Burned out diode
  Member Total Posts: 69 Member Since: |
July 28, 2010, 11:45 PM Hey, After today’s 20 minutes laser session, I noticed that the helmet felt hotter than usual. I remembered seeing something about that on the forum, so after some research I found this post by OMG in another thread http://www.worldhairloss.org/index.php/forums/viewthread/181/#2390 where he explained about the “demon diode”. So I flipped my helmet upside down, stared at each diode (ouch! I still see the red spots when I close my eyes), and I found one that was a lot more faded when compared to the others. Basically it looked as if there was a black circle around the beam of light. So now that I found my culprit, according to OMG’s post I should just “clip it out”. But I’m not exactly sure how. Do I just use a pair of scissors to cut both wires? Or should I remove the wire nuts and untwist the wires there? OMG made the whole helmet for me, so I actually have no idea how it works, and I’m afraid of doing something stupid that will cause the whole thing to stop working. Also, why would this have happened after using the helmet for only 1 month? I would have thought it would take at least 2 years before I had to replace diodes… the Lasercomb, after all, claims to be good for 15 years (and I mean “good” if you exclude the fact that it’s a piece of junk that doesn’t do anything significant). Another question: does this mean that, ever since that one light burned out (whenever that was), my laser sessions have been basically pointless? Does one bad light remove all the benefits of wearing the helmet? Because if so, that really sucks… I’ve been doing it religiously since 1 month ago, and I was really eager to start seeing results (though I know I had several months to go before that), but now it seems that maybe I’ve wasted a whole month (or a couple of weeks), and it’s as if I was starting from the beginning again…
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Member Total Posts: 69 Member Since: |
[ # 1 ] July 30, 2010, 06:56 AM Alright, here’s an update on the situation. In fact, when I let the helmet run for 15 minutes, ALL the diodes get HOT! Hot enough that if I leave my finger on them for a couple of seconds it gets really uncomfortable and makes me wanna get my finger off of them asap. And I mean all of them, even those that shine very brightly! The problem didn’t go away by cutting one diode, so I looked again to see if there were any more dim ones, and I found 2 more, so I cut those as well. But still, the diodes get hot if I leave the helmet plugged in. Since it didn’t fix the problem, I’m starting to wonder if I didn’t cut 3 perfectly good diodes, and just thought they were dim because of the angle or something… I’m pretty certain that they were dim though, because all the surrounding ones looked like big red suns while the suspicious ones were more like black circles with a tiny red spot in the middle (and I moved the helmet a lot to make sure I viewed it from every possible angle)... Now I’m thinking maybe it’s one of 2 things. 1) There’s one or several other “bad” diodes in there, and I need to find them and cut them to fix the problem. However, this is unlikely because OMG said that bad diodes were very rare with new lasers (and mine was made last month)
Actually, I live in Japan, so could it be something with the current? OMG told me it was the same as in the US though… hey, I wonder if it could be the connection? Here’s a pic:
As you can see, one of the metal pins is sticking out (the black cord is my helmet cord). However, there is nothing I can do about that, because believe it or not, in Japan, there are NO 3-pin-devices, and thus, no 3-holes-sockets. Luckily the shape of this one allowed me to plug it in anyways. But now I wonder, could that be the cause of the problem? Should I order a 3 holes one from the US? If I lived in the US, I’d send my helmet to OMG so he could check it, but since I live in Japan, it would really suck to have to do that, not only because of the shipping cost, but also because it would leave me without a helmet for about 2 weeks!!! Though of course if there’s no other choice, that’s what I’ll have to do. Somebody please tell me what to do! |
 Editor Total Posts: 811 Member Since: |
[ # 2 ] July 30, 2010, 10:31 AM Hey, Winterheart! Sorry I missed this post before -I’ve actually been a little bit under the weather this week so I’ve been laying pretty low on the forum! But FEAR NOT! Those bad diodes aren’t negating your treatments! They’re just annoying! As far as all of the diodes getting hot, we need to talk about that so I can know exactly what you mean by “hot”. Do you skype? I’m actually really surprised by the skype interest, by the way… at least two or three people have contacted me per day since I started it, and I’ve helped people with their own devices, talked about mine, and helped people troubleshoot things like this. I’m not going to be on until a few hours from now, but I’ll be on later. But back to your device, if all the diodes are getting hot, then there might be something to your power configuration that you have going on. Again, though… with something like this, I can take two hours to write a conclusive post, and it might not be addressing any of your problems -with Skype, we can have it DONE in five minutes! -O.M.G. |
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Build your own Laser Helmet | Laser Brush | Laser Device at OverMachoGrande.com! The internet’s first, best, and biggest consumer advocate site on laser therapy for hair loss! It’s time to educate yourself about one of the greatest treatments in FORUM HISTORY… |
