Is there such a thing as 5mW bluray laser-diode?

Videogamer555 said:

So why aren't the companies making illegal lasers shut down by the government, and the employees and boss of the company arrested for violating laser laws?

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Welcome to the real world... it's not a pretty place;

T_Warne said:

The companies are not making illegal lasers. They are making lasers that are imported illegally.

Which government should shut them down?
Why would the Chinese shut down a business that brings millions of yuan into the country.
How can the USA enforce our laws in China?

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I have a TESTED 405nm laser that is only outputting 5mW.

Perfect for looking at fluorescent stuff without getting eye damage.

There is no big difference between this one and a 40, 50mW one according brightness cause 405nm is on the edge of visibility anyway.

If you want to get more info on the laser I´m able to offer, let me tell and I can post a few pics and power reading here or via PM.

Would be able to do this in ~48hours, after my big exam I´m learning for right now is over


Edit: Sorry, just saw that this thread is about legality and the REAL power of these 5mW lasers

Are you actually just trying to obtain a 5mW 405? Is that what this thread is really about? Not a discussion on the legality and loopholes of importing laser pointers? If so, I am very sorry about the threadjack.

I would like to know if it is legal to purchase overpowered laser pointers that have been hacked by someone in china? Or would the mere act of purchasing such a laser constitute a crime? I also wonder, if those companies risk US prosecution for violating import laws? I also wonder if there are laser pointer companies in the US that make legit 5mW green and violet laser pointers (using actual 5mW Bluray reading laser diodes like the KES-400A in the PS3)? I'm asking about the US companies, because I know if you buy stuff from cheap Chinese companies (usually they sell on eBay, or other websites that have improper English grammar, or look like cheaply designed websites), you never really know the specs of the device, just an approximation (which it may actually deviate widely from).

You sure do ask a lot of interesting questions. May I ask what you do for a living?


I would like to know if it is legal to purchase overpowered laser pointers that have been hacked by someone in china?
~ I'm no expert, and a person should never get legal advice from an internet forum, but... I believe that it is a illegal to sell a hand held laser pointer over 5mW in the US unless it has been approved by the FDA. ( somebody jump in and correct me if I am wrong )

Or would the mere act of purchasing such a laser constitute a crime?
~ Maybe? I think knowingly importing them for personal use is generally frowned upon.

I also wonder, if those companies risk US prosecution for violating import laws?
~ I'm positive that Chinese companies have nothing to worry about. Illegal laser pointers are the least of our problems; there are bigger fish to fry. What about children's toys painted with lead and cadmium? What about food and infant formula tainted with Melamine? What about counterfeit shoes, clothes, and purses? What about pirated music and film? What about counterfeit US currency? What about the counterfeit electronics showing up in our sensitive military hardware?

I also wonder if there are laser pointer companies in the US that make legit 5mW green http://www.laser66.com/html/green_pointers.html
and violet laser pointers (using actual 5mW Bluray reading laser diodes like the KES-400A in the PS3)? I'm asking about the US companies, because I know if you buy stuff from cheap Chinese companies (usually they sell on eBay, or other websites that have improper English grammar, or look like cheaply designed websites), you never really know the specs of the device, just an approximation (which it may actually deviate widely from).

"Interesting" is a matter of perspective

T_Warne said:

Creative Technology - Green Laser Pointers Overview and Specs.[/URL]

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Are there any legit US companies that make true 5mW VIOLET laser pointers though? I know these pointers using BluRay disk reader laser diodes with 405nm wavelenghth are the new "craze" in laser pointers (just like green was a few years ago), but I wanna make sure I get a legit 5mW one (not an illegal, overpowered, version). Best way to make sure it complies with US regs and is in fact 5mW, is to get it from a company in the US, not China. But are there any US companies that sell such legit 5mW violet laser pointers?

You seem like an intelligent guy and it appears that you have quite a bit of knowledge when it comes to laser fundamentals. Why not just buy the parts and make your own 405 pointer? Build it to what ever power you wish...

What do you need a 5mW BluRay pointer for anyway? They aren't very bright and you won't see the dot easily in daylight or a brightly lit room.

:wave:Can you please satisfy my curiosity and tell us what you do for a living?

T_Warne said:

You seem like an intelligent guy and it appears that you have quite a bit of knowledge when it comes to laser fundamentals. Why not just buy the parts and make your own 405 pointer? Build it to what ever power you wish...

What do you need a 5mW BluRay pointer for anyway? They aren't very bright and you won't see the dot easily in daylight or a brightly lit room.

:wave:Can you please satisfy my curiosity and tell us what you do for a living?

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I got green lasers back when they were the "cool" thing to have. Now it's the same for violet lasers. I want to know if there is a legit company that makes true 5mW violet lasers, that legally comply with US laws (and preferably are made by a US company, not Chinese, as Chinese companies sometimes make crap that doesn't work or isn't to the specs they state).

