Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Heavy) *Updated with IR filters*

*Updated 4/10/10* Scroll down for results of the new green laser as well as IR-filtered data.

Intro

As the title suggests, this is another review of the $8 anti-green focalprice goggles as seen here. I believe they are also the same model that LaserLands is selling here and that O-like is listing here. O-like has some data for them (the range differs from focalprice's claim) but I cannot confirm them since I did not buy my goggles from O-like, they just appear to be the same model. HIMNL9 did a review of them here and bryce007 did a comparison here. Both used LPMs and photos, and I will do the same! But first, I will introduce the equipment. If you just want to see the actual data, I suggest you scroll down to the "Data" / "Reflection Data" sections now.

The Goggles

I have no issue with the actual build quality of the goggles, sure it's cheap plastic, but it's not very noticeable when you're wearing them on your head. These goggles are the same model as the O-like anti-greens. I couldn't find any data or specifications for them other than what's presented on focalprice's page for them. I would guess the specifications O-like lists are accurate, but I have no way to confirm that. These goggles are designed to protect against excess laser light in between 190nm-540nm. So for us laserists that means they will offer protection against 405nm Violet, 473nm Blue, the Green light from a 532 DPSS laser, and any gas laser light in that range as well I will test their effectiveness against lasers I own.

The Meter / Setup

I use a Scientech 365 with a matching 360001 calorimeter head. I have not personally calibrated the meter, but I recently compared it to a friend's Sper 840011 LPM using a very stable 30mW 650nm he has, and the readings are within 1-2mW of those achieved with this meter. It's not the most sure comparison, but it will do for now, especially for relative testing like I did with the goggles.

For these tests I used a room that has only one dim lamp and a stable temperature of 67 degrees fahrenheit. Before any testing was done I let the meter "warm-up" for about 40 minutes and didn't take any measurements until it wasn't fluctuating after being zeroed; in attempt to get as close to thermal/optical equilibrium as possible. I used the 200mW resolution for all the tests. The lasers were about 7cm from the sensor head for all the tests (besides the reflection tests). I used some old books to prop up the lasers to center the beam with the sensor.

The Batteries

For the tests I used my fully-charged 1000mAh-rated LaCrosse-branded AAAs, which maintained a ~2.8V for all the tests.


For the Jayrob tests I used fully a charged 800mAh-rated Ultrafire CR2, with a voltage of ~3.5V for all the tests.


The Lasers
The three lasers I used were: my 405nm 150mW-rated O-like adjustable, 405nm 10mW-rated O-like adjustable, a 50mW-rated O-like green, and a Jayrob C3 Ultrafire host with a DX "200mW" module and one 3V CR2 rechargeable battery.

The Filter

I used one of the two IR filters I bought from Laserz4sale here. He has the transmittance data and I posted the other relevant specifications in that thread as well. I don't know much about IR filters, but these seem to do what they are supposed to. Also, I only did IR-filtered tests with the newer Jayrob green I have since my 50mW O-like is acting up to say the least. (It nearly doubled it's output and the momentary button no longer does anything, so it's always on. It now outputs around 140mW, about 70mW of which is IR! Hence I will not be doing any more tests with it.)

Data
Finally, now that all that logistical nonsense is done, here's some pics of the raw data!
(Note: one could calculate the OD for these goggles with this data, but I wouldn't suggest it with so few data points as reference.)

532nm Green lasers

First up is the "50mW" O-like pointer which stabilizes after 45 seconds:


And now w/ the goggles after 30 seconds:

That's about a 77mW reduction in power, not bad. However, 15mW is still a significant amount of power leaking through to your eyes; but keep in mind, this laser is NOT IR-filtered, so a significant amount of that is probably IR, which these goggles are not made to protect against.

Since I didn't have any IR filters at the time of this testing, I thought a decent way to gauge how much of that is IR and how much of it is green would be to use two layers of goggles; theoretically the IR should still come through nearly unhindered, but any green would be reduced significantly.
So here is another shot with 2 layers of the same goggles after 20 seconds:

So even with two sets of goggles there is still 13.4mW of power leaking through, only ~2mW difference from just one set. This leads me to believe that nearly all of the original 15.6mW is indeed IR; I would guess that about 3-5mW of the power is actually green light.

*UPDATED 4/10/10*
Here are the results of the Jayrob C3 host with a DX "200mW" module unfiltered after 20 seconds:


*Testing Note*
For these goggle tests I decided, since the laser is rather powerful and I can't defocus the beam, that I would take shine the laser for a few seconds unhindered to reach ~150mW, then introduce the goggles for only a few seconds so they don't degrade too much and thus affect the results (as hallucynogenyc pointed out later in this thread). Also, I made sure to use a different spot on the goggles each time so that they would be hitting a "fresh" non-pitted spot for each test. For anyone wondering these are NOT the goggles I, or anyone else wears, they are for testing purposes only.