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Member Total Posts: 69 Member Since: |
[ # 3 ] July 30, 2010, 05:07 PM Thanks a lot for the reply and the help this morning on skype! I’ve just done some research about the voltage in Japan, and look what I found: The voltage in Japan is 100 Volt, which is different from North America (110V), Central Europe (220V) and most other regions of the world. (...) Some North American equipment will work fine in Japan without adapter and vice versa, however, some sensitive equipment may not work properly or even get damaged. If you intend to purchase electronic appliances in Japan for use outside of Japan, you are advised to look for equipment specifically made for oversea tourists. DOH! |
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Editor Total Posts: 811 Member Since: |
[ # 4 ] July 30, 2010, 05:15 PM Yeah, Skype kicks ass! But no, the power supplies actually work all the way from 100v to 240v -they work worldwide! That switch just puts it into the “range” of 110v or 220v. Now, why electrical systems aren’t standardized around the world is beyond me. I can see why units of measurements have held out -basically, feet and inches, pounds, and gallons are REALLY GOOD units of measurement for things- but differing electrical systems are just stupid. I think it’s the other things we talked about. Maybe that adapter will help some, too -at least it’ll LOOK better! lol… -O.M.G. |
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Build your own Laser Helmet | Laser Brush | Laser Device at OverMachoGrande.com! The internet’s first, best, and biggest consumer advocate site on laser therapy for hair loss! It’s time to educate yourself about one of the greatest treatments in FORUM HISTORY… |
 Member Total Posts: 53 Member Since: |
[ # 5 ] July 30, 2010, 05:31 PM Just thought I’d chime in here: I’ve been using my Laser Messiah for about 6 weeks now and I’ve had 3 diodes burn out. FYI, the majority of the diodes are working fine, but after the last couple sessions I ran my fingers over them and there were about 5-10 that were pretty hot to the touch after the 20 minute session. Should I try to get some replacement diodes, or could the problem be something else?
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Some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb! |
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Editor Total Posts: 811 Member Since: |
[ # 6 ] July 30, 2010, 05:41 PM They would effect the session at the most as if there were 297 vs. 300 diodes! They aren’t going to screw up anything in terms of results. I wouldn’t see how heating up the environment would effect results. There obviously is a little higher increase of hot diodes lately, though, going off what you guys are saying. I haven’t had one in MONTHS until recently. I’ll talk to Dr. Maricle about it. As usual, he’ll cover an of this and send out replacements (or I will). It’s nothing to worry about, but we’ve been through this before -so make sure not to get off on too many tangents (the power supply, how it’s wired, etc.) because so far at least it begins and ends with the diode. It happens to very few of them, but they do need to be replaced when it happens! |
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Build your own Laser Helmet | Laser Brush | Laser Device at OverMachoGrande.com! The internet’s first, best, and biggest consumer advocate site on laser therapy for hair loss! It’s time to educate yourself about one of the greatest treatments in FORUM HISTORY… |
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Member Total Posts: 53 Member Since: |
[ # 7 ] July 30, 2010, 05:43 PM Thanks for the update! I will check my helmet this weekend to see what the exact number of “hot” diodes is. |
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Some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb! |
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Member Total Posts: 69 Member Since: |
[ # 8 ] July 30, 2010, 06:37 PM At least it’s reassuring to see that it doesn’t seem like anything serious and that I’m not the only one. (Not that I’m glad other people are having problems or anything) |
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Editor Total Posts: 513 Member Since: |
[ # 9 ] July 30, 2010, 06:44 PM I don’t claim to know that much about lasering or about diodes. But I do know we’ve seen this problem before with the Axiz diodes. You have to realize they are massed produced to be as inexpensive as possible. That means there will be some minor quality issues from time to time. The good news is it is these diodes that make lasering affordable for most people. Furthermore aixiz guarantees them for life. OMG also makes sure he takes care of these little problems when they come up. He has good customer service for any problems that occassionally arise. |
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Member Total Posts: 26 Member Since: |
[ # 10 ] July 30, 2010, 07:59 PM Yeah, the problem is that I have emailed them MANY times through their website and I have never received a response about my burnt-out diodes. When I checked the rails on my 5V power supply I was using, they were solid, and when I finally got in touch with the people from Axiz (via Ebay), they never mentioned anything about replacing the diodes. If there is a replacement policy, could somebody tell me how to get in touch with those folks? I have an inordinate amount of burnt-out lasers on my 50 laser unit right now. I had one I noticed at first.. then two… now I think we’re up to six total (and that’s after switching to a TRC 3.3V power supply which is very solid as well). |