Videogamer555 said:

I got green lasers back when they were the "cool" thing to have. Now it's the same for violet lasers. I want to know if there is a legit company that makes true 5mW violet lasers, that legally comply with US laws (and preferably are made by a US company, not Chinese, as Chinese companies sometimes make crap that doesn't work or isn't to the specs they state).

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Not really.

If you're seriously interested in a 5mW 405nm laser, put a WTB thread in the Buy/Sell/Trade section, and any number of builders will make one for you.

The only problem is, you will find that 5mW of 405nm is extremely dim, and hard to see, to the point of being useless.

Consider the following: http://rohanhill.com/tools/RelativeBrightness/?nm1=532&mw1=5&nm2=405&mw2=5&useRaleigh=off&ChromaCompat=

While the tool is not perfect, it does illustrate the problem... 405nm is just on the edge of our ability to perceive. This means that a true 5mW 405nm is basically nothing more then a paperweight.

InfinitusEquitas said:

This means that a true 5mW 405nm is basically nothing more then a paperweight.

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But it's still useful as an experimental device for exciting fluorescent stuff. I also am wondering why US companies who make green laser pointers don't also cater to those experimenters who want a violet laser of safe power level to experiment with (especially in the realm of fluorescence)? I mean most users of GREEN lasers are not for their pointing power (most lasers used by school teachers as real pointing devices are actually still red lasers), but rather as experimental devices, and indeed there are US companies who have made green lasers. So why no US companies that cater to the same hobbyiest experimenter market and sell violet lasers (just like they do green lasers)?

Videogamer555 said:

But it's still useful as an experimental device for exciting fluorescent stuff. I also am wondering why US companies who make green laser pointers don't also cater to those experimenters who want a violet laser of safe power level to experiment with (especially in the realm of fluorescence)? I mean most users of GREEN lasers are not for their pointing power (most lasers used by school teachers as real pointing devices are actually still red lasers), but rather as experimental devices, and indeed there are US companies who have made green lasers. So why no US companies that cater to the same hobbyiest experimenter market and sell violet lasers (just like they do green lasers)?

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For fluorescence UV flashlights are far more effective.

I started to type a much longer response, but basically it comes down to a lack of demand, and lack of return on investment, for US based companies to bother with 5mW 405nm lasers.

I'm glad I refreshed before responding. IE said it all.

InfinitusEquitas said:

For fluorescence UV flashlights are far more effective.

I started to type a much longer response, but basically it comes down to a lack of demand, and lack of return on investment, for US based companies to bother with 5mW 405nm lasers.

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Then why do they make green laser pointers? Aren't most of those green pointers limited to the hobbiest market anyway (much like violet lasers are)? I mean red lasers are still what's used for practical laser pointing like in schools for lectures, not green lasers.

So they are ALREADY catering to the "geek" or "hobbiest" market when making green laser pointers. Now hobbiests are demanding violet laser pointers, so why not make them? The Chinese companies are making them, and indeed they cater to the hobbiest market. The thing I do NOT like about the Chinese ones is that to make up for the dimmer VISIBLE nature of the output (though not actually less powerful) when compared to a red laser pointer, they will increase the power, and then mislabel it as 5mW.

Now I would trust a US company more than a Chinese company, because if it's made in the US, in order to comply with the law, it HAS TO be labeled correctly, which would FORCE THEM to use a true 5mW laser diode (even at the expense of dimmer visible light) to be in accordance with the 5mW label and the 5mW max limit on power for laser pointers. And indeed I would prefer a 5mW laser violet pointer than a 5mW lab laser, cause lab lasers are INSANELY expensive. That's why I'm talking about that this needs to be done here. Hopefully some US laser pointer manufacturer company's executive will one day be browsing the net and come across this thread in this forum, and finally get the idea that there indeed IS a demand for a laser pointer that meets these specs:
Power 5mW
Wavelength 405nm

and then will proceed to make a product line of such product from his company.

Not likely to happen.

Green lasers are used for/in presentations all the time, and in schools. Red too. Red ones are more common because they are cheaper, but the 5mW pens are strictly presentation aids, and I have see them in use since about 2006.

As for demand... consider the members of this forum... it is purely a hobbyist forum, and the target audience you are saying there is a demand with.

Do some searching to see exactly how many people are actually interested in a 5mW 405nm laser.

You'll find the number to be exceedingly small.

People want BIGGER, BRIGHTER, MOAR POWAR! Not dimmer, and safer.

Especially hobbyists.

I'm still confused. Do you actually want to purchase a 5mW 405 pointer? Or just go round and round about how no US manufacturer makes them and how dangerous mislabeled Chinese laser are?

If you want a 5mW 405 DJNY will sell you a tested and verified pointer.

No US manufacture will ever make a 5mW for sale because it is not cost effective and the market is already saturated with "5mW" Chinese lasers costing just $6 shipped free.