looking to upgrade from 30mw to 150...

Hey ive been doing some reading here, and really want a laser pointer to play with as far as burning things, and popping balloons. Ive been looking at the opty 150mw, as it seems like a good deal. my 30mw died somehow, like it still works, but has gotten very dim. Even when I first got it it couldnt pop balloons. This will be a large step up, and I just want to ask about saftey.

Obviously hiting someone in the eye with this is a big no no, but accidents do happen, what would happen if a 150mw laser crossed paths with someones eye like for a fraction of a second, obviously the answer to starring into one, is a given.

also, what if say your playing arround with it in a room, and it reflects off a picture frame and his your in the eye for a split second. Is eye protection a must with these no matter what?


also, how long do they usually last with light use? is the 1000 hours ive seen pretty accurate?

Well at 150mw or more, cause optronics usually sends over specced units you will defiantly need laser shades for 532nm! As for hitting someone in the eye; it really depends on how far you are away from the person and the conditions. However it is never a good idea to play with these in a situation were that could happen. If you have not see over 90mw of green in real life you are ready for a real suprise!

It only takes a few nano seconds for the retina of your friend or yourself to the be burnt by the laser. Even a 15 mW laser has the same ability as a 150 mW lasers to burn your retinas in no time. Safety glasses are a must. You need to get safety glasses that protects your eyes from 532 nm or more of green laser light and infrared laser light. If the laser does not have an infrared filter then the infrared light is very dangerous for your eyes especially how infrared is invisible to the human eye. Sometimes even with an infrared filter 1 to 4 nm of infrared light escape through the filter and that is enough to burn your retinas. That is why it is very important to purchase safety laser glasses that protect your eyes from green and infrared laser light.

Terminator said:

It only takes a few nano seconds for the retina of your friend or yourself to the be burnt by the laser. Even a 15 mW laser has the same ability as a 150 mW lasers to burn your retinas in no time. Safety glasses are a must. You need to get safety glasses that protects your eyes from 532 nm or more of green laser light and infrared laser light. If the laser does not have an infrared filter then the infrared light is very dangerous for your eyes especially how infrared is invisible to the human eye. Sometimes even with an infrared filter 1 to 4 nm of infrared light escape through the filter and that is enough to burn your retinas. That is why it is very important to purchase safety laser glasses that protect your eyes from green and infrared laser light.

Click to expand...

*sigh*
Here goes the infrared discussion again.
Quick FAQ for the folks:
Is infrared dangerous?
Yes.
How dangerous is it?
One mW is one mW. The damage from a 5mW green laser is equivalent to that of a 5mW infrared.
OMG THE INFRARED IS GOING TO GET ME!
Infrared, although people worry about it, is near harmless. It normally travels near the beam of the green laser, and diverges more quickly. That said if you don't look into your laser, then you won't get barraged by infrared. (Well, it's only common sense not to stare into your laser even with goggles on)
How do I know if my laser has infrared?
Shine the laser through a filter that absorbs green (red filters work well) that lets the infrared pass. Then use a cell phone camera to see if there is any infrared, since you cannot see infrared but the camera can. On camera it should appear as a bright white spot. Do not use your eyes to check if your laser has infrared!
DOES MY KIPKAY MAGLITE LASER NEED AN IR FILTER?
No, only solid state lasers need IR filters. (green, blue, yellow, etc.)