HELP for a green laser pointer

I bought a green laser pointer without thinking and I have a lot of questions about now. There is no brand name and the only things I can read are on a label in which is written:
Max output power < 200 mw
wavelenght 532 +- 10 nm
class 2 laser product
this product complies with 21 CFR
QC passed 2
Now... it's strange that a power < 200mw is a class 2 laser... I know that < 200mw could be also 1 mw but I can see the beam well during night or in low light ambient... There is no mention about IR filter... I'd like to use this laser in optical experiment (refraction, diffraction etc...) but I am a bit worried about it (expecially about IR filter no mention).
What kind of conclusion can you do with the written in the label (in addition to "think more before buying)?
Thanks a lot for any answer.
Marco

Hello Marco, don't forget to introduce yourself in the welcome area. Can you post a link to where you bought it from? If its a cheap Chinese made laser you got on Amazon or Ebay then you never know what your going to get, but if you can see the beam well in low light then its probably 50 to 100mw. You should get safety glasses to wear when using it inside. If it didn't cost much and there's no mention of being IR filtered then its safe to assume its not IR filtered.

Alan

Thanks pirsquared. I bought it in an airsoft shop in Sanmarino Republic, an indipendent state inside Italy and it was 35 euros. Yes I can see the beam in low light condition but not so very well... What I don't understand is the declared power and class2... Isn't it?

What I don't understand is the declared power and class2... Isn't it?

Click to expand...

Nope... I suppose that this pointer is in a class IIIb (old classification) for lasers powered from 5–500 mW.

In that case why it's written Class2? Mah??

My conclusion: its labeled as class II so people think its harmless, and sellers could sell it...
Did you try to use some kind of lens to focus the laser? If it can light a match you can assume its more than 50mW...


"wavelength 532 +- 10 nm"? I though DPSS would only work with exact 808nm so high efficiency on the 808>1064nm process, so the second harmonic generation at 1064>532 could happen...

Yeah I would be careful with IR leak... but it's either Class 3A/3R or Class 3B, class 2 lasers are lasers that output <1mW... most likely they put class 2 just to make the people think it's safe

Probably you are right.
I will try to focuse the laser beam as soon as I find a lens in order to do that and I'll let you know.
Thanks for the answers.
MB