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Mix of interest and concern

Rich99

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Apr 10, 2016
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Hi all,

Always loved laser pointers as a child ever since I got my first red pointer on a school trip overseas. I use them for presentation regularly and when I am on site as an engineer.

Also use my old one for mucking about getting the pets and toddler to chase them.

However, I recently got a second green laser "<1mw" as my old one got lost. Instead of a reputable company, I took a punt on eBay. As soon as I got the laser I knew something was up as it was many times brighter than any I had seen. Pointed it at my hand and to my surprise it burned me. Now I am not an expert but basic research told me <1mw should not burn anything. Further experimentation showed it lit matches and burned black plastic. A homemade laser power meter instructions picture (probably from here) gave me a reading of 113 mw. Horrendously dangerous considering that this may end up in the wrong hands due to the <1mw label. But if I said I wasn't kinda exited by it would be a lie.

Is this overpowered thing common with cheap imported lasers?

Cheers, Rich
 





Joined
Feb 17, 2016
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279
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Yup, Chinese lasers like the one you bought are very often overspec.

If you want a real 1mw laser, you'll need to buy from somewhere with better quality control, like laserglow.
 

Rich99

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Apr 10, 2016
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Thanks for the info. Will buy a better non Chinese one I guess. Silly that I have to spend more to get less laser power!

You would think it would be the other way round!

Also told me that there might be a risk over over exposure to ir light in cheap models. Anyway to test if it has an ir filter?
 

Rich99

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Apr 10, 2016
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Thanks but I am in the UK, the international shipping would make it a bit pricey I imagine!
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2016
Messages
279
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Thanks for the info. Will buy a better non Chinese one I guess. Silly that I have to spend more to get less laser power!

You would think it would be the other way round!

Also told me that there might be a risk over over exposure to ir light in cheap models. Anyway to test if it has an ir filter?

If it's cheap and green, it probably doesn't have an IR filter. There are ways to test, but unless you're buying a laser from a quality seller who advertises that the laser is IR filtered, it probably isn't.
 

Pman

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Nov 28, 2012
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There is also laserbtb as they offer 532nm pointers that you can add an IR filter too (they install it) for a couple bucks. I have a bunch of them and they are pretty nice units.
 
Joined
Apr 9, 2016
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Hi all,



Further experimentation showed it lit matches and burned black plastic. A homemade laser power meter instructions picture (probably from here) gave me a reading of 113 mw. Horrendously dangerous considering that this may end up in the wrong hands due to the <1mw label. But if I said I wasn't kinda exited by it would be a lie.

Is this overpowered thing common with cheap imported lasers?

Cheers, Rich
PLEASE GIVE ME SOME MORE INFO /possibly a link to HOMEMADE LASER POWER METER???
 
Joined
Apr 2, 2009
Messages
10,662
Points
113
FYI
by day 555nm 'looks' the brightest of all visible lasers (by night its 507nm) it takes 1W of 445 to look as bright as just 50 mW of 532.. (approx.)

When I joined this forum I very rarely saw any complaints about overspec==just the opposite-we were trying to 'pot mod' green pointer to get MORE overspec.. strange== hope you guys are not wanting a 'safe to shine into eye's' laser-- consider that to be impossible short of a dead laser..since no actual testing with laser into the eye's of humans --ATM we do not know just how much danger there really is...just be done with that and avoid all eyes all the time.

one way to test for IR-- shine your 532 thru your safety glasses and what passes in mostly the IR 'leakage'. and YES if cheap expect NO IR filter- 'techhood' sells them cheap as well.
 

Rich99

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Apr 10, 2016
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Honestly shocked you made a lpm and didn't find any info regarding over powered ebay lasers..

I had all the bits already (engineer). Whilst google did show up some info, I thought I would get some more specific advice as I couldn't find info on a 1mw laser recording over 100mw plus I thought some might be academically interested.
 

Rich99

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Apr 10, 2016
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Well, gonna buy another one from the same seller as only a couple of quid to see what power that one puts out as I have the meter ready.

If that one is also over powered I will notify the authorities/trading standards.

Very disappointed these are available for £2 delivered with no checks.
 




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