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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Questions, questions, questions.

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Jan 24, 2008
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Hey everyone. I hate being new to forums but I've been browsing it for awhile so I thought I'd finally ask for some help.

I've got a crappy 5mW laser pointer, green.
I heard about ways to make it 100 but after a look here I decided not to break it =) thanks. (i still tried to get it open resulting in just scratching it lol...not 100% pretty anymore)

Anyways...me and my buddy are looking for a 100-200mW laser pointer (red or green - but green looks sexier I think)

-Where's the best to buy such a thing?
-What price range should I be looking for?
-I see the pros putting up all these cool prices while the normal sellers are like hundreds of dollars more.

...also, my friend says they're illegal here. I'm CA, USA. I figure as long as I don't point it at cars+aircraft I'm good. is there any truth to my buddy's statement?

PS- I try and stay off eBay when buying. =)
 





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If your looking for power, you can make your own burning red pointer for less than $50. There are tutorials on this forum for how to do so.

DealExtreme has higher powered green lasers, but with DX, its either a hit or a miss. You could get a good laser that works up to spec, or you could get one thats not much brighter than your 5mw. I have heard good things about LaserGlow and Novalasers.

Technically, they are illegal, but as long as your responsible with them, you shouldn't get in any trouble.
 
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Thanks for the help. I'm looking at $125-200's... they get expensive for pen lasers lol. Not to mention if you want the blue ones. I'm liking the X-125 from Novalasers atm. Is that a good one? I might want more...is there any way besides making my own to not have a 200mW being $600 bucks? lol.


PS- I <3 My Eyes and will be careful.
 

Razako

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dvdg101 said:
Thanks for the help. I'm looking at $125-200's... they get expensive for pen lasers lol. Not to mention if you want the blue ones. I'm liking the X-125 from Novalasers atm. Is that a good one? I might want more...is there any way besides making my own to not have a 200mW being $600 bucks? lol.


PS- I <3 My Eyes and will be careful.
The X-125 should be great. Go to the reviews section of the forum and you can read about the nova X-Series. They are typically over-spec so you actually get a better laser than what you payed for.

If you want more power it is going to cost a lot unless you get the dealextreme 200mw.
 
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Nov 28, 2007
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ASk yourself what it is you really want to do with it. I have been a pyro since childhood, and I love my DIY red(cost maybe $40 to make). I am ordering a Nova x-100 on the 30th (bonus day), but in all honesty I would be able to do everything I really want to do with an x-75, just the 100 has more power at a still comfortable price. ALl i really do with mine is pop an occasional balloon, light an occasional match, but most of the time look to see what it CAN burn. Plastic bags with dark lettering fear me, as well as any dark plastic utesnils from take-out. Most dark plastic in my garage now has pinholes and/or ridges/scratches. So ask yourself what you are really going to do, and then you may be perfectly fine with an x-75 for $149 and get the collimator lens.

Have fun.
 
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Right now your pretty much in dreamland. You want a dirt cheap price at a really high mW that wont hurt your eyes.



Deal Extreme:
Go to dealextreme.com and order the true 100 or so. It has a ton excess IR and probably does not perform up to spec, but it'll be bright and cheap. Of course, with deal extreme you either get a great laser or you get a horrible one. It also takes weeks to months for it to finally get to your door and sometimes they are backed up for a while on some items. Overall for the price you cant beat them but then quality is pretty bad not to mention they are horrible on your eyes.

Techlasers:
If you want SOME quality at the lowest price for a CNI techlasers.com is probably the place you want. They sell real cheap CNI's; the same type as nova. Their products sometimes are underspec and people have mixed reviews. I myself have had no problems from them, but if you want to get in touch it is almost impossible as their customer support SUCKS.


Nova:
Probably the most reputable place to buy a CNI type pen laser. They have okay prices and AWESOME products. Each laser you buy you are basically promised an overspeced laser. The prices are higher than tech, but their customer support rocks and their products are always working.


Wicked:
Fuck wicked, they suck. They sell horrible lasers at VERY high prices.


the bottom line is you arent going to get a good 200mW pen style laser pointer for a small price. your going to have to sacrafice some power if you wish to get a high powered green laser pointer. As for legality, yes, technically they are illegal, but unless you do something stupid like the things you mentioned, your okay. Dont shoot the laser ANYWHERE near an airplane with the higher models, stay clear of any street or any people whatsoever......
 




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