Blu-Ray Laser Keychain

blu-ray-laser

[Jay] hacked a Blu-Ray laser diode into a keychain enclosure. He found a heavy brass keychain light from Lowe’s and stuffed the diode and a larger battery inside. The existing batteries weren’t powerful enough, so he drilled out the endcap to fit a 200mAh 3.6v lithium battery inside. He also modded the power button to only momentarily turn on the diode. With the larger battery, the laser can run for about an hour between charges. In addition to a Blu-Ray lasers, he also has versions with a 200mW red diode.

Related: Laser projector zippo

56 thoughts on “Blu-Ray Laser Keychain

  1. You can tell it’s shopped mainly because LIGHT DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY!

    there isn’t enough smoke in the pic for it to be reflecting off of that many particles. No matter how powerful the laser, it doesn’t end up looking at that. If you click some of the links at the bottom of his page you can see some REAL high powered lasers and what they SHOULD look like.

  2. It is photoshopped, beamshots don’t work that way, nor look like that. However, something like this is possible, and I’m willing to bet money that people have built something like this already.

    Head on over to the Laser Pointers Forum(http://laserpointerforums.com/), and look around for some cool, genuine, laser stuff!

  3. I made the laser. The picture is not ‘shopped’. It is the result of some smoke in the air.

    By the way, this is how it looks to the eye. (with smoke) Some cameras do not capture the true color of a violet ‘blu-ray’. Mine does.

    The diode is from an LG GGW-H20L 6X burner. With my 405-G-1 glass lens modification, I am getting 268mW’s.

    I have an 8X build that the diode is taken from a Pioneer BDR-230 drive. It is giving 375mW’s, and is even brighter and more powerful. But it is not in a Key Chain host…
    Jay

  4. It is the output power of the laser…

    Measured on a calibrated and accurate Coherent PowerMax 5200 meter with a PM3 thermal sensor.

    This laser will light matches from over 20′ away and easily pop balloons from over 30′.
    Jay

  5. We have been using these GGW 6X diodes for a couple of years now… I have found that 180mA’s to 190mA’s is a good place to be. This is not pushing them too bad. Some diodes are more efficient than others.

    The diode that I chose for this key chain build, is a ‘freak’ diode that is putting out more power at that current range than normal. It is set at 183mA’s. Normally, this is about 220mW’s with the 405-G-1 glass lens. But this one is giving me 268mW’s! :)

    I still have my first successful 6X build that I built about a couple of years ago. It is at the same current. (approx.) But I don’t use them heavily. I like to use a 1 minute on / 1 minute off duty cycle.

    Anyway, people are pushing these diodes much higher. I use a fairly conservative current setting with my builds. I like them to last…
    Jay

  6. @luke

    you know the military will not disclose any information on light saber technology. They claim its a national securety issue… but i think they were just being a%#@*%&@!

  7. I’d like to point out that jayrob is a very well respected member of laserpointerforums.com, he’s been doing this for years on end. He’s made custom modifications for dozens of flashlights to accommodate a laser module and sold them to hundreds of people. He’s probably the first person to source an AR coated glass lens suitable for bluray lasers and he’s custom modified a lens nut to hold it. He was one of the very first people to buy a 6x bluray burner only to tear it apart for its diode. He has the utmost respect of the members of LPF, and I can testify his pictures are not faked. Some cameras pick up bluray differently than others, and the addition of smoke to the air *greatly* increases the visibility of the beam. Beamshots like these aren’t uncommon. While I can’t say I’ve seen a bluray beam look as vibrant as that in person, 405nm is right on the verge of the eye’s ability to see ultraviolet, so it varies from person to person. also I don’t own a smoke machine. Either way I can guarantee there’s no photoshoppery involved in that picture.

  8. That is not Photoshop, that is what 6X Blu-ray diode looks like when you have a smoke machine. With an 8X the beam is even brighter. No one is going to be blinded because we wear protective eyewear and know the dangers of high power lasers.

  9. When you post these projects, it would be a good idea to warn folks up front about the danger.
    They see red pointer used, and they don’t realize the difference in danger level.
    What CDRH classification would that blueray laser be? Class 4?

    Regards

  10. I agree that it should have been mentioned… I am so used to posting projects like this in laserpointerforums.com, which is strictly a laser forum where most people already know the safety precautions.

    This would be considered a class 3B laser.
    Jay

    P.S. Thanks for the support guys!

  11. All you morons saying Jay shooped this are idiots.

    Anyone who has ever thought and researched into DIY lasers knows Jay’s name…

    What Jay does is simply amazing. Ive bought heatsinks and other products from him before, and let me tell you now that what he can achieve is nothing short of amazing.

