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Laserlands 5mW 520nm Pointer - Review - Finally

diachi

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Well it's finally here! My Laserlands 5mW 520nm review unit it showed up late last week. Managed to get some pictures/testing done this weekend.

(Here's the thread that started all this: http://laserpointerforums.com/f45/c...er-newly-520nm-green-laser-pointer-99691.html)

Shipping:

If anyone in Canada is planning on buying something from Laserlands then I'd recommend paying for shipping, this took 3 months with whatever cheap shipping option they used. It seems to be a fair bit quicker for folk further south than myself. They do offer UPS/FEDEX/EMS which should be much quicker.

Packaging:

We'll start with packaging. Packaging seemed to be good, they sent the box/product packaging containing the laser (sealed shut with tape) in what looked like an inside-out DHL bag. Result was a plain package, nothing to really identify it as a laser on the outside. No complaints there! The box is filled with foam, so plenty of padding.


Box:
DBIWrgA.jpg
rrSTJR1.jpg


This one even comes with some basic instructions - including battery orientation. Saved me making an educated guess there as is often the case with these cheaper lasers.

SuOGRJM.jpg


Overall quality/appearance:


The dimensions don't seem to be listed on the LaserLands store, although they are on the back of the box.

I actually found myself surprised at the size of the pointer, larger than I expected. It feels nice and sturdy, at least as far as cheaper pointers go. All of the threads feel fairly smooth, the finish is nice, no dings or scratches that I could see. It's not on the same level as a handheld from CNI, but it's also much cheaper. For the price the quality is good!

ulwT0xy.jpg


The battery tube detaches from the rest of the host too and is attached by a reasonably long wire, which will likely twist/untwist when removing the battery tube. However, that shouldn't be an issue given the length of the wire.

y1WlyPy.jpg


aGZwaeU.jpg


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As I've mentioned elsewhere; the tail clicky is a nice "feature", much more reliable than the cheap side mounted momentary push buttons on the 301/303s. Generally feels safer to have the clicky too.

Just your standard clicky with a rubber membrane/cap over it.

dFO2Y0p.jpg


Focus "knob" feels nice and smooth, works well, although at such a lower power I'm not sure how much use it'd actually be...

Power/duty cycle:

Initial power test shows a consistent 2-3mW, even over the course of a 4 minute test. Resolution on the LaserBee is unfortunately only 1mW, and I'm not entirely sure how accurate it is at such low powers (Jerry, can you comment?).

Note: I charged up the batteries over my lunch break in order to do another power test with a full charge, however my LPM seems to be having issues now so a second power test will need to wait until I've resolved that issue.


pfU4YnN.png


I've tested run time a couple of times so far and it looks like this thing could keep running until the battery dies without an issue. Running for a solid 5 minutes had the host barely above room temperature, it was almost difficult to feel by touch. (I should invest in an IR thermometer)

Beam:

Beam divergence seems good, at least for short range pointing. I haven't had a chance to set up a longer distance test as of yet. Beam diameter at aperture is ~5mm (widest axis) and at ~13ft is down to 2mm, which works out to 0.75mRad. Of course, that test distance is too short for good accuracy so that'll need to be tested again once I find some bounce mirrors.

The dot is a little "noisy" at a distance, but nothing unreasonable, just some fringes/splash around the beam, likely from the inside of the inside of the lens barrel. Not noticeable unless you go stand and look at the dot up close.

zKkcpt3.jpg


There's just about enough power to make a somewhat visible beam in low light conditions with no smoke.

khqi2QZ.jpg


Overall this seems like a good pointer, I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a cheap, low power 520nm pointer. There's no IR seeing as it isn't DPSS and the power is fairly consistently at safe levels it seems, not largely over powered like the 301s. I'd order these for friends over the 301 just because of the better safety and higher durability. At $23 it doesn't break the bank and the quality is good for the price.

Hope everyone liked the review - I'll be updating it later with some more details/tests. If anyone has anyone questions please give me a shout. :)
 





Radim

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Nice review. It is a very nice pointer. For that price 520 nm? Why not... Just it is strange to have a wire there. Since you do not need to unscrew it regulary as there is a tailcap for battery change, it is not a problem. I just maybe do not like it personally.
And yes thanks for the review.

I'm considering some diffraction gratings from them (ebay) currently.
 

diachi

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Thanks Encap! :)

Nice review. It is a very nice pointer. For that price 520 nm? Why not... Just it is strange to have a wire there. Since you do not need to unscrew it regulary as there is a tailcap for battery change, it is not a problem. I just maybe do not like it personally.
And yes thanks for the review.

