Need help in the uk

Please help!!

Its very hard to find high power lasers in the uk i found this site

High power laser pointers. Green laser pointers with 50 mile range.

Do you think these lasers will do what the videos show and will they be to spec?

Hope you guys can help:beer:

Will no1 help me? I need to find somewhere that i can get high power green lasers to the UK

No idea about that company (or any UK retailer of lasers as i havent bought a laser from the UK in over a decade) but i have not had any problems (so far) with importing lasers from overseas.


There are plenty of threads on this board with reviews of companies products and level of service although if you specifically want to purchase from a UK company perhaps you could contact them , you may be able to try before you buy

What laser from what company would you recommend? i want a cheap price laser thats high power that will pop balloons and melt plastic. Im in uk so it needs to be a comapny that can get it into UK without being siezed.

I have seen this lasers in action, I own a 300mw one. I just bought it on Ebay, can't remember the guy's name. Some time ago this web appeared but images are exactly the same shown in ebay auctions. Referring to my 300mw I bought it like a year ago, it still works and it really works well... for 10 seconds or so. This is not a bad thing, such a high powered diode in a pen style laser needs a very long duty cycle. When fresh it instantly stings hard my hand, and fires a cigarrete in seconds. Burn rate comparable to a BR6x but with a long duty cycle. These are budget lasers, you can't use a powerfull pen style laser without a proper duty cycle or you'll ruin it. But if you just want a 10 seconds 300mw and wait 1 or 2 minutes to freshen the thing you are ok. If you want a pen laser style with short or NO duty cycle go for the low powered ones or get a labby one.

Hope this helps.

I would strongly suggest spending some time reading reviews, i am sure you will find something that fits your needs and the following is probably a good place to start:-http://laserpointerforums.com/f52/review-recopilation-all-reviews-just-one-thread-42164.html

fwiw i have ordered many lasers from international sellers and have not (so far) had a problem with any being seized by UK customs. I have found O-Like to be very helpful, also Dealextreme but as i said, spend some time to read up and make an informed choice.

Rayfoss
would that be a better option than the pen style i showed earlier?

Well, that's funny, I also have this from DX and my review of that still figures there. This is *only* 150mw but of course is better solution than a pen. If you dont mind the size.

Can someone explain in detail why they are better than pens if they are the same mw? Also why do you need focusable heads what would you use it for?
Thanks

I think you have to read more on this. Im sure that there are plenty posts regarding this. Anyway, the secret is heat dissipation, the larger is the block around the diode the colder it works, thus duty cycles reduced. Focusing allows you to multiply the power of the beam reducing it to a tenth of a milimeter increasing the burning power at short distances, for example to light a cigarrete. yaou also can focus it to infinity to perform like any regular pen pointer.

People say dw about IR filters but I also read they are very dangerous because they are not visable to the eye :S

I cant find any lasers with IR filters on why?

As most things in this world IR filters cost money, engineers of bucket lasers have a production to sell, you know... BTW you allways hava what you have paid for.

I have lots of IR lasers and I have never had any problems with them cause I use protective goggles (This is a must working with any high powered laser) But think of this: IR lack of filters in a green laser is not as important as the fact that green laser will make you blink considerably faster than seeing a focused IR beam you cant blink at all cause you can't see it. Have an IR filter is always good but it depends (as always) on how much you love your eyes, how much high powered the laser is, and finally how much responsible are you. If you get caught by a 200mw green laser in your eye, the last thing you have to worry about is the lack of an IR filter, you get that?

Thank you for your help. It just i was told glasses dont stop IR beams and they are invisible so if you got a reflection you wouldnt know if the IR got through.

No need to restrict your options to UK suppliers... if all you want is a a bright visible beam that's capable of burning things you'll almost certainly get better bang for you buck buying from outside the UK. There is also no way of telling if that company sells lasers that are up to spec.

You won't have your laser confiscated if you buy it abroad, but in some cases you may be charged duty/tax, depending on how your chosen supplier declares it in the customs declaration. Often they will declare a low value, so there are no charges at all, but you should check wit the supplier of find out from others who have ordered to be sure.

As for IR filters, as magonegro says, the IR from a green laser is not dangerous as long as you don't do stupid things with the laser.

If you want a laser that is up to spec, go with one of the recommended suppliers, like CNI, Opto, Nova or Laserglow. You might get a laser that is up to spec with someone else, but you are more likely to with a recommended seller. The gamble is up to you.

I can't recommend any particular laser, since I only have lower power greens so far, but I'm waiting for a 400mw from CNI, and those are almost always well over spec judging from reviews on here.

Overspec power is not the only reason to go with a trusted company though. The lasers from a better company will have better compnents, and will be less likely to go wrong, and in general, they will have a much more stable power output... if you buy a 100mw, you want it to stay at or over 100mw for a while instead of peaking at 100mw for a second or two, and going back down to 80mw right?

That is also why it's better to buy a laser that is bigger than a pen. Since they have bigger heatsinks the duty cycle will be better, and you will have longer diode life. Heat kills diodes!

If I were you, I'd take my time reading reviews on here, until you find something you are sure will meet you needs. If you rush it, you will probably end up with something that is not that good...

Thank you for your very detailed help. I decided to but a 95mw infiniti from techlasers to start me off. Cant wait :san:

Good luck. Let us know how it works out