How to Modify Your 5mW Green Laser Pointer For More Power 100mW

Modifying your 5mW green laser pointer for more output power is something a lot of laser fans are interested in. While higher output powers can be expensive, a simple low power laser pen can actually be modded slightly to produce a far brighter and stronger laser beam.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Laser Pointer (5mW or less)
• Safety Goggles
• Soddering Kit
• Screw driver / pliers
• Laser batteries

1. Carefully remove the laser pointers batteries and get a good look at the inside of the casing through the battery entrance so you can see the diode.

2. Next, be extremely delicate, and unskrew or slide the diode out of the lasers casing so you are holding it in your hand. Place on a soft surface as to not scratch the laser lense.

3. Now look carefully at the diode, you will see that it is round (similar to the laser eye of a cd/dvd drive). Take your hot soddering iron and slowly circle the lenses interior using an oval motion.

4. If you are new to this it may take a few tries to get the diode collimation correctly, you want a sharp beam that comes to a distinct point so simply remove and replace the diode as needed.

5. Replace the diode and put your batteries back into your laser. If done properly, the new shape of the diode should open it further and allow the light to be produces with no internal restrictions. Lasers are modded regularly by users to 50mW, 75mW, even 100mW+.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a steady hand and always wear safety goggles when soddering. Don't buy and expensive laser pointer and try to mod it as you can damage the device permanently if you are unsure of the process. Your best bet is to try a few times with a cheap laser pen until you are comfortable to move to a more reliable 5mw laser.
• Because laser pointers are not your average piece of cheap technology, be sure not to attempt modification for any laser you are unwilling to risk losing. The risks involved to the laser diode are very real, and it may take a few tries to get this done properly.

Resources

• High Power Lasers Pointers - No Moddifying Necessary

[toph]

on 2/16/2009 Man, this is really cool. I'm going to have to get a few to practice on, my soldering skills are rusty. Thanks! Five/Five.

[wedgiemyer]

on 2/8/2009 Interesting idea !!! 5*

[laserpointergee]

on 2/7/2009 Yea you can really get a huge increase if you do it properly. I must warn it did take a few tries to get the hang of. Collimating the lense to be wider is the key, this allows more light to be produced from the lasers lense.

If you have an old 5mw green pointer you aren't worried about, and if you are careful, you can mod it to 50+mw. Let us know if you try, picks would be great, be posting my own as well.

[argyle]

on 2/7/2009 Cool, had no idea you could do this. I have a couple 5mW green lasers and I might just try modifying one!