405nm "Aquarius style" Blu-Ray pointers

I haven't seen anything about these lasershop.co.uk pointers yet. Is anyone familiar with the product or company?

It's the first blu-ray pointer aside from the Sonar I've seen that looks professionally made.

Website: http://www.lazershop.co.uk/shop/index.php?cPath=45&osCsid=f7d7551ebb2dd9c035d8b82af6db68ee

Pics (I copied them over to tinypic.com):

Description from website:

the first two look decent, but the third uses the AAA sized lithiums and probably doesn't use a driver so i'd stay away from those, and although i didn't really wanna say anything until they were complete, but I will have something very similar to the first two products for less than half the price for sale in the very near future

MarioMaster said:

the first two look decent, but the third uses the AAA sized lithiums and probably doesn't use a driver so i'd stay away from those, and although i didn't really wanna say anything until they were complete, but I will have something very similar to the first two products for less than half the price for sale in the very near future

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If that's the case, you have a customer waiting right here!

$300 lol what a ripoff.

has anyone from the US ordered from this company?

First, let me preface this with the statement that I am an absolute neophyte in this hobby. You'll get no technical revue from me.

My second laser (other than cat toys) was purchased from him through eBay. The "dim" look of the light (on an un-reactive wall) was the reason that I looked for and found this forum. Mine is a Blu-Ray that is marked at <5mW. I do not have a way to measure the output yet. It is powered by two 3.6 volt Lithium batteries. I have used it several nights and took it with me to play at the gem show last weekend. It is still on it's first set of batteries (not re-charged yet). I have not done any "long" duty cycles with it. The longest it has been lit at one time is about 2 minutes. It is working fine.

My only complaint about it is the beam is not focused very well. I had no way to really gauge that until I got my Milos unit to compare it to. My Milos unit has a MUCH tighter beam As far as what's inside, I cannot tell. I may not even recognize it if I saw it. Did I mention that I am a neophyte? The lens and electronics are "glued" into the barrel with a white substance that resembles silicon. Maybe one of the experienced members would be willing to de-construct it to see how it is made.

As far as the company is concerned, the unit was mailed swiftly via airmail (signature required) to the US. It is housed in a DX like box and came with one set of batteries. When I emailed him about my disappointment with the brightness of the beam, he suggested I try new batteries. He said nothing about how the beam was significantly effected by the surfaces being lit. I got that info from the members of this forum.

I paid more than it is worth, but I didn't know that at the time. I figure that it was the price I paid to find this forum and the education I am getting here. I have better now, with more on the way.

this guy selling these 405nm pens, literally lives about 25 miles away from me here in the uk. ive not bought one of these so cant say much really.
i have emailed him with questions but never really got a descriptive/helpful reply, seems like he doesnt know what hes selling.
however IIRC, some user here bought one of these but a 25mw model which he seemed really happy with.

MarioMaster said:

the first two look decent, but the third uses the AAA sized lithiums and probably doesn't use a driver so i'd stay away from those, and although i didn't really wanna say anything until they were complete, but I will have something very similar to the first two products for less than half the price for sale in the very near future  

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The high voltage batteries doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't have a driver. It just means it doesn't have a boost driver.

it might, it might not - can't tell without opening one

I have used it several nights and took it with me to [highlight]play at the gem show[/highlight] last weekend.  It is still on it's first set of batteries (not re-charged yet).

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Daguin-
Did you find any "rocks-minerals" that "lit-up" with the 405nM well? I have only found rubies so far really give much of a reaction, but I would like to find others.
Dark Horse

Dark_Horse said:

I have used it several nights and took it with me to [highlight]play at the gem show[/highlight] last weekend. It is still on it's first set of batteries (not re-charged yet).

Click to expand...

Daguin-
Did you find any "rocks-minerals" that "lit-up" with the 405nM well? I have only found rubies so far really give much of a reaction, but I would like to find others.
Dark Horse

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Fluorapatite. Garnets. Calcite. Many agates. Benitoite. The salts in some fossils. Franklinite. Wilamite. Some opals. One of my unknown stones from the Purple Passion Mine in AZ. . . . . . still looking

Also check out this thread started by Pirateo40 for some others AND some really cool pictures

http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1205712345

Sorry about the back-to-back posts here, but they are really not very closely related.

I played with my Blu-Ray from Lasershopuk a bit today. I figured I had better now, so why not look a bit closer. If you read reply #6 above you know that I have one like the 20mW pictured above. Mine is only rated <5mW, but the construction and power source is the same. I stated in my reply above that the biggest problem I had with the laser was that it was not focused very well.

The cap screws off easily from the unit. Under the cap was a brass tube with the lens at the bottom. The tube is about 7mmOD and a little over 5mmID. The whole thing was "glued" into the barrel with a white silicone like substance. I decided to dig the silicone out to get the electronics out. After I dug out most of the silicone, I tried to pull the unit out. It didn't come so I tried to gently pull it out with a pair of pliers. As I pulled I noticed a bit of "play" in the tube. As I turned it, it appeared that it was only the tube turning rather than the whole unit. I decided to take a chance and twist it.

As I twisted it I realized that the tube was the only part moving. I got braver an just started turning it. It unscrewed. The part that came out holds the lens in the bottom. It is about 15mm overall and the tube part (that stuck out) is about 9mm long. The end result here is that my Lasershopuk Blu-Ray is focusable It is now focused nicely at about 30', which is about what I need in lecture. I do not yet have a way to measure the output, but it is much more functional now.

BTW Milos, I don't know what this module is, but the extra lens that you sent me screws right into the opening of this pen. It is sub-surface before it is focused, but it fits and works in the unit as well.

Also, it is still on its first set of batteries and while I was playing with it this time, I extended the duty cycle to about four minutes

daguin said:

[quote author=Dark_Horse link=1207787703/0#10 date=1208197422]

I have used it several nights and took it with me to [highlight]play at the gem show[/highlight] last weekend.  It is still on it's first set of batteries (not re-charged yet).

Click to expand...

Daguin-
Did you find any "rocks-minerals" that "lit-up" with the 405nM well? I have only found rubies so far really give much of a reaction, but I would like to find others.
Dark Horse

Click to expand...

Fluorapatite.  Garnets.  Calcite.  Many agates.  Benitoite.  The salts in some fossils.  Franklinite.  Wilamite.  Some opals.  One of my unknown stones from the Purple Passion Mine in AZ. . . . . . still looking  

Also check out this thread started by Pirateo40 for some others AND some really cool pictures

http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1205712345[/quote]

Purple Passion - the most common mineral combination is fluorite/willemite/calcite. The fluorite would be FL blue, while the willemite might glow green, and the calcite orange.

[highlight]Purple Passion - the most common mineral combination is fluorite/willemite/calcite. [/highlight]The fluorite would be FL blue, while the willemite might glow green, and the calcite orange.


Hey Jayrob.

Take notice. The specimen is already packaged with the label "unknown" from the Purple Passion Mine.

I brought a 10mw blue laser pointer from him and it is very professional. In a nice case & box with battrys
I am pleased with my blue laser.