Looking to purchase blue pointer...

OrnateFreak · Jul 5, 2013

Hello everyone! I've been lurking for a few years on and off, but just joined! Good to be a part of the forum!

I'm in the market to buy a pre-built or custom-built blue laser (something similar to the WL Arctic 1.4W). I know that not too many of the regulars here support WL, so any advice or direction is greatly appreciated. I'm a huge fan of the look and operation of the Arctic, but I hate that they tend to be underpowered and overpriced. So, I'm looking to get as close to their design and function as possible, but with better reliability, power and hopefully with a decent duty cycle.

I bought a WL Elite 150mW 650nm laser years ago (when they were $700, ouch), but it's pretty much falling apart at this point, so I'd like a replacement.

I'd also like to have lenses that are similar to the ones that WL provides (i.e. - Line, Cross, "flashlight", Radial, etc...stuff like that).

I've heard that some of you guys can build custom lasers, and that is perfectly okay with me. I'm all ears.

Thanks guys (and gals?)!

Edit: I'm also a fan of being able to see the beam, so I know that Green is the way to go for that, but I just want some direct feedback on what's best for the buck. Seeing as I've already owned a green one, that's the main reason that I've been leaning towards a different color, just to shake things up a bit.

firelaser · Jul 5, 2013

best bet would probably be members, how much do you have to spend and how much power do you want ? if you have 700 again you can get a true monster of a blue with all those attachments with ease,, even 200 will get the job done ,,

OrnateFreak · Jul 5, 2013

firelaser said:
best bet would probably be members, how much do you have to spend and how much power do you want ? if you have 700 again you can get a true monster of a blue with all those attachments with ease,, even 200 will get the job done ,,

My budget is about $450 or so... I might be able to go a little above that if something piques my interest enough.

For blue, I'm looking for something above 1.2W or so.

Green - 800mW to 1W if possible...

I'm on the fence with color, so I'm just figuring out my price and options.

firelaser · Jul 5, 2013

OrnateFreak said:
My budget is about $450 or so... I might be able to go a little above that if something piques my interest enough.

For blue, I'm looking for something above 1.2W or so.

Green - 800mW to 1W if possible...

I'm on the fence with color, so I'm just figuring out my price and options.

blue you can get several watts for that price and get a really nice laser with lots of options ,, for green id say for those options, you would have to go with a 400-maybe 600mw green

but if you can prove your serious many members will build you a blue one for that, they can be very custom,

member built green is alot less common tho

OrnateFreak · Jul 5, 2013

firelaser said:
blue you can get several watts for that price and get a really nice laser with lots of options ,, for green id say for those options, you would have to go with a 400-maybe 600mw green

but if you can prove your serious many members will build you a blue one for that, they can be very custom,

member built green is alot less common tho

If I were to go for high-watt blue, what are the typical diode lifespans? Does is drop off significantly the more powerful it gets? Is continuous duty-cycle even an option with custom built models?

I'm very serious about this, so I'm trying to get as much input as possible from more experienced people.

scumbagatheist · Jul 5, 2013

I regularly build custom lasers with the 520nm direct green diode. It's just as easy to work with as any diode, just more expensive. It doesn't have nearly the power of a DPSS system, but with it so visible, if you're not burning, it doesn't matter.

The more you push any diode past it's specs, the shorter the lifespan will be. I don't have any timeframes, but it's a certainty that the diode will eventually LED.

A continuous duty is possible with a custom handheld laser, but you must factor in enough heatsinking, combined with how hard you push the diode. You could have a 3W 445nm with a continuous duty cycle if you were willing to use a TEC, a cooling fan, etc. For something below 2W, it's certainly possible.

OrnateFreak · Jul 5, 2013

scumbagatheist said:
but with it so visible, if you're not burning, it doesn't matter.

I would definitely prefer to burn at least a little bit. After all, what good is such a powerful laser if I can't show off?

firelaser · Jul 5, 2013

scumbagatheist said:
I regularly build custom lasers with the 520nm direct green diode. It's just as easy to work with as any diode, just more expensive. It doesn't have nearly the power of a DPSS system, but with it so visible, if you're not burning, it doesn't matter.

