Newbie from Australia :)

Hi all I just wanted to say hello.

This forum looks great. So much great information and everyone seems to be really helpful and friendly.

I just got my first two lasers this month (Ebay 5mw 532nm and a O-Like Power Rock 200mw 532nm). Having so much fun with them. The safety glasses came the day before the 200mw was delivered so that was great as well.

I just ordered the O-Like 1.2 watt 445nm Tactical, now the wait to see if it makes it through customs in Australia :undecided:

O-Like have been really good with communication and the products look great as well.

Well I hope to learn more about lasers from you all and hopefully contribute as well once I learn more....

Awesome, Welcome Nathan1066!

We are getting more and more Aussies everyday! I'm from Sydney myself. If you need anything or would like to just ask a few questions, shoot me a PM and I'll help you out.

Have fun and play safe!
-Adrian

Thanks Bobhaha I am sure that over time I will have many perplexing questions. The first of many probably being how does everyone explain to the wife why they need another laser when they already have one hahaha....

That's an easy one... Just recite this line "If you have to ask, you don't understand"

To kick off in the right direction, read through this thread since you are planning on buying lasers off the forum...

http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/6-steps-prevent-you-getting-scammed-63634.html#post909553

And while your at it.. have a read through this...

http://laserpointerforums.com/f65/33-reasons-not-buy-wicked-lasers-56289.html

Don't forget to read the stickies and forum rules. After that you should be sweet!

Nathan1066 said:

The first of many probably being how does everyone explain to the wife why they need another laser when they already have one hahaha....

Click to expand...

This problem never goes away unless the other half develops a sudden interest in lasers (my trick was to buy my partner their favourite colour in a laser. They loved it and I won The 593.5 I'm purchasing should tip the scales in my favour some more :crackup

There's been quite a few Aussies joining us here and I'm glad to see that there are more and more responsible laser users in this country.

Do you have goggles coming with your O-like Tactical? If not head over here to find a good deal on quality goggles.

Have fun.

Lase

Thanks for the advice Lase.

I have the safety glasses already. I have been a sporting shooter since I was 8 and treat safety as a high priority when dealing with firearms, and these high powered lasers are just as dangerous if not more than the weapons I use on the range. I think people can be complacent when all they see is a little aluminum tube and think how dangerous could it be..... until something goes wrong.... and they reflect in hindsight and ponder why they don't have any sight anymore....

It's a bit of hit and miss with Aussie customs, But hopefully it'll get by

You can import diodes,modules and lab lasers into Australia without problems,
I've even had a 405nm module sent as a "Purple laser" in the item description
and it got opened by Customs but still arrived fine.

It's good to see more Aussies getting into the hobby rather than just misusing them..

Welcome to the forum! :beer:

Yeah O-Like seem to have the Aussie custom issue sorted. With that said I had the main body shipped by DHL labelled as a torch, and the front and end caps plus the battery and charger (although I use my own Sanyo 18650 instead of the Ultrafire) sent by normal mail 2 weeks later.

The next step for me will be to try and build a laser from components.

I have a decent understanding of basic circuit building and have built some robots and micro controllers years ago, but I think I will need to read up a bit before I accidentally fry a diode by assuming correct polarity instead of knowing lol

Hey man! I'm from Australia too!

I'm new as well, but in the short time I have been here I have seen a lot of people who just make threads without reading, always read! The search fiction is important!

Have fun!

to the Forum....
Don't forget to read the FAQs...the Stickies
and the Forum Rules..

If you plan on buying anything on the Forum....
PLEASE read this first...

6 Steps To Prevent You From Getting Scammed

and this....

37 Reasons NOT to Buy From Wicked Lasers

If you do get a Laser or already have one be sure
to get appropriate Laser Safety Goggles/Glasses...

Enjoy your stay...


Jerry

Thanks Lasersbee already on top of the safety side but it great to see how conscientious and mindful everyone is about safety

Everyone seems very wary of Wicked Lasers... but the threads seem to have a general direction of negative feedback. I think I will steer clear of them.

I have dealt with O-Like only so far... They have been really helpful and prompt with all of my queries and the 1 issue I had...

And also hi LesPaul it is great to have other Aussies on here as well... I wasn't sure how many of us there would be... I have been reading quite a few threads already well about 10 or so thus far... only about 22 thousands threads to go hahaha...

welcome to the forums fellow aussie. im from adelaide myself. hope u enjoy your time here on the forum. and may all the topics you read provide you with knowledge and fun

We can always use more aussies around here - Sydneyite here as well.

I dont play with pointers much anymore, but I do with modules and gas lasers and projectors.

Once you start making projectors, the hobby gets as expensive as model helicopters or DSLR photography and its lenses

Pointers are tonnes of fun though, and I am considering building myself another (I sold my 1W 445 a little while ago), but this time a greenie - 1W of deep blue got boring pretty quick - I want a nice visible green, not for burning, just to shine around, so will probably go for a 200mw unit.

Enjoy your stay, the folks are (mostly) friendly here, and they'll help you out as much as they can.

If you can wield a fine tipped soldering iron (i.e. pick up the iron by the right end), you can make a laser. The sellers on this forum Flaminpyro, Daguin, Mohrenberg (sorry mate can never spell your nick properly!), Jayrob and countless others all have kits and parts you can buy where all the hard work is done. All you do is solder a few wires, and screw it together.

I'm pleased you've got your head screwed on right and got some goggles. I dont have any at the moment (gave my last pair away with the pointer), but I'm getting some high quality ones from a groupbuy on this forum. I'll simply not play with my labs/gas lasers until they arrive.

Welcome to LPF and enjoy your stay!

Its good to see so many people from Australia! Hello Sydney :wave:
Ever since customs started to ban lasers, i guess more and more people want them now. Lucky your 5mW green made it through. I had a 1mW red seized through customs haha. Guess it exceeded power output

Do you use your lasers outdoors?
I've been too afraid to point mine into the sky lol

It still is a gamble even when ordering from o-like.

I've ordered 6 lasers from them and no problems getting them through but a friend of mine ordered the Crown 500mW greeny and got a nasty letter from customs a few weeks later.
He did however receive the tail cap,bateries and charger as o-like send those parts separate from the host when shipping to Australia.

Ahhh so it looks like random screening, and if they see a laser, they sieze it, and just to rub salt into the wound, let the batteries, tailcap and key go through.