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BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser! ($31) --> DISCONTINUED

Mo13

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This is my first review for this forum, and I hope it helps anybody looking for information on this particular laser. Hopefully there will be many more to come. So, without further ado:

LINK>>BudgetGadgets 50mW CR2 Handheld
All ratings are on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best. Price is kept in mind for the ratings, so a 10 here does not necessarily mean it is better than a $500 50mW laser that has a 7.


First Impressions: 9
This laser has a very comfortable feel to it. It has a nice weight and a great tailcap switch which makes extended use a breeze. The dot is incredibly bright right out of the package with the included battery, so you won’t have to wait to play with your new toy. It might be too bright to use inside for too long without goggles, but outdoor use over distances is perfect (as long as it doesn’t reflect back into your eyes)! The price is only $31.10, which makes this laser a great buy for the common laser enthusiast, and the serious spender.

Shipping/Packaging: 10
Shipping was free and took only 8 DAYS from China to Florida, which is by far the fastest shipping I’ve ever experienced from a China based website. The laser came in a bubble-wrap padded envelope and was labeled as a gift with a $10 value.
2q0120p.jpg


The option of including a padded tin gift box is offered for an additional $2.33, but I opted not to get it since the laser is for me and not a friend. There is one 3.0V CR2 battery included, but I recommend buying a few rechargeables to save money in the long run.
2cmk93p.jpg


Unlike DX, BudgetGadgets does ship to the US. I experienced no problems getting the laser through customs.

Build/Design: 7
The laser is made up of three parts: The tailcap, the body, and the head which houses the diode. All three components screw together smoothly and tightly, with no wobbling on the inside or out (a major issue with my LS50 Pen-Style).
f9qf4z.jpg


The on-off tailcap switch has a solid design and, as stated before, makes extended use for experimenting very easy.
The diode is held in place with two drops of glue. This could make removing a bit of a challenge, but still possible for skilled hands.
The material seems to be brushed aluminum, giving it a beautiful medium-gloss shine. The smoothness of the metal makes it a bit slick in the hand; however the included strap will prevent any accidental dropping when in clumsy hands.
v79rmh.jpg


Compared to the LEDShoppe 50mW Pen-Style: Over 9000!
Without any exceptions, the BG50 greatly surpasses the LS50 in every way imaginable!
The LS50 (LEDShoppe.com) is a popular pen-style laser recommended to me as the best “Beam Laser” available for under $50.
x5qr9v.jpg


While the beam is impressive in the night sky, it’s almost invisible in a lit room and the divergence is so poor, the beam disappears after only 50ft (15.24m). At a distance of only 10ft (3.05m), the dot from the LS50 measures 1cm, and is surrounded by a circle of spill with a radius of 1.5ft (.5m). At 120ft (36.6m), the dot from the LS50 is the size of a Frisbee, and the spill covers a whole doorway!
28ryudu.jpg


It bears repeating: The BudgetGadgets 50mw surpasses the LEDShoppe 50mW in every category, and I will list the details of the BG50’s performance below.

Visibility/Performance: 9
Dot- The dot of this laser is remarkably small at close ranges (>20ft, >6m); I estimate it to be no more than 2-3mm. The quality is a clean TEM00, even at greater distances. At 10ft (3.05m), the dot’s spill only measures with a radius of 1.5in (3.8cm). (Sorry, the glare in the picture makes it appear larger. The bright center is the dot and spill.)
16aqm0w.jpg


Goggles are required for any up close work, since the dot is so bright. At night, the dot is bright enough to compromise your night vision, so keep that in mind when using it for stargazing.
Here is a picture comparing the dots of the BG50 (left) and the LS50 (right).
2uqfwgn.jpg


Beam- In a well lit room, the beam is visible and razor thin. In a dimmed but still lit room, the beam is easily visible and impressively bright. Neither of these compare to the beam at night, which cuts through the air like a wire and seems to go on forever. It’s almost too bright to point out stars, since looking at the beam is enough to make you lose your night vision temporarily. In the simplest terms: The beam is more than enough to impress anyone around, and will leave your friends jealous. ;-)
My cheap point-and-shoot camera cannot perform well enough to get a beam shot in a lit room, but here are some night shots of the beam. Again, I have a very cheap camera and these pictures really don’t do the beam justice.
2d27py8.jpg


mhwlzr.jpg


2us7ww6.jpg


Divergence- The divergence (how big the dot gets as it gets farther away) of this beam is great at only 1.51mRads. For those of you unfamiliar with mRads, I’ll make it simple by saying that the dot from the laser only measured 2.25in (5.72cm) at a distance of 120ft, which is a really good divergence compared to other cheap lasers shown (see the LS50above).
15vblf.jpg


Burning: 5
Although 50mW lasers are not usually intended for burning, this laser does possess some burning capabilities. While the laser cannot engrave or produce smoke on hard black plastic, it is able to burn a hole through a black garbage bag in less than 5 seconds, and cut through electrical tape in less than 7 seconds. Also, in less than 5 seconds, it can pop black balloons from up to 5ft (1.5m) away.

Overall: 9
This laser’s performance went above and beyond all of my expectations for such an inexpensive device. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to buy a high quality greenie without breaking the bank. This laser also makes an excellent gift for any geek. One thing I can’t stress enough is that THIS IS NOT A CHILD’S TOY! This laser CAN do serious damage if pointed in the eye of any person or animal, and should always remain in mature hands. That being said, it’s an excellent product at an incredible price.

