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Advice needed for buget 200mw red's & goggles

jacob0174

jacob0174

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DrSid said:
Yes .. they are helpful .. and they know about this forum and visit here often to help people right here. More companies does that, and it's always nice to see that they are smart enough to care about their reputation. If only all companies were like that !
As for power guestimation, I use black CD case .. 200mW takes like 10 seconds to burn through (with best focus). 400mW takes like 5 seconds, and my 1.5W can do it about 1 seconds. In other words: power(mW) = 2000/time(s).
Not all CD cases are same though .. but it's much more of a problem with tapes or matches ..
Click to expand...
Thanks so much for the info, hopefully a 100mw is powerful enough to burn through a cd case, when its that low powered it may take forever if it works at all! Personally, I'm not expecting it to be on spec, but even for 50-70mw, $12 is practically the same price as a 5mw red, but if it burns through that black cd case in 20 seconds AWESOME :wave: . With the CD case I would assume that you would count the clear part, as that would be very difficult to burn through. If you have a 100mw of any color, and wouldn't mind giving it the CD case test and reporting back
:thanks: and enjoy the rep :D
 
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DrSid

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jacob0174 said:
Thanks so much for the info, hopefully a 100mw is powerful enough to burn through a cd case, when its that low powered it may take forever if it works at all! Personally, I'm not expecting it to be on spec, but even for 50-70mw, $12 is practically the same price as a 5mw red, but if it burns through that black cd case in 20 seconds AWESOME :wave: . With the CD case I would assume that you would count the clear part, as that would be very difficult to burn through. If you have a 100mw of any color, and wouldn't mind giving it the CD case test and reporting back
:thanks: and enjoy the rep :D
Click to expand...

Don't have 100mW, sorry. Simply open the case, so it stands well on the table, lay a laser few inches away, focus (crucial, without pinpoint focus the times will be off), and wait, till you see dot on the wall (it will have nice diffraction ring around it, as the hole will be very small in the beginning).
And yes, burn the black half :beer:
 
jacob0174

jacob0174

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Thanks for all the help guys :)
My lasers and goggles are orders and should arrive shortly (expect a review)

My very last question is this. I Heard from many members to ALWAYS wear safety goggles. If I'm always wearing them then whats the point other then burning? I have heard from others that goggles are mandatory indoors, and its alright to go outside and admire the beam. Is it safe to to so and point across the backyard? I once saw a guy at a field during a fireworks show with a custom Cree 405-445 host at 800mw pointing it towards the humid sky and the beam was visible for miles! Some people say even looking at the dot is dangerous, is that true at 100mw? Even if I can't admire the beam, burning still awesome in its own. Before people flame, I am fully aware that goggles must be worn by everyone in a room indoors. I know Daguin's laser bible probably has the answers, but that things to damn big :D i don't know how he had the time (or the patience) to write all that.
 
DrSid

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Direct hit is dangerous same way 800mW is. Spot will not be dangerous to watch. For burning of course, you are going to watch the dot. Using goggles while burning is not only safer, but much more pleasant. I have never seen my 1.5W dot, and I have seen my 400mW green dot few times from some distance .. it glows like a sun. You simply won't want to watch at dot at such power.
Anyway, with 100mW, the goggles are mainly for accidents. I bet most people here did burn with power like this without goggles, and used laser inside without goggles. But they wont admit it. I certainly wont.
But accidents do happen. You can drop the laser, hit mirror you forget about .. usually you will be very cautious the first time .. but after few years, you will start to cut corners ..

Good reading: http://laserpointerforums.com/f53/hit-eye-1000mw-445nm-blue-laser-69469.html
 
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jacob0174

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Thanks for the info, however, it doesn't exactly answer my question. I know that up close the dot is painful, even my 5mw green is. However, I still am unsure if its acceptable to, say, point it 50 feet away in the backyard and look at the beam.

As far as xoul's thread, I had read it prior to you sending me the link, how unlucky, and worse, unfortunate. At least it serves as a proof that even when you're being careful, bad things can happen. Happily, the 100mw red has a momentary switch, which was unappealing at first, but now I realize is a great safety feature.
Thanks for all of the fast responses, I will heed you're warnings, and if you advise otherwise, I will not use the laser outdoors without goggles.
 
DrSid

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Ok, let me rephrase it .. watching 100mW is considered safe. Even from close. It will be unpleasant, but still safe.
What you have to watch for are direct hits, reflections (metals, glass), and possibly specular reflections of glossy things. Many materials reflect light rather well at shallow angles, even plastics, or lacquered wood.
So shining at distant things, outside, even with momentary switch .. I say it's rather safe.
 
jacob0174

jacob0174

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DrSid said:
Ok, let me rephrase it .. watching 100mW is considered safe. Even from close. It will be unpleasant, but still safe.
What you have to watch for are direct hits, reflections (metals, glass), and possibly specular reflections of glossy things. Many materials reflect light rather well at shallow angles, even plastics, or lacquered wood.
So shining at distant things, outside, even with momentary switch .. I say it's rather safe.
Click to expand...

Ok, then I will use it and shine it at the black wood fence (not lacquered). But that last sentence seems weird. Isn't the momentary switch safer? If so, why did you say I say"even with a momentary switch"? Sorry to keep bothering you, I know I said 2 posts ago that it was my last question. (P.S. Survival laser goggles should be here tomorrow or the day, that's only after 3-4 days after ordering! I will post a review of them, even though they've probably been reviewed a thousand times :D )
 
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DrSid

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I meant it that momentary switch is safer .. sorry if it's not clear .. English is not my native language :beer:
 
jacob0174

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DrSid said:
I meant it that momentary switch is safer .. sorry if it's not clear .. English is not my native language :beer:
Click to expand...

Haha, no problem, thanks for all the fast responses. Also, turns out that when I was debating what eagle pair to get, there was a thread dedicated to that exact question (the one time I don't look for existing threads, probably other than the question I just asked). thread: HERE
Turns out the manufacture rates them to 610nm, but Garoq (owner of survival lasers) didn't want to take the risk. Garoq told him that they will work fine for a 650nm.
Now, all my questions have HOPEFULLY been answered, just have to wait for the laser, which may drive me crazy. :thanks: everyone
 
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DrSid

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Enjoy your waiting .. lasers mostly give you a thrill before you have them .. selecting .. discussing .. designing .. building .. and the you have it .. you go through battery 3 times .. then you show it to your friends .. then you put it in a drawer .. and then .. well .. time for new laser !
 
jacob0174

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About that being my last question, I Lied :) are the goggles supposed to let some light through when I aim a laser at them. I can see a faint dot coming through with my probably overspec "<5mw" red I got off amazon. Is this so you can see the laser while you use it, the scary thing is the laser I'm getting is 100mw, and this is 5mw. It's red not green like the goggles. Is this normal? Also, reviews up guys here
 
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DrSid

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You mean you look through the goggles at the dot on the wall, and you can see it ? Or you are sending the beam through the goggles and you see dot on the wall ?

Still .. at 5mW, in both cases, you should see nothing ..

What goggles did you buy in the end ?
 
jacob0174

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I ended up getting the eagle pair, link below. If I send the beam through, beam isn't visible anyway, I see a very very faint dot at the other side, biut its FAR under 1 mw. But I woudnt be supprised if the 5mw is a little overspec, but a few mw shouldn't matter. I can also see the dot if I look up close. Their the pair of goggles everyone recommended, so I hope I didn't get a lemon.

Eagle Pair® 190-470nm & 660-760nm Laser Safety Goggles
 
DrSid

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You'll see with 100mW .. do not send 100mW beam directly through it though, it might melt it.
 
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