Long story short, I purchased one of the early LM2 lasers use with a LU1_3 laser, I believe a 3W?. After some troubleshooting I believe the circuit board on the laser module need replacing. Not sure if I should just upgrade to a 10W and keep the whole unit, or replace with a similar laser for cheap, sell the whole thing and then buy a new 10W system and be done with it.
If I buy a new 10W system I was looking at maybe the Comgrow or similar. Ideally would like to keep it under $400 with air assist. Any feedback on the Comgrow or any others I should consider?
Opinions on if I should just add a 10W laser and keep what I have, or just start over?
Biased opinion here as i represent AlgoLaser (disclaimer)
But if you don’t necessarily need a stronger frame
AlgoLaser DIY Kit 10W is roughly under 400$ currently DIY Kit 10W
I think the question is how cheaper could you get the LU2-10 10W module from ortur. Might be better just to upgrade the 10W and use the frame.
The Sculpfun S30 Pro 10w with Air Assist is about $500 on Amazon (US) now.
DISCLAIMER: I do not get paid by Sculpfun, but I am a happy customer. They are also rated the smallest dot size and depth of field in the diode laser industry. Focus at 50mm from the laser body. I smoked (not on purpose!) my spoilboard at 100mm (4") and 20% power when first checking it out.
Gil, I had a quick look at the link you provided. It would appear that with “certain” adjustments I should be able to install this 10W module (using their OUC Universal adapter board and power supply) onto my Ortur LM2 Pro (it’s about three years old so I think they call it an S1). Do you think it’s doable? I have one of Tim Rothman’s B-N-B 3 controllers so all I really want is a slightly more powerful laser on it.
As I am not using the OEM controller anymore, the 1.78 firmware is kind of moot. I spoke with Tim, and he cautioned that the JST connector is rated at 3 amps so I will probably drive it with the provided 24V power supply. It looks like that’s the intent from looking at the PDF installation manual.
can you take a picture of your board
i know Tim built one specifically to handle 10 and 20Ws with the round connector and the BH6 pin. but unsure what you have
worse case, OUC board will always give you the safety options, but wiring gets messy
The entry point of the drag chain is just out of the picture, so I’ll put it next to the BNB3. I’m using a 6-amp power brick to run the current system; I may be able to use that to supply power to the new module as well. I’ll need to see how much current the 5.5W (plus everything else) is drawing.
Very true. Given the numbers you’ve provided there should be enough overhead on the 6-amp brick to run everything with one supply (I already have a “Y” cable). If not, as you said, second supply. I’m just trying to avoid having to plug in more stuff.
I didn’t follow the full discussion, but here are some additional numbers: the Sculpfun S9 (5W optical output) draws 36W maximum if the laser is at 100% and both motors full speed. The S30 Pro Max (20W) was around 90W (laser at 100%, both motors at full speed).
I realized after that typing that comment it lacked some context. It’s one of those things where you know what you mean in your head, but it doesn’t get conveyed into what you type. What I was trying to explain is that I want to get a baseline of how much current my 5.5W OLM2 Pro draws when running flat out, to give me an idea of how much overhead I have left on the 6A power brick I’m using, before I install the 10W laser. The OLM2 Pro came with a 2A supply, and I suspect that swapping the 5.5W out with a 10W laser module shouldn’t exceed what the 6A supply can comfortably provide. I was going to use a “Y” cable to split the power between the BNB3 controller and the laser module. This is the 10W laser I ended up buying.
I know that it comes with its own supply, I’m just trying to avoid having all these power bricks plugged in all over the place. If I can get it done with one, then that’s what I’d like to do. Have I succeeded in making it more confusing?
Seriously, you might be able to replace the existing power brick with the new one. Even if it means cutting and splicing wires to get the connectors to match, that is what I would do.
