how to optically increase laser strength?

so I bought a cheap ($50) <100 mW green laser from amazool, and it's great, the beam strength and visibility are amazing, but it's apparently a pot modded <30mW with a glued heat sink and no way to remove the lens or change the focal length. while it's very strong, I don't feel any heat off it nor can it burn anything. I tried using a small magnifying glass to focus it but it still doesn't do anything. is there any way to increase the power without being able to focus the internal collimating lens? thanks

also, sorry about spamming my own thread

I really want to hit the 10 posts for links.

I have some very cool photos I wanted to post

AttenuationWhore said:

so I bought a cheap ($50) <100 mW green laser from amazool, and it's great, the beam strength and visibility are amazing, but it's apparently a pot modded <30mW with a glued heat sink and no way to remove the lens or change the focal length. while it's very strong, I don't feel any heat off it nor can it burn anything. I tried using a small magnifying glass to focus it but it still doesn't do anything. is there any way to increase the power without being able to focus the internal collimating lens? thanks

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you've already used a magnifying glass. if that doesn't work, nothing will. your laser probably isn't even producing 10mW if you can't feel any heat on your hand when you shine.

Expand the beam again, then focus the beam. Some years ago I saw a diy setup that demonstrated a 5mw laser could be focused to the point it was able to burn.

By default, any time light passes through glass you lose power. You can't pass light through an object and have it gain more power, that would violate the law of conservation of energy.

You can focus the beam to a pinpoint, delivering all its energy to one spot in order to try to burn something... Though, that isn't making it more powerful, it's just using the existing power more effectively.

Try drawing a black dot on a balloon using a marker, then use your magnifying glass to focus the beam into the smallest point possible and hold it on the black spot on the balloon. With any luck it'll pop... Though really, <100mW means it could be any possible power under 100mW... It could be 1mW for all we know.

Also, stop spamming, it's annoying.

MeanieGreenie said:

you've already used a magnifying glass. if that doesn't work, nothing will. your laser probably isn't even producing 10mW if you can't feel any heat on your hand when you shine.

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Yup <10mW. I was able to cut ET with my 20mW and a Jewelers loupe.