Laser questions.

Just bought my first 'high power' laser today: Amazon.com: Bynovel 5 mW 532 nm Green 2in1 Laser Pointer with Constellation Cap Mini Stage Light: Electronics

It's really cool, I absolutely love it. However, I have some issues with it:
- Battery life is horrible. Maybe 15 minutes continuous use on a good day.
- Isn't quite bright enough. I can't pretend I'm Anakin Skywalker. (Kidding, I like seeing the beam...)
- Build quality is a little shady. But hey, for $5 no complaints.

Anyways, using this thing makes me want to get a laser that fixes the above issues. I want to use it without eye protection, and I am confused on what wattage is safe for most uses. Some people say the 5mw is the absolute max (FDA). Others say that a 10-15mw is OK if you are careful (the sticky mentions this) and I've seen some on this forum say some higher wattages are fine. After a few hours of research, I don't know what to conclude. So what's the scoop? Can I admire a 15mw in a dark room without any problems?

Also, based on your answer to the above question, can you recommend me a good quality laser with acceptable battery life? My budge is $100 max.

I was thinking about a Dragon lasers 15mw Viper series, but I'm not sure if that is a good choice.

I'm probably going to buy it (IF I buy it) on my 19th birthday, here in 3 days! :yh:

EDIT: I am sorry if I sound completely ignorant

you need to add your location to your profile to get better help.

you need to read up on duty/rest cycles.

you should consider buying a laser from a member of this forum..

hakzaw1 said:

you need to add your location to your profile to get better help.

Click to expand...

OK, done.

hakzaw1 said:

you need to read up on duty/rest cycles.

Click to expand...

OK, I read this.

But the Amazon page doesn't mention Duty Cycle. How do I know what my lasers Duty Cycle is? It never seems to get warm to the touch.

hakzaw1 said:

you should consider buying a laser from a member of this forum..

Click to expand...

Any particular reason?

Thanks, and once again pardon my ignorance

lupusarcanus said:

OK, done.



OK, I read this.

But the Amazon page doesn't mention Duty Cycle. How do I know what my lasers Duty Cycle is? It never seems to get warm to the touch.

***********
In some cases once the pointer is warm it may be already too hot inside.
Cheap pointers should not be ran for more than 30 Seconds with same time off. ( I killed my first one in the first nite by not knowing this) Many CHINA sellers know very little to othing at all about what they sell. When I wrote one about the duty cycle they responded " We sell laser pointer not bicycles"


Any particular reason?

Thanks, and once again pardon my ignorance

Click to expand...

**************
Members usually give better deals -have more info and are quicker to respond.
Vets are generally are better to deal with than other noobs.

check the rep before you buy!!!

Fair enough, thanks.

I did some extended research into my laser and found a laser that looks exactly the same as mine, but it is twice as powerful.

10 mW 5in1 Green Star Laser Pointer Pen (Back-Open)

The specs say: 45 seconds ON, 15 seconds OFF

Not quite sure how to interpret that...
Does that mean that I can only keep the laser on for 45 seconds, and after I turn it off I must leave it off for 15 seconds? How 'good' is this relative to other products?

Yes. A duty cycle is the recommended on vs. off time.
If you want a good laser for your money, spend $50 on a 50-100mW laser and safety glasses from Welcome to O-like,the source of good quality laser products at unbeatable price and perfect service ! or www.rayfoss.com :san:

Check out this website for good overspec lasers at a reasonable price.

lupusarcanus said:

Fair enough, thanks.

I did some extended research into my laser and found a laser that looks exactly the same as mine, but it is twice as powerful.

You may have that wrong- a 100mW 532 laser is not twice as 'powerful' (if you mean how bright it is) compared to a 50 mW of same color. Also I dont trust the numbers given from very many sellers on Bay etc.

10 mW 5in1 Green Star Laser Pointer Pen (Back-Open)

The specs say: 45 seconds ON, 15 seconds OFF

Not quite sure how to interpret that...
Does that mean that I can only keep the laser on for 45 seconds, and after I turn it off I must leave it off for 15 seconds? How 'good' is this relative to other products?

Click to expand...

You have that right- 15 seconds (at least) rest.

I went out and invested in some NiMH rechargeable batteries... The battery life has more than doubled vs. the regular cheap batteries. Also, the beam seems strong right up until the battery dies, whereas the cheap ones seemed to start out strong and then slowly dim until they died, which really sucked.

For a $5 laser, this thing is really cool! With the new batteries, I don't feel like I need to go buy another one.