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Member Total Posts: 69 Member Since: |
[ # 11 ] July 30, 2010, 08:50 PM You have to realize they are massed produced to be as inexpensive as possible. I will say one thing about burnt lasers though. So guys, if your lasers are unusually hot, try to find the bad diode sooner rather than later, because if you leave it on your head for 20 minutes it could cause your skin to burn a little (very lightly). |
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Member Total Posts: 69 Member Since: |
[ # 12 ] August 01, 2010, 02:07 AM I found 3 other bad diodes (for a total of 6 so far) and cut those as well. Note that I made pretty darn sure to cut EVERY last bad diode, and that the good diodes turn hot in every section of the helmet… I find it unlikely that it would be caused by a bad diode passing its heat to the surrounding diodes, because if it was that, wouldn’t it turn hot only in the immediate surrounding area? It’s very bearable during the treatment (because it’s not touching my head), but could this heat cause more diodes to die prematurely? I’m still going to carry on as if nothing was wrong, and inspect the helmet after every session, but I’m kinda worried about its lifespan… |
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Editor Total Posts: 811 Member Since: |
[ # 13 ] August 01, 2010, 05:46 AM That’s weird! I think maybe it must be that way you have it hooked up then, but I don’t know for sure. Keep using it though, and when you get the adapter I sent, plug it in somewhere else -like a completely different outlet in a different room. Keep searching for bad ones, but don’t worry about the good diodes getting impacted from this… If that happens, I’ll take care of them like usual. It *might* be better to just back of from the treatments this week until you get the adapter, though. I certainly don’t know everything about electricity, but seeing that grounding prong outside like that makes me cringe -and, you know, it DOES seem like you have a unique problem going on! So, maybe you should hold off on the treatment for this next week. |
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Build your own Laser Helmet | Laser Brush | Laser Device at OverMachoGrande.com! The internet’s first, best, and biggest consumer advocate site on laser therapy for hair loss! It’s time to educate yourself about one of the greatest treatments in FORUM HISTORY… |
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Member Total Posts: 69 Member Since: |
[ # 14 ] August 01, 2010, 06:17 AM Thanks! (and if both of those ideas don’t work… I have no idea what I’m gonna do.) |
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Editor Total Posts: 811 Member Since: |
[ # 15 ] August 01, 2010, 06:52 AM Oh yeah, people in practically every country you can think of have them -including Japan (and no, I don’t know what the others are doing about the adapter). That’s why I think that your case is pretty isolated, and I’d have to go with what’s different about your scenario as the the cause! It’s not the 100v current. |
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Build your own Laser Helmet | Laser Brush | Laser Device at OverMachoGrande.com! The internet’s first, best, and biggest consumer advocate site on laser therapy for hair loss! It’s time to educate yourself about one of the greatest treatments in FORUM HISTORY… |
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Editor Total Posts: 811 Member Since: |
[ # 16 ] August 01, 2010, 05:49 PM Hey, Winterheart... I’m actually going to send you a couple of options -the adapter, and a two pronged cord that you can swap out so you won’t need the adapter. I couldn’t have sent the items out until tomorrow morning anyway, but I want to call Dr. Maricle to ask him specifically about your problem just to see if there is anything else we can try. I already know the answer I think -it’s an isolated incident- but I’ll check anyway! -O.M.G. |
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Build your own Laser Helmet | Laser Brush | Laser Device at OverMachoGrande.com! The internet’s first, best, and biggest consumer advocate site on laser therapy for hair loss! It’s time to educate yourself about one of the greatest treatments in FORUM HISTORY… |
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Member Total Posts: 69 Member Since: |
[ # 17 ] August 01, 2010, 11:09 PM Thanks a lot, I really appreciate the support! Anyway, I’m gonna try all those options, and since you said other people in Japan were using it, it’s definitely not the current. |
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Member Total Posts: 65 Member Since: |
[ # 18 ] August 02, 2010, 05:54 AM You can get US to Asian adapters in pretty much any electronics store and I’m sure Japan would have a few of these. I’ve got one leftover from Vietnam that I’m using for my laser messiah back home now and it works like a charm, no issues at all so far (touch wood). Probably worth investing the $10 in one, def couldn’t hurt. |
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Member Total Posts: 69 Member Since: |
[ # 19 ] August 03, 2010, 01:01 AM Yup, I had time to go to Tokyo today and I found one for 3 bucks! |
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Member Total Posts: 69 Member Since: |
[ # 20 ] August 06, 2010, 05:57 AM I just thought I’d make this last update in case John was wondering how my helmet was faring. I did a session 2 days ago with my new adapter. After the 20 min were up, I inspected the diodes with my eyes, and didn’t discover anything abnormal. I just finished another one and again, nothing to report.
