Trying to lengthen the pulse beyond the few
	microseconds recommended by the manufacturer would probably cause 
	the diode to overheat.)


***********no signature; my name's at the top^************