Noob Question on 100mW green laser

HI All first post here ever. I've looked around the search a little and well its made me really question my lasers "REAL" Spec.

This is an apparent 100mW 532nm ( starting power for this laser on the sellers website) and seller was polite enough to relabel it to <1mW ..

Any how From what ive read 100 mW should be powerful enough for me.. burn something, ignite a match, all that fun stuff i see on you tube with cheaper lasers..

No access to he tool used to measure power so whats an experienced laser owners guestimate on power ouput based on pic attached.. Slight beam visable in well lit room. Nice beam outside at night. Have been unable to burn or ignite anything. Does sting skin slightly at 5-10 cm away if held steady after about 5 -10 seconds.

So based on pics, forget label is it fair to say i haven't got what i paid for ? or is it possibly detuned for legal reasons. the acquirer of this device paid for a 100mW laser.

any comments welcome First post lol.

3 more pics if it helps.. first beam lit room with ecig smoke blown out in beam

second lit room more ecig smoke.

3rd lights out.. ecig smoke to the right of pic. little to no smoke at left of pic.

decent beam in sky at night. but not like 100mW pics ive seen here and on u tube

Is the laser focusable ? A real 100mW should ignite a match or sting the skin WHEN it is focused to the smallest dot. Just straight beam doesn't give enough power density to heat up the spot.

Blord said:

Is the laser focusable ? A real 100mW should ignite a match or sting the skin WHEN it is focused to the smallest dot. Just straight beam doesn't give enough power density to heat up the spot.

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I'm pretty sure I was able to smoke (not ingite) a match with a ~100mW unfocused but then again it could have been overspec

its a warn laser morphling 100mW so focusable Yes. Though Ive not really understood how I can focus the beam. The screw lens if screwed down tight as far as it goes (over tightened) what may be the focus ring.. ? Ill loosen all that off and see..

Only laser i have to compare against is a suspected 1mW ebay one but i cant see , feel 100x more power from the warn laser.

Ill untighten the lens(assuming this isthe focusable bit) and have a play around.

so focused to as fine a beam as possible, a 100 mW laser should smoke slowly a match till it ignights ?

ok so it is a focus enabled laser, i now understand the mechanism to focusing the thing now i have it loosened to play with.. ie focusing meaning, I can have a big round dot \ beam.. or a nice thin tight beam \dot..

in the next 2 pics,

the first one - whats the white silicone visible around the diode for. OK there is a concave plastic lens here. is this uv filter or a lens?

the second pic - apart from turning the tuning ring on the laser head itself for adjustment of beam size. with the top cover removed there is another lens which appears to be adjustable.. If I am happy with the beam itself should I leave this internal brass adjustable lens alone? or is there scope for more adjustment here with this?

Or is it simply that these 2 lenses work together to give me my focus-ability functionality ?..

hmm Based on the beam pics, would anyone have doubts over this being 100mW.. I purposely wanted 100mW after researching a bit for my first decent laser as it seemed a good starting point (besides a ebay ,1mW - which are kinda decent as a pointer) with a good balance between learning about safety of more powerful lasers and actually using a laser to do something like.. smoke a match head.

Is the host and tun-ability of this model laser good for upgrading if Im not happy with power ?

If my expectation is to see a visible beam in daylight indoors, see a solid beam outside at night in pure darkness and be able to sparck a match or burn plastic then is 100mW green a fair enough power level to meet those expectations.. Everything i am reading says it is.. Which is making me dought my lasers true strength.

Blord said:

Is the laser focusable ? A real 100mW should ignite a match or sting the skin WHEN it is focused to the smallest dot. Just straight beam doesn't give enough power density to heat up the spot.

Click to expand...

I've now focused it to the finest dot possible.. slight sting on skin but takes time and match head.... no smoke.. need saftey glasses to look at it when focusing on a match head. Guessing polorised oakleys not good enough lol.

doesn't sound like 100mW, what brand batteries are in it? hows the battery voltage?

Usually they claim to be within 10% of the claimed power, but this seems 20-40mW less than that.

you could get it LPM'd to find out what the actual power is.

Fiddy said:

doesn't sound like 100mW, what brand batteries are in it? hows the battery voltage?

Usually they claim to be within 10% of the claimed power, but this seems 20-40mW less than that.

you could get it LPM'd to find out what the actual power is.

Click to expand...

tried new energizer 123's @ 3v and rechargeable at 3.7's(ultrafire 1000mAh)

okie, thanks for ur input. is the setup worth just replacing the laser diode etc in? so i buy a 100mW reliable detup and swap it out. less then $100 delivered so its ok for what it is.. wanted 100 mW though.

What is your location? Be sure to check out the Lazerer group buy going on right now in the Group Buy section! Also, make sure and read the stickies *especially the ones about companies to buy from*.

532nm lasers are usually more for the "ooh, pretty..." factor than the holy shite my jeans have a hole in them. If you want to burn something with ~100mW, look for(or build) a 405nm laser.

OzBee said:

tried new energizer 123's @ 3v and rechargeable at 3.7's(ultrafire 1000mAh)

okie, thanks for ur input. is the setup worth just replacing the laser diode etc in? so i buy a 100mW reliable detup and swap it out. less then $100 delivered so its ok for what it is.. wanted 100 mW though.

Click to expand...

i dont know how hard the thing is to pull apart to change the module

ok, just a update as i been testing some things. the laser seems to smoke thick electrical black tape (heavy duty) - yet to burn through. Smokes a match head it colored black with permanent marker. but not without the black. distance and duration from last burst seem to be 2 big factors. This battery too is the first on and probably getting weak.

So to sum up. Im happy enough with this device until i get me some protection.. ie glasses.. regardless of power output..

Next time i invest it will be through a reputable seller here. got my eye one something (not literally) already..

Thanks to the feedback fella's

You might be able to light those matchbook type matches. The wooden ones are a different story that require higher mW