Anyway, this is after the laser reaches ~150mW without the goggles, and then after the goggles are introduced for a few seconds:

Under 10mW?! This seems to contradict the results of the O-like pointer from before...Some amongst you may conclude that this module outputs significantly less IR than the O-like pointer, well let's find out!

Here is the results of a 20 seconds without the filter then the introduction of the IR filter (all the IR-filtered pictures were difficult to take since I was holding the IR filter at an angle with tweezers):

So that's about a 23mW reduction from the unfiltered tests, and from other tests I've concluded that this module emits about 15-20mW of IR.

How do the goggles do with the addition of an IR filter?

Almost under 1mW! I believe most of what the filter is blocking is indeed IR, but I'm sure there's about 1-3mW of green it is stopping as well. Anyhow, in this case, the goggles performed very well, reducing ~130mW of 532nm light to safe levels.

405nm Violet lasers

Now onto the violet! First up is the lower powered "10mW" pointer after 20 seconds:

This laser is extremely stable, and after 10 seconds usually settles down between 18-20mW.

Now 20 seconds with goggles:

1.7mW! A very safe amount considering it's a direct hit; so these goggles are definitely capable for protecting against low-powered violet lasers.

But what if we turn up the POWAH? Well let's find out!

Here is the "150mW" violet pointer unhindered after 20 seconds:

This laser is very stable compared to the green, and usually settles down around 140-150mW with the dirty lens (I measured its power without the lens at about 162mW).

Here it is taking on the goggles after 20 seconds:

Under 10mW! Still not an entirely safe range, but not bad considering it is a direct hit from only centimeters away.

Reflection Data
When I was doing the first tests I thought to myself "Well none of this data is all that realistic, I mean how often do people take direct hits from lasers only centimeters from the laser?" The way I figure, most people who do get hit by lasers will probably get hit by a reflection of some sort, so I decided to test that too! (Yes it pretty much only effects in a reduction of power, but it still might be useful to someone! )

For the tests I used a normal 1X cosmetic mirror placed about 40cm from the lasers/sensor.

"10mW" violet reflection after 20 seconds:

When I added the goggles the sensor barely registered any power at all, so I will forgo the picture.

"150mW" violet reflection after 20 seconds:


Against the goggles:

Almost under 5mW! Pretty significant considering it's a highly reflective surface at close proximity.

I won't post any reflection data for the "50mW" green because after the initial tests it started acting odd, and the numbers didn't really make sense to me; I'm not sure what's wrong with it at this point .

Conclusion
All in all I am very satisfied with these goggles, for my uses and financial situation they offer adequate protection. Especially if you use IR-filtered green lasers or relatively low-powered (under 150mW) violet lasers these will perform decently in most accidental-reflection scenarios.

THAT BEING SAID there is NO real replacement for certified laser safety goggles, and I'm not suggesting with this post that there is; rather I am presenting another report on the abilities of these goggles. If you can afford certified goggles (search the forums and you should find different kinds) I would strongly suggest you use those, ESPECIALLY if you frequently use 100mW+ lasers. Even my 150mW violet was letting through dangerous levels of violet light, imagine what would happen if it were a >400mW laser that are becoming more common everyday.

Ultimately it's your decision, but when considering laser safety, make sure you consider all the factors before buying any goggles, and if you can, don't cheap out; your eyesight is priceless IMHO.

Thanks for reading my long-winded review! Replies are always appreciated.

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

Well done....:gj:

Jerry

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

thank you for the testing......

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

VERY nice review.

Did focalprice ship your glasses in a soft envelope package too? That's how I got mine and they came broken, as is to be expected when travelling via HK Air from China to Texas. I planned on testing the glasses when I got them and writing a review, but I ended up tossing them out before I ever did out of spite. Your review is much more detailed than mine would have been though.

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

Thanks for the kind words guys!
@Superman, yeah I got all 3 in the same envelope with the usb flash drive I ordered, sorry to hear yours were destroyed during transit :/

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

Great review. Thank you for showing us this, not only is it an informative review, it also serves as good proof of the significant reduction of harm that goggles ensure.

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

ninja_tux said:

Thanks for the kind words guys!
@Superman, yeah I got all 3 in the same envelope with the usb flash drive I ordered, sorry to hear yours were destroyed during transit :/

Click to expand...

Eh, it's $8 so it's not really a big deal, mostly it was just anti-climatic after waiting so long to get them! xD

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

SupermanFTM said:

Eh, it's $8 so it's not really a big deal, mostly it was just anti-climatic after waiting so long to get them! xD

Click to expand...

[Somewhat off-topic] Oh I know all about the long waits haha. I placed my original focalprice order on 2/6/10, and it didn't ship until 2/24/10 because apparently the 8gb usb drive I ordered, and ALL other 8gb ones were out of stock. It wasn't delivered until March 5th.
[/off-topicness]
@Bandanna, thanks! I try to be informative in my posts

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

Thanks for review....I have a pair of those, great information to know :gj:

@SupermanFTM.....

Mine also arrived broken (top left corner), fixed them with super glue. Thier packaging isn't the greatest.

