Blu-Ray Laser Pointer
I was sitting in the basement of the Siebel Center one day when Matt Sparks mentioned the Blu-Ray Laser Phaser project, made possible by the Sony Blu-Ray replacement drive assembly for the PS3. I impulsively purchased one such module on eBay and set out to build the best possible Blu-Ray Laser Pointer.
Home-built Blu-Ray Laser Pointer
I focused on building a high quality device. I am really happy with the size and quality of the case, and current-limited power supply, as opposed to the simple resistor based design some other designs suggest. I also opted for rechargeable Li-Ion batteries for great performance and size. This necessitated the installation of a charging jack on the back of the pointer as well.
Parts:
- Sony KES-400a replacement Blu-Ray drive module for PlayStation 3
- Pomona Electronics Size “B” Die Cast Aluminum Box with Cover, Baked Blue Enamel finish, Model# 2417
as seen on page 53 of their catalog. All of their other products are great too. Highly Recommended. - 650nm 5mw 12X30mm laser module from Aixiz. This company, on the other hand, is as sketchy as you get, but I’ve always had great services, so, if you need cheap lasers, it works.
- (2) AAA Li-Ion cells with solder tabs.
- Protection Circuit Module for Li-Ion cells.
You’ll need some other items as well, such as a jack for charging the device, wires, a breadboard PCB, and various components for the power supply. You can pick those out from the schematic below though.
There’s lots of great info regarding the Blu-Ray diode on a page at Sam’s Laser FAQ. This was the source of the power supply circuit, and information about the amount of current that could be run through the diode. Unfortunately, the construction quality of the power supply isn’t the greatest, and I find the case design for the pointer at the bottom rather wasteful. The circuit is, however, of sound design.
It is only somewhat difficult to fit the power supply on to a suitably small breadboard to fit in the case. I think a smaller package version of the LM317 would be better suited than the TO-220 packaged one I chose.
All parts ready for assembly / Power Supply
Aperture / Operational
More pictures in the Album.
The experience using the Blu-Ray laser pointer is rather interesting. It is clearly extremely bright, and for this reason I must underscore the importance of being extremely careful to avoid eye exposure. However bright it is, sometimes it appears quite dim because the color is very near UV and normally much more deep violet than it appears in the photo above. On paper and bleached targets it does appear very blue, or even white on orange fluorescent surfaces. Occasionally there is even some eye-strain associated with looking at the beam incident on a light colored surface.
In a completely dark room it is even possible to see the beam in air, which is rather interesting, because the dot appears less bright than a cheap 5mw red laser pointer might in a well-lit room. I don’t have the appropriate equipment to properly measure light output, but I have chosen not to run it at maximum current in order to prolong diode life. It is plenty bright at it’s current level of ~30-40ma.
Soon I hope to label the box with appropriate warnings and specifications for the charging port on the back, but I need to prepare appropriate stencils for painting first. I think it is built such that I can expect many years of service before needing to service it.
I’d love to hear if you’re building one or have any questions about mine.
I’ve seen this in person. It’s extremely blue, and quite bright. I recommend using it in Italy.
Comment by Erik Hinterbichler — April 19, 2008 @ 10:53 pm
i’ve seen this in person too. and it’s extremely blue. and it’s extremely bright. i’m not as good at chess as the first commenter.
Comment by afoursquarecurse — April 20, 2008 @ 12:15 am
lol. I haven’t seen in this in person, but I would like to point out the hilarity of afoursquarecurse’s comment.
Comment by Tam Nguyen — April 20, 2008 @ 9:44 am
The font size stays small after the pictures.
Comment by Jerry — April 20, 2008 @ 11:20 am
Jerry, Sorry about the font problem, should be fixed now.
Comment by Joey — April 20, 2008 @ 3:26 pm
:) :) I like the first comments.
Comment by George — April 21, 2008 @ 12:11 am
I have built one… laserpointerforums is also a very useful resource for information on these.
CAUTION on TRANSPORTING these! The TSA does NOT know what to make of them, so I would highly encourage you to fed-ex them if you must have it when you travel. :)
This is not a TSA slam. I respect they have a hard job to do, and when they see a little project box with buttons or toggles switches that look like a detonator straight out of a movie, they are going to pay attention to it, even if it’s in checked luggage.
-voice of experience! :)
Comment by mark — April 21, 2008 @ 1:05 am
Any chance that this blue ray could be fed with enough amps to make it cut through paper, foam and maybe even sheet metal?
Comment by Jan D — April 21, 2008 @ 3:24 am
Very nice. My son really didn’t use his PS3 that much anyway.
However, you don’t want to be giving one of those to one of these guys: http://www.breakingmurphyslaw.com/2008/04/16/jedi-knights-with-frickin-laser-pointers/
I wonder if being able to see the beam helps direct the audience’s attention to where the presenter wants it.
Comment by Lee — April 21, 2008 @ 5:58 pm
this is pretty sweet joey. :)
i can only hope that i will one day see it in person.
Comment by xtina — April 21, 2008 @ 7:16 pm
Mark, I agree. these would look awfully sketchy if carried along on an airplane, though it is rather disappointing home-built electronics aren’t widely recognized in the world at large. Just a sign of the times I guess.
Comment by Joey — April 21, 2008 @ 9:01 pm
Jan D, Nope.
Comment by Joey — April 21, 2008 @ 9:06 pm
Thanks everyone for the nice comments!
Comment by Joey — April 21, 2008 @ 9:07 pm
I’m starting to build one based on the info provided. I’ll see if I can fit it into an oversized pen. Will post pictures if possible
Comment by Steve — April 25, 2008 @ 6:53 am
Hi Everyone!
I built my own blue laser pointer, and it was a blast! I used a different power circuit, different case, and lots of other things. The build log is here:
http://www.askemb.com/blog/blue-laser-pointer-build-log
Cheers!
Comment by Jake — April 28, 2008 @ 12:40 am