And as for the heat? Well, yeah, the diodes still get hot, hotter than what I would have expected. But I haven’t compared with another helmet, so I’m thinking maybe… it could just be normal after all? I mean, I can wear it on my head without any discomfort whatsoever, and I don’t even notice the heat. I really have to physically TOUCH them to notice anything. So… I guess that means it’s ok? Definitely no more burning, like I got last week from the demon diode. Oh, one last thing: how hot is the power supply supposed to get? Mine gets pretty hot (especially the underside), but I can leave my hand on it without any discomfort. So it’s not like, so hot you could cook something on it or anything. Not even close. So I guess that’s it, maybe you could leave a final comment and close this thread? Or maybe leave it open so that others can post if they have similar problems, I don’t know. Anyway, thanks for all the support! |
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Editor Total Posts: 811 Member Since: |
[ # 21 ] August 06, 2010, 06:53 AM That’s great to hear! Yeah, the problem probably *was* that bar you were using, but it looks like it’s fine! As far as the warm diodes, that’s fairly normal. Right now, you’re “geared” for looking for any traces of heat, so a perfectly normal diode that simply has a touch of warmth to it is going to stand out to you! In a few months, you’ll have forgotten all about that, so you won’t even notice it anymore. Now, these power supplies are some pretty serious business, and they can get a little warm. I think the heat of those depends on how good the grounding is in your location. I know that my laptop adapter is normally slightly warm, but sometimes I’ll hook it up in a coffee shop or something and it will be hot as crap! My power supplies run pretty cool here, but I have occasionally touched it and it had a little heat to it. Nothing major, though. Anyway, my recommendation is just to NOT TOUCH the power supply at all when it’s plugged in! Nothing GOOD can come from touching that thing! lol… I repeatedly leave mine plugged in for days at a time, though -not on purpose, but it happens. When I switched power supplies once, I had left my old one plugged in for like three weeks before I realized it was still plugged in. I’m just saying that there isn’t really any danger here! -O.M.G |
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Build your own Laser Helmet | Laser Brush | Laser Device at OverMachoGrande.com! The internet’s first, best, and biggest consumer advocate site on laser therapy for hair loss! It’s time to educate yourself about one of the greatest treatments in FORUM HISTORY… |
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Member Total Posts: 69 Member Since: |
[ # 22 ] August 08, 2010, 04:41 AM Hey, sorry to bump this thread again, but I just received the lasers you sent me (thanks!) and now I’m trying to install them. Am I supposed to twist first, and THEN pull when it’s loose enough? Or do I twist whilst pulling? Also, your site says you turned clockwise when you put them ON, so if I’m REMOVING one, I should turn counterclockwise, right? Sorry if this is a really stupid thing to ask but I really just wanna make sure I don’t break any more diodes… |
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Editor Total Posts: 811 Member Since: |
[ # 23 ] August 08, 2010, 04:12 PM Hey, WinterHeart! As long as you grab the husk of wires very tightly, you won’t have any problems! You’ve got to grab those damn wires, though. When I used to get sore from this (that was a LONG time ago!), I would actually get sore on my thumb and first finger on the hand that grips the wires -especially around the thumb knuckle! Start twisting “lefty loosey” (counter-clockwise) while you are gripping the wires with the other hand, and it’ll start coming off pretty easy. You’ll be able to sense when it’s time to give it a little pull. Then, just put the other diode in the hole, wrap the wires around the outside of the other twisted wires, and screw the cap back on -while grabbing tightly of course to prevent the wires from twisting up. It’s really easy, and yeah… I’ve needed to make a video on this for a while. It literally can be done in 20 to 30 seconds if you know what you are doing! -O.M.G. |
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Build your own Laser Helmet | Laser Brush | Laser Device at OverMachoGrande.com! The internet’s first, best, and biggest consumer advocate site on laser therapy for hair loss! It’s time to educate yourself about one of the greatest treatments in FORUM HISTORY… |
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