[Laser] Retro-Reflector test

[Chuck Hast]

On 5/10/07, KD7JYK <kd7jyk at earthlink.net> wrote:
> "I will be using TNC's drivng"
>
> I see I am not the only one with this idea...  I had planned to use a TNC to
> drive a 32 IR LED bank.
>

Yes, a TNC provides a great way to test these things, you have speeds from
300 b/s to 128kb/s and there are control lines and DCD lines to work with,
makes a great starting platform.

I tried Luxeon LED's on mine, I was able to key them just fine but needed
more power.

By way, if you need IR power go scrounge CD or DVD writers that have bad
logic or other issues, the CD writer will have a 50 to 250 mw laser diode (power
depends on write speed, the faster the higher the power) at about 720nm. The
DVD writer is even better it will have a IR writer diode AND a 650nm diode for
writing DVD's and the power is on the order of 150 to 300 mw... So there is a
great resource for higher power diodes... By the way, the TNC's I use are Pac-
Comm TNC's as they are easy to modify.

-- 
Chuck Hast  -- KP4DJT --
To paraphrase my flight instructor;
"the only dumb question is the one you DID NOT ask resulting in my going
out and having to identify your bits and pieces in the midst of torn
and twisted metal."