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

Hey ninja, you mentioned that a significant amount of the light from the green laser going through was IR. Could you do a test from say, 10 feet away, so that the IR would would be diverged more? That would give you a better reading, while still keeping all of the green. Good review!

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

Great job and review! Its nice to see that people with LPM's are kind enough to do the research for the rest of us guys that are without Keep up the good work!

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

@randomlugia - That's a good idea, I will try something like that in the next few dats and edit in any significant changes.
@KLLrB - Thanks! I try my best to provide relevant information with the equipment I'm lucky to have

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

ninja_tux said:

...I am very satisfied with these goggles, for my uses ... they offer adequate protection. THAT BEING SAID there is NO real replacement for certified laser safety goggles...

Click to expand...

First off, thanks for the effort you have put into your review - very nice work, given the tools at hand. Secondly, thank you for including the fact that these are not certified goggles; for those two points, you deserve a well-earned REP :beer:

Although I trust your LPM and the testing logic is quite sound, there are other factors to consider, factors that are above the average LPF member's know-how, including mine.

One such example is the fact that some goggles' protection layer are "coated" on. Coincidentally, this coating is easy to destroy, given a certain power level over a certain amount of time and of course, at or very near the same area on the goggles. You can also accidentally destroy it by using abrasive cleaning products, I would imagine... . Other goggles' protection "compound" is either sandwiched or somehow mixed with the plastic that comprises 99% of the goggles. Sorry, it's not a clear & cut explanation (wish Frothychimp* was here) but I think you get the point.

Yes, I know what you're thinking; what are the odds of burning a <1mm hole through that protective layer (either by accident, or on purpose, like ninja_tux has most likely done through his gracious testing) and then getting hit through the exact same spot?

Exactly. So... it all depends on the power of the lasers you use, how often you use them, how you use them and the environment you use them in. I'm sure ninja_tux took all of this into consideration before writing:

"for my uses ... they offer adequate protection"

And if you do the same then perhaps these goggles will be satisfactory for your needs too. As for me, I already own a dozen lasers, most of them rated at above 100mW and I am usually working with them in a non-safe environment (i.e., in my living room, where there is enough reflective surfaces, etc). So I didn't want to take any risks and went for certified goggles. And in my case, the math works out:

$1500 worth of lasers, $150 invested in certified goggles. I think that's quite a reasonable ratio.



*speaking of Frothychimp and FocalPrice:
focalprice.com/Professional_Anti_Red_Laser_Green_Laser_Glassess_LP076X_7348.html
"Umm.... Provides full protection for your eyes from red and green laser. What's wrong with that statement?" :crackup:

Again speaking of FrothChimp, this was the best deal LPF members ever had (but seems to be gone, sigh):

http://laserpointerforums.com/f46/cheap-certified-laser-eyewear-32381.html

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

@Traveller, thanks for the kind words and rep

I couldn't agree with you more on your whole post, certified laser goggles are definitely the way to go if you want sure protection against powerful lasers.

As far as the

Traveller said:

One such example is the fact that some goggles' protection layer are "coated" on. Coincidentally, this coating is easy to destroy, given a certain power level over a certain amount of time and of course, at or very near the same area on the goggles. You can also accidentally destroy it by using abrasive cleaning products, I would imagine... . Other goggles' protection "compound" is either sandwiched or somehow mixed with the plastic that comprises 99% of the goggles. Sorry, it's not a clear & cut explanation (wish Frothychimp* was here) but I think you get the point.

Yes, I know what you're thinking; what are the odds of burning a <1mm hole through that protective layer (either by accident, or on purpose, like ninja_tux has most likely done through his gracious testing) and then getting hit through the exact same spot?

Exactly. So... it all depends on the power of the lasers you use, how often you use them, how you use them and the environment you use them in.

Click to expand...

Yeah I was going to include a review of their "resilience" to the exposure to laser light, but the power of my most powerful laser at the moment (the "150mW" violet) is not exactly representative of the more powerful lasers people are wielding these days... Although when focused at close proximity it can definitely deform the goggles (You can tell by the changing reflection as the plastic is melting slightly). I plan on updating this review in the future if/when I get new lasers to test them with; I also might may add a "Sacrifice" sort of section where I subject a pair of these goggles to laser abuse...

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

Got these exact pair of goggles today, took about 12 days from the far east to the west. Goggles comes in a clear bag in a white bubble package so there is some protection but not a lot. I suggest you order two (just in case one gets broken) since they are inexpensive and shipping is free. Also I wouldn't order anything else so the package contains only goggles (reduced risk of damage).

I ordered one of each type but of course they sent me two of the same, no big deal. I am happy with them.

Re: Another review of the cheap focalprice goggles! (LPM Image Heavy)

The safety goggles are for the reflection and accidently SHORT time direct hit in your eye. Even if you are wearing an expensive, reliable safety goggle, it would'nt save from a 100+ mW laser if you point directly to the eyes through goggles.
This goggles are the best in price/value IMO. It would be more safe if it would have an IR layer, but you can also put IR filter on it, if your laser doesn't have one.