Red laser pointer/ alignment tool

[Neville Stewart]

The laser on my Gweike 900x600 never worked and I got a replacement power supply and laser module from them but does the light remain on all the time, or only when you press test or run box or?? I'd like to see where my voltage is starting/ stopping in the circuit and when I should be looking for it. TIA. Neville

[John Noell]

On my Shenhui the red pointer laser is always on. On my Epilog, you can turn it on and off.

[Ken Shea]

John,
Your opinion, do you find it useful?


Ken

[Mike Troncalli]

I find mine very useful. I always do a dry run anytime I am doing a new project. The pointer helps me tell if my beam is going to be in the right spot.

[Keith Colson]

I could not live without my red pointer. I had to re-run some stainless engraving just this week and without the red pointer I would never have got the registration spot on. I also use it to jog to a usable piece in a scrap sheet.

My red pointer is on when the lid is open which makes sense.

Cheers
Keith

[Greg Holt]

I'm with the two posters above.

Would hate to not have the red dot. Perhaps not essential but very handy for setups.

Collinear and is on whenever the lid is open. Just the way it was designed.

Greg

[John Noell]

Absolutely useful. I liked the 'thru the lens' of the Epilog more than the off-to-the-side mounted Shenhui. With the Shen you must be at the correct focal distance or the dot is not in the right place. Curved pieces are a problem for that reason. (However, I always keep the pointer LED at 90 or 270 degrees on the nose cone so at least the Y axis is always lined up.) Yes, I know I can modify the Shen, but Rodney Gold's problems with the beam combiner make me think it is not worth it.)

[Neville Stewart]

So it goes on when the lid is up, that's helpful. Thanks.

I'm with the two posters above.

Would hate to not have the red dot. Perhaps not essential but very handy for setups.

Collinear and is on whenever the lid is open. Just the way it was designed.

Greg

[John Noell]

I wish mine was only on when the lid was raised! Neither my Epilog nor my Shen are like that. I should add that the Chinese models sent to places like Fiji have no safety interlocks. I just might add a door switch and wire in the LED. Most people here totally ignore basic safety.

[Neville Stewart]

Had a chance to work on it today. The pointer is bad, and the replacement I had is incompatible. Can you get them stateside?

[Bert Kemp]

yep ebay, lighoptics, macmaster carr lots of places

Had a chance to work on it today. The pointer is bad, and the replacement I had is incompatible. Can you get them stateside?

[Neville Stewart]

Thank you Bart.

[Ray Scott]

I like the idea of having the Red-Dot on when the lid is up.

If anyone is thinking about making a kit, here are some things to keep in mind.

@- use a mini DC-DC power supply from ebay. They only cost $2 ... Including shipping costs. The power supply has a multi-turn potentiometer for adjusting the voltage down to 2.8-3.6 VDC. That will adjust the brightness(spot size) of the red dot.
... The DC-DC power supply can be powered by one of the other DC power supplies. It is a very small power load and is barely noticed.
@- Do not put too much voltage into the red-dot module... It will blow.
@- get a smal hobby case for mounting the kit.
@- use a fuse. That DC-DC power supply doesn't have short circuit protection.

@- use a CHERRY snap-action micro switch. Most laser machines are ready to mount these switches on the door. You can connect the wires across the common and the normally closed leads.

@- because the power supply is adjustable.... You can use nearly any red-dot laser module found on eBay. For this kit, a 5vdc unit would be great.



back to the main topic... I do NOT like Chinese laser systems that introduce a red beam into the CO2 beam. The "beam splicer" lens that does this trick is often VERY inefficient. I have seen power losses of 8 to 20 watts. I don't see that benefit as worth the power loss. A non-collider beam might look awkward, but the performance is just fine. I have seen two red dot pointers used so that the focal distance is found when both beams hit the same spot. ... That was cool.

Ray Scott

[John Noell]

"...two red dot pointers used so that the focal distance is found when both beams hit the same spot" Oooh, I like that idea!!! Simple but elegant. Thanks Ray!

[Neville Stewart]

Been around a while, remember the Dam Busters