S1 Sonar Lunar 200mw at 89$ ?eh!?

Scamp said:

OK, So the S1 Luna is a new beast. Cool.

A 200mw, Violet, 1mm laser.

For those of us new in town, what does that "200mw" really mean?

• Fun to play with
• Fun but use some common sense
• Fun but use extreme caution
• Fun but goggles and lead vest required
• Fun but holy mother of God how is this legal?

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Use only with goggles when indoors or burning with it. Use outdoors with extreme caution and only point at the sky(after checking for planes) and non reflective objects that are several hundred feet away.

iGotUrLaserRightHere hehe said:

this is the same with the Spyder III pro aka S3 Spyder Fusion series.

the 100mw Green Spyder with the beam diameter of 1.5mm costs $199.99 as opposed to the 500mw green Spyder with beam diameter of 4mm which runs at $999.99

the price difference is largely due-to the beam diameter.

larger/fatter beam is harder to accomplish. which is why we see many cheap cheap cheap 200-300mw green lasers on cheap chinese websites.

and IM HAVING A HARD TIME KEEPING UP WITH WICKED LASERS' name changes.

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Dude look!

Just because WL says so it doesn't have to be like this, so don't compare everything just to other numbers that WL says in their speccs.

Second you are comparing it to green lasers which are dpss and from a dpss it's normal to have 1.5mm beam diameter at aperture.

For a diode laser it's not the same...
If I remember correctly most of the DIY 405nm and 660nm here have a beam dia 4mm-6mm big
So you are just wrong! A thin beam is harder to achieve for a red or violet laser
And about the arctic.. no one knows it yet as no one could have tested it

anyone know if that new sonar will take RCR123a?
i've been trying to get thru the chat the past 3 days with no luck.

Varsis said:

anyone know if that new sonar will take RCR123a?
i've been trying to get thru the chat the past 3 days with no luck.

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It depends on the driver they're using. Could kill the driver / diode, could burn off the excess voltage, or it could increase the power.

-Trevor

which is why i'm asking =)
its also a matter of size too with RCR123A protected cells.

Hello!
I'm new in the forum.
I would like to purchase a new laser and I cant decide between the arctic S3 and the sonar lunar S1. What i like from lasers is to use them outside, watch the beam in the sky at night...
I have a 100mw green laser from wickedlasers and I'm very happy with it because i can see the beam entirely.
What do you think about the beam of the s1 sonar? is it enaugh to see outside at night or should I go for the arctic.
Please, i need some advice here.
Thank you all in advance!

srry for my bad english

golon32 said:

Hello!
I'm new in the forum.
I would like to purchase a new laser and I cant decide between the arctic S3 and the sonar lunar S1. What i like from lasers is to use them outside, watch the beam in the sky at night...
I have a 100mw green laser from wickedlasers and I'm very happy with it because i can see the beam entirely.
What do you think about the beam of the s1 sonar? is it enaugh to see outside at night or should I go for the arctic.
Please, i need some advice here.
Thank you all in advance!

srry for my bad english

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NEVER buy a blu ray if you´re just interested in a visible beam. Unless their is steam in the room or a foggy night outside, you won´t see a bright beam. EBut look at the video on Wickedlasers at the Arctic description, but remember that there is a lil bit of steam in the room.

golon32 said:

Hello!
I'm new in the forum.
I would like to purchase a new laser and I cant decide between the arctic S3 and the sonar lunar S1. What i like from lasers is to use them outside, watch the beam in the sky at night...
I have a 100mw green laser from wickedlasers and I'm very happy with it because i can see the beam entirely.
What do you think about the beam of the s1 sonar? is it enaugh to see outside at night or should I go for the arctic.
Please, i need some advice here.
Thank you all in advance!

srry for my bad english

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it should be somewhat visible at night, but if you want visibility you should go with the arctic. it should be many times brighter, not just for power but also wavelength. bear in mind the safety aspect though, arctic will be a very dangerous laser

brando132 said:

Why would a smaller beam diameter warrant a cheaper price? I would pay more for a smaller beam diameter if the divergence was the same, which it is, according to WL...

