Purchasing my first green laser

Hello all,

Recently I've developed quite the interest in the lasers so near and dear to everyone's heart on this forum. The interest is rooted in my education. I am currently an engineering student in my junior year. You could say I have a love for the technology and engineering involved in developing them. After considerable research, I've decided that I'd like to purchase a green laser. Mostly what I'm hoping to get out of it is a good, clear, visible beam. The burning portion does not necessarily concern me (although it would be a plus!). Throughout my research, I have been made quite aware of the dangers of many wavelengths of laser light (namely the IR emitted by the 532nm wavelength) so I am well aware of the safety concerns. My question is which lasers that you know of could fit this description? What wattage should I be considering? Also, as I am not a huge laser enthusiast (yet), I am attempting to steer away from the more pricey lasers. What suggestions do you all have for me? Thanks!

Check out laserbtb.com

They offer many 532nm at relatively good powers for a cheap price

Welcome to LPF as well!

Tha Greenlander said:

Check out laserbtb.com

They offer many 532nm at relatively good powers for a cheap price

Welcome to LPF as well!

Click to expand...

I think this is a pretty good suggestion here.

Oh, and there is currently a group buy going on with this company. So if you act fast and join the GB, you can save a few bucks.

Thanks for the advice! Do you have suggestions for what power level I should be considering as well? I've read a lot of different opinions on what power level is necessary to achieve a distinct beam, so I'm still a bit lost.

I would recommend a 50mW because you'll get a distinct beam at night and a very faint beam indoors (depends on lighting) also its on the safer side in terms of output.

Awesome! Thanks for the pointers!

pun intended?

Absolutely! haha! If later on, I decide I'm ready to move on to the burning lasers, which wavelength/power combo would you all recommend?

You can get 200mW 650nm red lasers for around $40 to $50 which is much cheaper than green at 200mW. It will be able to light matches, pop balloons, cut electrical tape, etc.

For general use and some experimentation the basic 5mW green will give you a great beam in the dark and a clearly visible spot in light. Granted it won't burn things, but you can setup desktop lab experiments and actually show people without the use of laser glasses. I've still got the one I purchased back in college, although the case is a little scarred up it still works like a champ.