Killer deal on USB spectrometer! (update: legitimate!)

Hello folks!

I found today a shockingly good deal on a USB spectrometer from Thunder Optics.
It seems that the spectrometer was only released yesterday -- but the price is $70.00, for a full, working spectrometer!!
I've never seen any price that low on a USB spectrometer; this is an unprecedented development. It seems to have a resolution of 3nm, but it is likely to be better than that.

Here is the link: Mini USB Spectrometer Spectromètre Spektrometre - Alluminum Boxe - Full Pack | eBay

I am most certainly going to get one! This is a deal I just can't pass up.

:beer:

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

Wow. Nice gadget. He mentioned a backlog delay. How long are we talking about?

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

Just tried to purchase one. PayPal blocked the purchase.
After contacting PP I was told that PP Security blocked
the transaction.
Could be because their Feedback is low or some other
reason.

Jerry

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

Seems like it uses a USB camera instead of a linear sensor, and a very low resolution one (640x480). I don't see how this is going to be accurate, but I hope I'm wrong.

I'll wait for a few reviews.

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

lasersbee said:

Just tried to purchase one. PayPal blocked the purchase.
After contacting PP I was told that PP Security blocked
the transaction.
Could be because their Feedback is low or some other
reason.

Jerry

Click to expand...

I had the very same problem.
Wonder why that is so?
I've never had problems buying from other sellers with low feedback.

:undecided:

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

Atomicrox said:

Seems like it uses a USB camera instead of a linear sensor, and a very low resolution one (640x480). I don't see how this is going to be accurate, but I hope I'm wrong.

I'll wait for a few reviews.

Click to expand...

I read that the resolution is 3nm and the range seems to be ~400nm to ~700nm.

Jerry

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

here 1½ months later, any development on this sub100US (delivered) USB-spectrometer..

http://www.thunderoptics.fr/web_documents/to-mini-usb-tg-640-xxxx.pdf

there Ebay-feedback seems legit and numerous transaction solelly this last month, so I doubt that there is still possible problems performing a given transaction and seems some of the transactions is on the USB spectrometer, so a good chance that its some of the users here..(any feedback on pro & cons on this spectrometer and not least in regards to measuring laserbeams.?)

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

I will not be buying their product.
I had a bad experience with their PayPal transaction and the system had tied up my money for over a month.

The problem wasn't the price, it was only $70 USD plus $29 shipping.
The problem was that I tried multiple times to purchase and their system told me their was a problem processing my order through PayPal and to try again.
So I did, a few times in fact, but what was happening was that each time I tried, unbeknownst to me, they would lock up my funds each time I tried.
So it didn't look as though it was a successful transaction but my funds were being held up, multiple times.
I wasn't aware until I stoped trying (with my various CCs on my Paypal) that each time I tried, they had held my funds but no transaction was recorded.

I had never seen this before and when I contacted both my CC banks and Paypal, each one told me that it was the vendor that was holding the funds.
I contacted the vendor and he denied ever seeing the orders or the funds.
I was forced to put a reversal through my CC banks as PayPal was telling me that the vendor was lying to me and that they had my funds.

Unbelievable !!!!

Eventually after 4 weeks, with all my CC funds being held as pending, they all reversed one day and soon after the vendor stopped responding to me emails.
I am not willing to try it again, I will give them the benefit of the doubt and just say it was a weird glitch but PayPal was sure that they were not telling me the truth so be aware and proceed with caution.

RB

:yh:

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

thanks for the update, been watching this post. =]

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

"The CMOS ship is a 640 pixel width detector." I thought "ship" was a typo until I saw it throughout the rest of the page. Grammar aside, 640 is horrible. My spectrometer is 2048 pixels by comparison, and I'd consider my device mediocre. 640 might get you +/- 5nm accuracy in practice. That's fine for a demonstration or to see a spectrograph of a light source, but to measure a laser, that's rather poor.

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

I was refunded today because they failed to send my spectrometer. Went back and forth with them for weeks, nothing. They promised it would be here by Christmas but they never actually sent anything! Idiots!

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

Hm... Another laser related item that seems too good to be true. This is reminding me about the 100$ 488nm diode. Anyone else seeing a pattern here?

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

ElectricPlasma said:

Hm... Another laser related item that seems too good to be true. This is reminding me about the 100$ 488nm diode. Anyone else seeing a pattern here?

Click to expand...

I'm seeing a pattern... that my finds aren't always good!

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

Just looks like there's a few people who like to scam there way around in the laser industry (or at least not have the best of intentions). But it's not just lasers, it can be anything. Solid proof of a product is what I would need to buy something that seems "too good to be true," and for my own sake of needing information beforehand, I wouldn't be the first one to buy.

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

I'm wondering if they scam by listing something too good to be true, get a bunch of orders, don't fill them, then let ebay pay people back for non-delivery, after they have closed their bank accounts so PayPal can't get their money back. I think ebay has rules in place to minimize this kind of scam, but if they list things honestly and deliver for awhile to appear legit, they could later pull scams with uber low priced goods and then run with the money.

Re: Killer deal on USB spectrometer!

On the listing they offer 2 different gratings and 4 different Slits.
They also offer a complete set with both gratings and 4 slits but
you need to ask prices for the set. So that's what I did. This was
the responses.
"Dear Sir, we no longer offer the spectrometer with the 4 Slits, as
we have some mechanical issues with the solidity of the slit fixations.
But,we can send you with the alluminum box Mini USB Spectrometer
the 0.12mm slit installed in the spectrometer with the 3 others, that
you can install if you want, but you will have to unglue the initial slit.
Here is the offer at 70$.

all the best
amayas"

What I can make out from this is that they must have had a lot
of returns or Disputes open for a Spectrometer with issues.
After reading that I don't want one but I did order this item from
them.... It went through PayPal without a hitch.

DIY Smartphone Spectrometer - Full Pack - Grating Transmission - | eBay

The reason I ordered it was for the included free software to do
some testing.

@cyp... they stated a +/- 3nm resolution.


Jerry