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It probably has to do with optics. beam diameter and divergence are a trade off.. It's impossible to get both a narrow beam, and low divergence, at the same time. So narrow beams always have a high divergence, while wide beams usually mean very low divergence but it really depends on the optics involved. I know for $2k i'd be wanting very little beam divergence, especially with a fat beam like that.

qumefox said:

It probably has to do with optics. beam diameter and divergence are a trade off.. It's impossible to get both a narrow beam, and low divergence, at the same time. So narrow beams always have a high divergence, while wide beams usually mean very low divergence but it really depends on the optics involved. I know for $2k i'd be wanting very little beam divergence, especially with a fat beam like that.

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Not impossible to get a low divergence with a small beam diameter but it is hard to achieve. Divergence and beam diameter are inversely related: increase one and the other goes down. ~1mm-~1.5mm with ~1.5mRad is average for a DPSS laser but on a diode laser it's really good.

A small beam diameter on a DIODE laser and has a low divergance that is comparable to a DPSS is something I haven't seen before. According to WL they both have the same divergence so if thats true a smaller beam diameter would be way better.

brando132 said:

Not impossible to get a low divergence with a small beam diameter but it is hard to achieve. Divergence and beam diameter are inversely related: increase one and the other goes down. ~1mm-~1.5mm with ~1.5mRad is average for a DPSS laser but on a diode laser it's really good.

A small beam diameter on a DIODE laser and has a low divergance that is comparable to a DPSS is something I haven't seen before. According to WL they both have the same divergence so if thats true a smaller beam diameter would be way better.

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Another possibility I just thought about, is that they list the beam width on the fast axis on one, and the slow axis on the other.

The diodes are not multi-mode and have a TEM00 output, so no fast or slow axis.

Oh yeah.. they're bluray diodes.. Sorry, had a brain fart there. Have 445 on the brain now.

Alot of people do, including me. Can't wait for the SpyderIII, that host is sick, if it wasn't for that I would probably build my own or buy a DIY.

This is great news, it would be nice if they also offerd the 300-400mw version for a reasonable price. If they offer this i would definitively buy one or 2 ! :yh:

I must say, a lot of the information posted here seems very off. Correct me if I'm wrong but yes, absolutely no one will order the $2k version that is still available (if it is still available). Additionally, as has been mentioned, there is no fast or slow axis with these diodes. Also, beam diameter is up to you, but it definitely isn't a major cost increase to have it come in a bigger beam diameter if that is what you are looking for. The beam will not be very visible if that is what you are looking for (as had been mentioned) it would only be visible in fog, as with any other laser. Because it is so close to 400nm which is the cut-off for visible light, the light itself IS virtually invisble. The reason we even see the dot or beam is that it is fluorescing whatever you shine it on, including particles in the air. The best laser for a good price for beam would be either a green (which will seem the brightest per mW) or the 445nm, which if you are looking to purchase rather than buy, the Arctic will probably be your best bet. However, the Arctic is having a lot of controversy as has been seen throughout the internet and on this website itself, and with that, I personally see it becoming a major issue in the sense that you may not be able to get your laser. Obviously the FDA knows and recognizes this issue and therefor will take precautions against its distribution here in the US. Yes it would be more trouble to check for these laser devices, however, I'm sure the FDA would go through that trouble in order to ensure the safety of the citizens it's responsible for. Personally I would not bother trying to order the Arctic for 1. safety reasons, 2. chance of getting caught - think about how it sounds to the legal department - trying to purchase a highly dangerous, illegal weapon from overseas, and 3. probability that WL might not be able to go through with its sales here in the US (the FDA stopped DealExtreme, why wouldn't they be able to stop WL for a laser that is of much higher danger?)

So in total, I would just buy a high powered green with an IR filter from a number of sources (slightly less dangerous), or, I would purchase a 445nm diode and try building it yourself - because that's where the PRIDE comes in and where you begin to fully appreciate this hobby.