Has anyone ever tried to build a replacement Laser for the Technobeam vs. spending over $300 to purchase the replacement? I have some Technobeams that do not have the LAD option but I would like to add it as I use them on occasion in high ambient light conditions & it would be very helpful if I knew where the beam was prior to opening the shutter. But spending $300 dollars on a 4.95mw laser is a rip off. Has anyone ever tinkered with an alternative since you can buy a 4.95mw laser diode on eBay for next to nothing? Thanks!
Being the guy that developed the original LAD I can tell you that it isn't going to be as easy as just slapping a laser in there. The laser output drops dramatically as a function of temperature. It took a lot of research finding a laser module that could perform in that enviroment and then designing a heat sink system that cooled it properly to keep it in the range of usable operation.
It's been more than 10 years since I did that, so I'm sure there have obviously been improvements, but don't underestimate the temperature challenges.