    -el taco of LPF

  12. Wow Jayrob that is one sweet tiny build!
    And to jay and ThunderBird – as already stated by several members Jayrob is extremely trusted, experienced and a pioneer in portable laser development. People like him are the driving force behind the largest online laser community, LPF.

  13. Jayrob is an innovator his builds are solid and if you ever have dealings with him you will undoubtedly find him to be extremely helpful and knowledgeable,
    i have one of his heatsink/host combos with a blu-ray diode installed and can say this is absolutely NOT shopped, blu-ray + smoke = win!

    Ways – LPF

  14. I’ve never used a Jayrob-built laser, but have used his build kits and accessories. I can vouch 100% on Jayrob’s innovation and talent with portable lasers.

    Check out LPF and you’ll see his name all over.

  15. There goes the neighborhood…

    Wow! Thanks for all the support guys! :)

    With blu-ray, it is true that without smoke, the beam is nearly invisible. But with smoke, it is very bright. And the more powerful the laser, the brighter it is.

    Here is a video from about a year ago, of a low powered blu-ray laser that I built (80mW’s). Well, I guess 80mW’s is not really ‘low power’…

    Anyway, this shows how even at 80mW’s, the beam will be seen as soon as just a little smoke from the matches that it lights hit the beam.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29rmzOsaMI8&feature=channel_page

    But for the close up beam shot from this Key Chain 268mW laser, the area is filled with light smoke from a smoke machine. Making the beam very visible!
    Jay

  16. “light doesn’t work that way”,

    Guys, laser photography works differently. Cameras are very good at picking up what we can’t see. The photo is not shopped, it is real.

  17. smoke machine ppl, smoke machine. it is DEFINATLEY not shopped. smoke makes the beam more visible becouse the light is reflecting off of the water molecules. don’t post if you don’t know!

  18. damn nice! i want to see a laser gun now just to see if its possible… if you can do this with a pointer Jayrob then what can you do with a nice roomy si-fi gun chasse?

  19. I have personaly bought Jay’s lenses and I will vouch for his quality of workmanship and attention to detail, if Jay says is’t a real picture and not shopped then you better believe that !!! anyone who says other wise knows not what he talks about…

    Peace Pyro…

  20. I would have to agree that Jay is very talented in Lasers and his work is nothing short of brilliant and that comes from personal experience. Do your homework before bashing someone of this caliber.

  21. Yes… I just updated my Hack N Mod article to mention the safety precautions…

    Even direct reflections can cause eye damage with this much power. Proper eye protection for 405nm wavelength is recommended.
    Jay

  22. Hey Jay! I Cant believe you made it onto Hackaday! the influx of members at LPF has shot up drasticly due to your 3 publications J.

    Congradulations and never stop inspiring us with your incredible work!

    ~Tyler

    and heed his warning about eye protection… it is not a joke. even a flake of dandruff or something stupi like that could send a shot of light right to your retina…instantly destroying it permanently…. i’ve heard horror stories about blu-ray lasers and stupid people lol

  23. Wow I never heard of something as small as a flake of dandruff reflecting and causing damage, but for sure, caution is needed.

    Just to mention more about beam visibility with 405nm… You can see the beam in the dark, and at this power, you can easily see the beam reaching out into the night sky. In daylight, or room light conditions the dot is easily seen, but you need smoke to see the beam.
    Jay

  24. i think i may have a nice set of eyes… because i can see my PHr’s beam in the roomlight with no smoke, maybe theres allot of particulates in my air here though, i live in the mountains, and the City of Asheville NC has the highest pollen count in the country! no joke, look it up.

    maybe that contributes… also the air here is VERY dense with moisture most of the day, i know u can see lasers better in the fog, but even mid day here you can see the beam on my PHR if your not facing the sun anyways.

    but like jay sais, everyone percieves 405nm light differently, i know a person who cant see it at ALL…weird, so maybe i just have a PHR that puts out close to 410nm light, as i can see it very well with no smoke, its either in the high end of the UV light spectrum, or its the area i live in.

    what do you think J?

  25. I know that for sure there are longer wavelength diodes than others. I have a PHR at 117mW’s that is as bright ‘visually’ as one of my 6X builds. (250mW’s)

    Of course it does not compare with the burning power. But to the eye, it does compare. I’m sure your diode is one of the longer wavelength diodes. And definitely, anything in the air, moisture, pollen, or any other particles, will add to the visibility…
    Jay

  26. Thx jay,i was pretty sure it was a combination of both factors.

    LOL and “thunderbird” wouldnt know a laser beam if it punched him in the face lol, photoshopped.

    you’ve got to see the humor, because WE know the truth! lol

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