Belch85
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- Apr 18, 2013
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Hi Guys,
First review here. Will try to be efficient & descriptive. If anyone has any requests or comments I would really appreciate the feedback & would be happy to provide more information.
Deciding on Lasers
Back on the 19/04/2013 I started THIS THREAD as my welcome post - so I could seek some advice on choosing my laser(s). After much reading on the forums, and Q&A with many helpful forum members - I decided that I wanted to:
With this in mind I decided to buy from O-Like. I actually misread a friendly post where someone told me "I would consider O-Like last" - and thought that he had recommended them. Anyway I decided on these lasers:
I also decided on these extras from O-Like:
I got in touch with Susie at O-Like during the decision making process. She has limited English ability; but for the whole part - answered my 'many' questions. I found emailing back and forth a very time consuming process - so I emailed and asked for her SkypeID - which she gave me. I told her that I have read very mixed reviews about O-Like: some people saying that their lasers have arrived dead, some under-spec, some over-spec, some having trouble with customer service. She "assured me" that everything is fine and that she has good packing methods etc. I told her that I did not want to proceed unless she could guarantee spec or over-spec lasers, I wanted her to LPM them. I also mentioned that I will be doing a review for her company, and her products - and this probably helped her to give me the "best end of the stick". She promised me that they would be over-spec, and she said she would LPM them before posting (but after I pay). Susie promised me everything and pushed me to pay [because the following day was the start of the long Chinese holiday, and I told her I wanted the lasers ASAP].
Ordering, Paying, Postage
On the 25/04/2013 I placed the order. Being the first time I have order Lasers - I wasn't aware of the strange payment methods. Susie told me not to pay using the website feature - but to wait for her to send me a PayPal invoice. When I received the PayPal invoice - it didn't say "O-Like" and it didn't say "Lasers" anywhere. This worried me so I started THIS THREAD. I discovered that this is a 'normal payment method' because PayPal itself has deemed lasers illegal. I proceeded and made the payment on the 25/04/2013. I received an email with a copy of the receipt (which was actually a link back to the O-Like website, with my products listed there and paid for).
19/04/2013 - Thinking about what lasers I should buy?
25/04/2013 - Order & Paid O-Like.
26/04/2013 - Received Photos of LPM via email.
26/04/2013 - Items Posted by O-Like.
29/04/2013 - Received Tracking Number from Susie (She was actually on holiday and still checking her email).
06/05/2013 - Item arrive here at Fiji. Singapore Speed Post marked the item as "Failed Delivery - Prohibited/DGR/Not Approved".
Bother lasers are over-spec! :drool:
Customs in Fiji
Before purchasing anything I went to the Customs office here in Fiji and I asked them about their regulations on lasers. They said that they are not regulated at all, he didn't even know what they were used for. I was perhaps a little 'too honest' and I explained to him that they can be dangerous if mishandled; and that some people in Australia point them at aircraft pilots etc (and I told him that they are regulated in other countries). He still insisted that it would not be a problem.
I was quite worried/anxious when SpeedPost marked my items as dangerous. The call centre told me it was marked for "dangerous drugs" which confused me even further. I called the local post office (where the lasers were physically being held) and they told me that Customs had requested to see inside the package. I had to go there in person and provide ID, and then they would open the box in front of me. I asked them why they needed to open it - and if there was any problem; and they said: "No it is just a random check, we want to see the item $20 Flashlight". Ironic? Marked as something different to get past Customs; and instead mine gets pulled up!
Anyway I only go into "town" once a week so I went on Friday fully prepared. I printed the invoice from O-Like, and a screenshot of their home-page. I even printed a small screenshot from this forum - showing that there is an online community of over 20,000 members who use lasers as a hobby. I was all smiles, even though my heart was pumping, and I didn't want to open the package until I came home. I was friendly, using the local greetings. The Customs lady opened my package while asking me what it is. I explained to her that it isn't really a "flash-light" but its actually a "laser-light". She asked me what they are used for? I said there are many uses, but I will be using it for amateur astrology (night sky pointing), and camping. "Just a hobby" I said. She handed me the carry-bag inside which was the 100mW 532nm. She said is this the laser? Please open it. Nervously and carefully I opened the end and sure enough there it was. She took it from me and fondled it for a minute, then gave it back.
And then............... SHE LET ME GO! :angel: I re-taped my box, paid the small post office fee, and walked out happy as a pig-in-mud. One set of glasses didn't make it back inside the box - so I tried them on with my friends and we all went "wwwoooowww look at the sky change colour".
