Quick Question about an eBay 5mw Laser

I purchased this 5mw green laser from eBay the other day for $7.~~ and it is pretty kickass (I'm used to those cheap red lasers you get from walmart/target/etc...).

So I have a small question about it. After a while of not using it(maybe, eh, 30 minutes), the light starts out very dim, but within 30 seconds, it gets to it's full power. Is this normal? I would guess that it takes time to warm up but I am not 100% sure as I am relatively new to lasers.

Also, after a few minutes of using it(5-10), the light fades slightly and brightens up again randomly. Another thing, when it's in this "fading stage", I notice when I press the button, it brightens up then within a fraction of a second, fades again. What's going on here?


Thanks for your help!

-maxx

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Yes, that is normal for your laser. These lasers all require a warmup period, and are affected by temperature.

Pen lasers don't cool the module well, and as a result these power fluctuations will happen after a period of use.

They shouldn't be used for more than two minutes straight, or you risk damaging the crystals.

Also, your laser is probably overspec (5mW eBay green lasers are never actually 5mW- always more), and chances are it'd be more likely to suffer from these fluctuations as a result.

Be safe, enjoy your laser, and most importantly, enjoy your stay here!

Ok, thank you for the great answer! I'll make sure not to use it for more than a few minutes at a time