Okay, sorry for the vague title but there is only so much info you can fit in the titles.
I have these glasses from dragonlaser, the lsg08, and they're supposed to be good from 190-450 and 598-752 nm at 4+OD.
http://www.dragonlasers.com/catalog/photos/LSG08_OD.jpg.
However, I noticed my 405nm pen's spot is easily visible on black surfaces from across a room; I figure it's <30mw based on lots of reading and a few burning tests. (I don't have an LPM, and I realize it could be more powerful than I expect.) I have a "100"mw red pen which can light blackened wooden matches and it's definitely quite a bit more powerful, but I can only see the dot through the glasses if it's really close up.
The thing is, the dot doesn't look violet at all through the glasses- it's more like the light blue (486 nm?) you see when violet lasers hit sheets of paper. Obviously, my glasses don't block that color. The thing is, the dot looks like this on EVERY surface I have shone it on except for other fluorescent surfaces which just make it a variety of redder colors.
For comparison, my 650 nm red pen shows up as a BARELY visible red dot on everything really close up- no different colors there. I can't say I remember EVER seeing pure violet while observing through the glasses; my guess is because it is easily drowned out by more visible fluorescence. The glasses seem legit for what they are rated for as far as I can tell without an LPM.
Nevertheless, if my glasses work properly for what they are rated for- which I suspect is the case- I would advise everyone messing around with more powerful violet lasers to use proven glasses which block 405 up to about 560 nm (I'm thinking orange lenses) as well. With my glasses on, I have experienced flashblindness off of some fluorescent surfaces with a laser which isn't powerful enough to seriously burn anything- the light blue (486 nm?) and green (540 nm?) fluorescence in particular. I do not think glasses are safe for using higher powered violet lasers unless they block the light blue and green fluorescence. Well, you COULD be fine- I'm not an expert- just be aware of fluorescent materials and what additional wavelengths your glasses block.
I realize I am largely ignorant about this, so I'm just going to go the safe route and tell you guys NOT to mess around with powerful 405 nm lasers unless you are sure about your glasses and know what you are pointing your laser at. One thing I am SURE about is that fluorescence HAS exposed my eyes to uncomfortable levels of light.
I would appreciate any second opinions on this. At this point, all I have is a bunch of correlative guesses and a rather weak violet laser compared to what lots of you guys have. Thank you!
I have these glasses from dragonlaser, the lsg08, and they're supposed to be good from 190-450 and 598-752 nm at 4+OD.
http://www.dragonlasers.com/catalog/photos/LSG08_OD.jpg.
However, I noticed my 405nm pen's spot is easily visible on black surfaces from across a room; I figure it's <30mw based on lots of reading and a few burning tests. (I don't have an LPM, and I realize it could be more powerful than I expect.) I have a "100"mw red pen which can light blackened wooden matches and it's definitely quite a bit more powerful, but I can only see the dot through the glasses if it's really close up.
The thing is, the dot doesn't look violet at all through the glasses- it's more like the light blue (486 nm?) you see when violet lasers hit sheets of paper. Obviously, my glasses don't block that color. The thing is, the dot looks like this on EVERY surface I have shone it on except for other fluorescent surfaces which just make it a variety of redder colors.
For comparison, my 650 nm red pen shows up as a BARELY visible red dot on everything really close up- no different colors there. I can't say I remember EVER seeing pure violet while observing through the glasses; my guess is because it is easily drowned out by more visible fluorescence. The glasses seem legit for what they are rated for as far as I can tell without an LPM.
Nevertheless, if my glasses work properly for what they are rated for- which I suspect is the case- I would advise everyone messing around with more powerful violet lasers to use proven glasses which block 405 up to about 560 nm (I'm thinking orange lenses) as well. With my glasses on, I have experienced flashblindness off of some fluorescent surfaces with a laser which isn't powerful enough to seriously burn anything- the light blue (486 nm?) and green (540 nm?) fluorescence in particular. I do not think glasses are safe for using higher powered violet lasers unless they block the light blue and green fluorescence. Well, you COULD be fine- I'm not an expert- just be aware of fluorescent materials and what additional wavelengths your glasses block.
I realize I am largely ignorant about this, so I'm just going to go the safe route and tell you guys NOT to mess around with powerful 405 nm lasers unless you are sure about your glasses and know what you are pointing your laser at. One thing I am SURE about is that fluorescence HAS exposed my eyes to uncomfortable levels of light.
I would appreciate any second opinions on this. At this point, all I have is a bunch of correlative guesses and a rather weak violet laser compared to what lots of you guys have. Thank you!
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