100, 150 or 200 mW ?

Hello everyone!


I want to get a green pointer so there are some questions:

1. Beam brightness. How much difference is there between 100, 150 and 200 mW beams? (not interested in burning things, i only need a great beam visibility). I already had a 50 mW pointer (pen-style from DealExtreme, so i dont think its real 50 mW), and is a 200 mW beam A LOT brighter?

2. Price. What is worth buying?

3. Safety. Is it dangerous to look at beam or point of 100-200 mW laser of 532 nm wavelength?

I am thinking about buying nice pointer or laser-module (to build pointer myself) matching exactly one of these powers.

Privet,

1. General rule: in order to achieve twice the apparent brightness, you need four times the output. So for example a true 200mW green laser will only appear to be twice as bright as a true 50mW laser. Side by side you will see a difference.

2. Just as with anything else, with lasers you get quality or lower price, can't have both. General Rule(for greens): 1mW = $1 for a good laser. >$0.50 per mW and you're getting in the lower quality range. Ordering from websites which are not very reputable, you sometimes get lucky, usually you get crap. Order either from o-like or rayfoss to start.

3. It is not dangerous to look at the beam. It is dangerous to look at the dot, depending on the distance. This distance varies depending on a lot of factors, such as what kind of material the beam terminates on.

General rule: If you need to ask whether it is safe or not, GET GOGGLES!!!! You only get two eyes. If you plan to use the lasers only outside, and point at the clear sky, you don't need goggles. Any indoor use, and yes you will need goggles. Also bear in mind that you will need goggles that block IR if the module/laser you get is not IR filtered.

Check out the accessories on survivallaser.com - the goggles specifically, they work very well.

You have been registered on the Forum since Dec 2008...
Did you not read anything on the Forum in 2.5 years...:thinking:

I would suggest that you buy appropriate Laser Safety
Goggles/Glasses before you buy a High Powered Laser..

I would also suggest that you do some reading on the
Forum about Lasers you are interested in and Laser Safety....


Jerry

X-laser said:

i've already read and knew all this, be sure.

Click to expand...

-Rep for lying.

If you read "and knew all this, to be sure" you would know that beam shots are a very subjective way to judge lasers online. The only effective means of judgement is by output.

X-laser said:

i've already read and knew all this, be sure.

just want to see beam photos of 50, 100, 150 and 200 mW lasers.

Click to expand...

You will not be able to judge the intensity of an actual
Laser's beam on a photo and even less comparing different
photos...
The only thing you will see is... this one looks brighter in
the photo...


Jerry

With a tiny bit of effort you would came to this video...

To ask this question you have to assume the power is from pure green. Some "REAL" 200mW has up to 50% power come from IR. In this case it will not much brighter than your 50mW.

X-laser said:

So, as for now i think about getting green laser modules from O-like.

Does anybody here knows whether they exactly match these powers as written on their site? (200 mW and 50 mW modules)

Click to expand...

o-like modules will be up to spec, chances are your DX 50mW is weak as hell. 100mW+ will be bright enough for you !

i'll never forget the time i went from a 50mW pointer to 165mW .. the difference was stunning