I'm considering some diffraction gratings from them (ebay) currently.

Yeah ... not sure why they didn't change the design up slightly to just have a bare contact rather than a wire, or just have the whole barrel be one piece, but it isn't an issue and it'd be handy if you ever wanted to disassemble the unit for repair/re-purposing. As you said, there is a tail cap for battery changes.

The aperture is threaded, I'll grab dimensions for the holes tonight if I have time. I imagine it'll fit diffraction grating caps just fine. I have no way to measure thread pitch reliably, but I can at least get the diameter. Not sure what diameter the BEs from Sanwu/JetLasers use? Maybe one of those would fit on there too, the first part of the hole is wider.

Resolution is too low to see the threads here, but you can see the diameter change in the aperture. The smaller diameter section appears to be for the collimating lens and potentially a diffraction grating cap? While the large section may accommodate a BE?

8kpA15a.jpg


Thanks!
 
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Great review! A nice looking unit! I don't think i could ever wait that long for my new toy to arrive, you have the patients of a saint!:angel: Well done!
 

diachi

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Great review! A nice looking unit! I don't think i could ever wait that long for my new toy to arrive, you have the patients of a saint!:angel: Well done!

Thanks! :)

The wait would have been a little different had I paid for the laser and/or shipping, but seeing as they sent it for free for me to review it was less of an issue. Figured (hoped) it might show up eventually. Not the first time something from China has taken three months to show up.

As I said, I recommend the paid shipping option when ordering from them, at least for Canadians. :D Seems it'll show up just fine with the free option, but it could take a while.
 
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I'm glad it finally came in! Looks like a nice little pointer:D
I like the host design as well!
Nice one:beer:
 
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That was a very good review, diachi. For powers as low as this one has, you would need a low power meter to get anything close to an accurate reading. With a TEC based LPM like a LaserBee, that is not possible. I would be surprised to find it is less than 5 mW in reality.
 
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CurtisOliver

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Can't rep you again yet Diachi, but nice review. I'm glad you received it as I was seriously doubting you would for a while. Hope you enjoy it. :beer:

The tail clicky is glow in the dark BTW. ;)
 
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GSS

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The only thing I found weird about this unit is it's kinda big and feels hefty in my hand for just a 5mw pointer. This all leads to though how it keeps a unlimited duty cycle, a nice focus ability and just a great for deal $20:)
Silly thing to point out;) but I guess i'm just used to the cheaper ebays:) It does make you think of upgrade potentials...
 
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CurtisOliver

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The quality is something that surprised me as well for a budget pointer. Certainly does not feel cheap when holding or using it.
Overall, it is a well made mass produced laser.
As its true to its power, cheap and good quality. It makes for a great starter laser or for anyone wanting a low power 520nm in their collection.
 
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Not sure what diameter the BEs from Sanwu/JetLasers use? Maybe one of those would fit on there too, the first part of the hole is wider.

Just checked with mine and a Sanwu beam expander does indeed fit perfectly.
Why didn't i think of this :thanks: for mentioning that. Now I know I can use my expander on both my 405 challenger AND this laser.

Edit, It would also appear that sanwu uses that same threading everywhere they can. It is the same threading as is used on my pocket 650's lens holder/module and it's tailcap.
The inner threading on this 520nm pointer APPEARS to me the standard m9x0.5 used on all of our lens barrels however I cannot for the life of me find my spare 3e lens to test this with. All my lenses are set in their respective lasers and I don't feel like re-adjusting my fine focusing just to check threads.
 
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I didn't know there was a 520 nm diode at 5 mw or under. BTW where ar4 you Diachi? Gone three full days now!
 

CurtisOliver

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PLT5-520 is one at 5mW Alaskan. There are others, but you can also just under-drive slightly more powerful diodes.
 
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Power/duty cycle:

Initial power test shows a consistent 2-3mW, even over the course of a 4 minute test. Resolution on the LaserBee is unfortunately only 1mW, and I'm not entirely sure how accurate it is at such low powers (Jerry, can you comment?).

Note: I charged up the batteries over my lunch break in order to do another power test with a full charge, however my LPM seems to be having issues now so a second power test will need to wait until I've resolved that issue.


pfU4YnN.png
AS I mentioned in PM.. your LaserBee 2.5W USB LPM was
last calibrated 5 1/2 years ago and the sensor's coating
has seen better days.:( (I know it is 2nd hand)
That being said a newly coated and recently calibrated
LaserBee 15mm X 15mm Thermopile Sensor will detect
a Laser as low as 1mW +/-5% 1Digit.:beer:

Jerry
 




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