Welcome to Laser Pointer Forums - discuss green laser pointers, blue laser pointers, and all types of lasers

LPF Donation via Stripe | LPF Donation - Other Methods

Links below open in new window

ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Would you use your laser to start the camp fire

greenm

0
Joined
Mar 30, 2008
Messages
15
Points
0
I was thinking it would be much safer than using matches or other close up things.
 





Joined
Apr 14, 2008
Messages
373
Points
18
Re: Would you use your laser to start the camp fir

i definitely would if i had a powerful enough laser to start a flame. I'm not sure of the actual power required, but just a guess would be maybe on the order of .5-1 W onto a black surface. Although, I suppose wood would work better than paper since paper tends to just smolder away.
 
Joined
Jun 13, 2007
Messages
5,410
Points
113
Re: Would you use your laser to start the camp fir

I've started a fire with a DIY red at around 150mW. I made a leaf ember, then I threw a pile of leaves on top of that and then I threw some wood on it for a nice fore. It is much easier to use matches (or a propane torch) though.
 

ixfd64

0
Joined
Sep 12, 2007
Messages
1,174
Points
48
Re: Would you use your laser to start the camp fir

Does anyone know how much power is required to ignite newspaper, assuming that the laser has a beam diameter of 1 mm?
 
Joined
Sep 16, 2007
Messages
3,658
Points
113
Re: Would you use your laser to start the camp fir

Probably more than 500mW, however I think it might be possible with much less... My X series laser averages at just 118mW and can make paper ember easily. I'd say with some patience and effort it would probably be possible with 200mW.
 
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
2,235
Points
0
Re: Would you use your laser to start the camp fir

As cool as it would be to start a campfire by whipping out a high power laser, it isn't really practical :)

If I had a laser that powerful, I certainly would try and use it to light a camp fire. But on a normal camping trip, I'd just use matches (I mean, why would you chance your high power laser getting wrecked by bringing it into the wild anyway?)
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2008
Messages
1,402
Points
0
Re: Would you use your laser to start the camp fir

Well, you could bring a Pelican... but that's a bit silly isn't it, bringing nice things on a camp.
 

Switch

0
Joined
Dec 9, 2007
Messages
3,327
Points
0
Re: Would you use your laser to start the camp fir

Look at teh fire I started with mah lazor :D
 

Attachments

  • RIMG0030.JPG
    RIMG0030.JPG
    96.4 KB · Views: 1,158

Switch

0
Joined
Dec 9, 2007
Messages
3,327
Points
0
Re: Would you use your laser to start the camp fir

VillageIdiot said:
Yea, you're right, I just cooked the meat directly with the laser, without actually starting a fire :-[ ;D
 
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
2,235
Points
0
Re: Would you use your laser to start the camp fir

Switch said:
Yea, you're right, I just cooked the meat directly with the laser, without actually starting a fire :-[ ;D

Neat.

Can't wait for the future to happen, so lasers like that are cheap :)

(I mean, imagine like a laser that when you point it at something, it's like sticking it in a microwave... so you can cook food just by pointing your little laser at it!)

...

(If those get invented and are cheap enough for the general public... well, I think we can kiss civilization goodbye...)
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2008
Messages
1,402
Points
0
Re: Would you use your laser to start the camp fir

Bro, this is you if the general public get their hands on 20W+ handhelds.

Maggot.gif


we'll be fryin' up some worm kebabs
 

Switch

0
Joined
Dec 9, 2007
Messages
3,327
Points
0
Re: Would you use your laser to start the camp fir

I imagine you would need some kW to actually cook something over a larger area.But maybe you could make a somewhat collimated microwave beam with a parabolic antenna or...(I don't know what I'm talking about exactly) like the active denial system and when you shoot it at something it will have the same effect as sticking it in the oven. :-/
 
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
2,235
Points
0
Re: Would you use your laser to start the camp fir

All this talk about fried worms and cooking things is making me hungry, I'm off to cook tea :D
 
Joined
Aug 15, 2007
Messages
1,880
Points
0
Re: Would you use your laser to start the camp fir

My experience with a well focused 1W 808:
Paper - white paper doesnt even get warm but as soon as the focal point hits the tiniest grain of dust it vaporizes it leaving a char on the paper and i can start cutting it! Thing is it doesn't light the paper, just burns on the spot. Black-body radiation is visible if you trace a line, once a char is started it's able to sustain a line due to it burning slightly ahead of the laser.
Wood -
Pine - gets mildly warm, but once you hit a dark spot it's easy to do the same thing as on paper and draw on it. Nothing more than smoke and surface char though.
Redgum - same as pine but it doesn't work as well.

Just as an idea... I once sat down to cut through a match with only a 1W laser. It took about 10 minutes to get through it.



And re laser protection: I highly recommend anyone who has a laser gets a Pelican case.
You wanna protect something, put it in a pelican. Forever warranty, you break it they replace it.
I do sound like a commercial but after having had 6 pelican cases in the family (only sold on because of size constraints) I'd trust anything to them. Honestly, I'd take a $20,000 portable laser into the middle of a lake or anywhere really if it was in a Pelican.
 
Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Messages
2,235
Points
0
Re: Would you use your laser to start the camp fir

Okay, now I hear again about the Pelican case.

Does someone have a link to this product?
 




Top