Feel free to ask me any questions about anything I may have left out or made unclear.



EDIT: UPDATE!!! There is now a Youtube Video Review of this laser. Watch it Here: BudgetGadgets 50mW Laser Video Review
 
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Mo13

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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser!

Update: I was able to go to my school's lab and use their LPM to find the true output of this laser. After a one minute test, the results showed that the laser peaked at 61mW briefly after 10 seconds, but then fell and averaged at 53mW. This laser is slightly overspec, which makes it even more worth it!
 

Helios

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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser!

So on average of all the categories you give it a 1292 out of 10? haha

On another note you should have returned the LEDshopp laser. That divergence is ridiculous. The BG laser looks like a decent value though.
 

Mo13

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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser!

Yes. :D

In regards to the LEDshoppe laser, I've had it for a while, so I don't think they'll take it back. It's my own fault that I didn't see how bad it really was since it was my first green laser. I had nothing to compare it to until now.
 

Helios

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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser!

Yes. :D

In regards to the LEDshoppe laser, I've had it for a while, so I don't think they'll take it back. It's my own fault that I didn't see how bad it really was since it was my first green laser. I had nothing to compare it to until now.

Many if not all modules have an adjustable lens inside. If you get that cap off you could probably fix the divergence. Some times the lens will be glued but usually the glue just breaks away if you twist it.
 
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Mo13

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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser!

Many if not all modules have an adjustable lens inside. If you get that cap off you could probably fix the divergence. Some times the lens will be glued but usually the glue just breaks away if you twist it.

I'm a bit scared to try to be honest. I'm not good with optics. Maybe I'll buy a cheap Ebay one to practice on.
 
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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser!

mo13, i just ordered one. nice review, i liked the comparison beam shots.
 

Mo13

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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser! ($31)

Great! Thanks for the compliment. :)
 

Trevor

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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser! ($31)

Erm.

Code:
http://www.budgetgadgets.com/[I][COLOR="Red"]*snip*[/COLOR][/I]?affiliate_banner_id=1&[B][COLOR="Orange"]ref=54996[/COLOR][/B]

:can:

-Trevor
 
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Helios

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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser! ($31)

So much for a fair and unbiased review.
 

Mo13

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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser! ($31)

Erm.

Code:
http://www.budgetgadgets.com/[I][COLOR="Red"]*snip*[/COLOR][/I]?affiliate_banner_id=1&[B][COLOR="Orange"]ref=54996[/COLOR][/B]

:can:

-Trevor

OOOOOH, I thought you meant the ref link from the post in the other forum, and I removed that like you asked. My bad. It's gone now.
 

Mo13

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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser! ($31)

So much for a fair and unbiased review.

rr (the representative from the website who emails me about the review and potential future reviews, I don't know his/her actual name) informed me about the website affiliate program the day after I wrote the review when he/she noticed 2 lasers were bought the day after I posted this. I then joined the affiliate program and replaced the link. When Trevor asked me to fix a ref link in another thread a few days back, I immediately removed it and apologized. I'm still new to forums and didn't realize I was going against proper etiquette.

I had forgotten about the ref link in this review until Trevor again asked me to correct it just now, and I promptly complied. I am very sorry I failed to correct the link in the review as well, and I hope I haven't lost too much credit or respect from anyone who has read this or will read it in the future. I promise I will not do it again in any future reviews.

If it makes any difference, only one laser was sold from the link, I made $1.33 in profit, and I will donate it to the forums whenever the money is transferred to my Paypal, which is supposed to be the 15th of the 3rd month.
 
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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser! ($31)

well i hope mine has at least the same specs. i let bella know i would review the laser on lpf when ordering. only to receive a good unit, not for kickback.
 
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Helios

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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser! ($31)

its not so much of an etiquette violation as much as it is a conflict of interest. If your making money when someone buys an item through your link then you have more motivation to write good things about the item than bad things. Its like when pharmaceutical companies pay medical professionals large sums of money to write a paper or conduct research for one of their products... its just a very slippery slope.

Its not a big deal but people here check links and it just doesnt look honest if your profiting from a review. I dont think anyone will hold it against you though at this point. I hold no grudge.
 

Mo13

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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser! ($31)

well i hope mine has at least the same specs. i let bella know i would review the laser on lpf when ordering.

I believe it will. The affiliate thing was a newb's mistake :yabbem:. As I said, the review was written before I had any knowledge of their program, and is 100% honest.
 

Mo13

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Re: BudgetGadgets Green 50mW CR2 Handheld: Amazing Laser! ($31)

its not so much of an etiquette violation as much as it is a conflict of interest. If your making money when someone buys an item through your link then you have more motivation to write good things about the item than bad things. Its like when pharmaceutical companies pay medical professionals large sums of money to write a paper or conduct research for one of their products... its just a very slippery slope.

Its not a big deal but people here check links and it just doesnt look honest if your profiting from a review. I dont think anyone will hold it against you though at this point. I hold no grudge.

That's a really big relief. I was afraid people might view this as garbage or spam after that. Thanks for being so cool about this, guys. :)
 




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