The more you push any diode past it's specs, the shorter the lifespan will be. I don't have any timeframes, but it's a certainty that the diode will eventually LED.

A continuous duty is possible with a custom handheld laser, but you must factor in enough heatsinking, combined with how hard you push the diode. You could have a 3W 445nm with a continuous duty cycle if you were willing to use a TEC, a cooling fan, etc. For something below 2W, it's certainly possible.

what would you consider, roughly for the specs (mw) for a m140 and a 9MM blue diode would be?

scumbagatheist · Jul 5, 2013

You could just as easily grow bored with burning. I have 4 lasers capable of burning, and only one gets regular burning action, and that's at work. I rarely burn anything anymore, and prefer to enjoy the beautiful tight beams on a single mode diode.

It's more satisfying to have a nice, pretty dot and beam when showing off to friends, than explaining why the burners have long line-like beams and shitty dots.

firelaser · Jul 5, 2013

scumbagatheist said:
You could just as easily grow bored with burning. I have 4 lasers capable of burning, and only one gets regular burning action, and that's at work. I rarely burn anything anymore, and prefer to enjoy the beautiful tight beams on a single mode diode.

It's more satisfying to have a nice, pretty dot and beam when showing off to friends, than explaining why the burners have long line-like beams and shitty dots.

this is why i went with single mode on my 638nm buy

scumbagatheist · Jul 5, 2013

Firelaser, what kind of specs are you referring to? Outputs vary from one diode to the next, even in single batches. The M-140 is capable of over 2W, the 9mm is capable of 3W+ and more.

OrnateFreak · Jul 5, 2013

scumbagatheist said:
You could just as easily grow bored with burning. I have 4 lasers capable of burning, and only one gets regular burning action, and that's at work. I rarely burn anything anymore, and prefer to enjoy the beautiful tight beams on a single mode diode.

It's more satisfying to have a nice, pretty dot and beam when showing off to friends, than explaining why the burners have long line-like beams and shitty dots.

Being tighter and less burn-capable, are the single-mode diode more energy efficient? Do they have any other advantages? I haven't really considered Single vs Multi...

Edit: Doing a quick google search, I see that might be a bit of a heavy question...

scumbagatheist · Jul 5, 2013

Single-mode diodes are less powerful. They use less current, and have lower outputs, compared to multi-mode diodes.

Their advantages are cost, beam profile/divergence, and ability to use smaller battery packages. Or, you can run 300mA in a PL520 on a 27 hour duty cycle, like myself, by using a pair of 4000mAh 26650s! That wasn't a typo...

OrnateFreak · Jul 5, 2013

scumbagatheist said:
Single-mode diodes are less powerful. They use less current, and have lower outputs, compared to multi-mode diodes.

Their advantages are cost, beam profile/divergence, and ability to use smaller battery packages. Or, you can run 300mA in a PL520 on a 27 hour duty cycle, like myself, by using a pair of 4000mAh 26650s! That wasn't a typo...

So... what would I need in order to get a blue laser that could -say- burn wood and light a cigarette (visible beam, yada yada), but also have a fairly long (or continuous?) duty cycle with decent battery life? Is all that even possible? Can I have my cake and eat it, too?

scumbagatheist · Jul 5, 2013

Fortunately for you, sir, such a thing is possible. Look into Sinner's MS-SSW host, and then come see me about building one for you. If you want a blue burner, multi-mode is the way to go. You could have a >5 minute duty cycle with it and an M-140, about 3 minutes with a 9mm diode.

OrnateFreak · Jul 5, 2013

9mm diode being more powerful, I assume? (I'm trying to research all this stuff to compare it all)

Also, this might be a bit nitpicky, but is there a black host out there that might more closely resemble the WL S3 Arctic that this configuration might fit into? I like the black look much more. That, and the MS-SSW doesn't appear to have fittings for lenses...

Looking to purchase blue pointer...

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