Unboxing
I was disappointed to not find any foam, or padding products inside the box. That being said, the lasers seem to work perfectly. It was all packed in pretty tight, I'm sure that all the items inside helped to buffer against each other. The lasers themselves were stored inside the smaller belt-bags. The batteries were not inside the lasers, they were separate. I got all the originals including the upgrades I order - and two chargers. Everything was there - nothing missing.
Here are some unboxing photos. Sorry about the focus; using a friend's Canon 450D and the Auto-Focus is dead.
Products
Sadly I don't own an LPM. However the lasers "appear" to be functioning the same as when I first started using them (two days ago). I've been following the duty cycle Susie mentioned of around 30/40 seconds on, and 1 minute off. Sometimes I push it to 50 seconds on. I have never felt the host get warm. Being my first lasers, I am utterly impressed with the sky pointing and burning ability. First, some differences I've noticed.
100mW 532nm Green Wide-Beam
It's AMAZING! It's so bright at night, it feels like I can touch the stars. It doesn't seem to ruin night-adaptation (but I'm not an expert on night-sky-pointing). The thing with this laser is its BEAM DIVERGENCE is superb! It goes on and on, I feel like I can focus most of its power on a tree about 2 KM away with ease. The beam stays the same diameter, forever.
It is 15.5CM / 6.2 inches long, the thickest part having a 2.5CM diameter. It's black in colour, with a focus lense that can easily be unscrewed.
300mW 405nm Violet Burning
This guy loves to burn. I'm still learning - but it lights matches with ease (without bothering too much with the focus, as long as its "close"). I can burn the match-wood, and melt through various plastics. I love the colour. The downside to this laser is something that I'd like to ask about. Either the divergence is terrible, or the focus lens needs to be shifted. When I point it into the night sky, it quickly diverges into a "thick blurry blob". I mean, it is still sufficient to point out stars, but compared with the green laser - it kinda sucks for sky-pointing. I can't focus the dot down on a surface more than about 7 metres away. I turn the knob to focus, keep going, then it hits its furthest turn - but I want to keep going.
Is this something I can fix but shifting the lens? What do you guys think?
Photos
I'm no professional at photography and it took a lot of fiddling with the DSLR to get it right. I found so far that ISO100 with long shutter speeds (30seconds) works best. Strangely; the violet laser beam CANNOT be photographed on ISO100. I have to lift it to ISO200 minimum before it shows, and I've found ISO400 makes it look nice and visible. It's also really difficult to get the correct violet colour - it seems to be blue instead of violet (in the photographs). Here is a selection of photos (my first time shooting laser beams etc).
Summary
I'm happy with Susie's performance at O-Like. It was a difficult sale; due to lack of English, and first time buying. Overall I feel I definitely got good value, and the lasers seem to be well built. I'm totally impressed by the beam divergence (or lack thereof) on the green laser. The violet laser is beautiful and burns well. The postage was quick, and the packing was acceptable - considering everything worked out of the box. I would buy again from Susie, but again I should mention that telling her I would write a review may have affected my service.
If anybody has any suggestions, adjustments, or requests I am happy to comply! Thanks for reading! :beer:
_______________________
O-Like 100mW[333mW] 532 Wide-Beam
O-Like 300mW[109mW] 405nm
First review here. Will try to be efficient & descriptive. If anyone has any requests or comments I would really appreciate the feedback & would be happy to provide more information.
Deciding on Lasers
Back on the 19/04/2013 I started THIS THREAD as my welcome post - so I could seek some advice on choosing my laser(s). After much reading on the forums, and Q&A with many helpful forum members - I decided that I wanted to:
- Point at stars at night (on camping trips etc).
- Burn things.
- Photography
With this in mind I decided to buy from O-Like. I actually misread a friendly post where someone told me "I would consider O-Like last" - and thought that he had recommended them. Anyway I decided on these lasers:
- O-Like 100mW 532nm Wide-Beam Pointer $81.99 - HIGH POWER 100MW GREEN LASER WAND /WIDE BEAM/FOCUASABLE
- O-Like 300mW 405nm Pointer $69.99 - NEW ARRIVAL 405NM 300MW VIOLET LASER TORCH /FOCUSABLE/BURNING
- O-Like 5mW 635nm $7.99 - 635NM 5MW RED LASER POINTER / BRIGHTER THAN 650NM
I also decided on these extras from O-Like:
- 2 x Battery Upgrade $18.40 - HIGH QUALITY PANASONNIC PROTECTED 18650 LITHIUM RECHARGEABLE B
- 2 x Bag Upgrade $10.00- HIGH QUALITY BELT BAG FOR LASER TORCH /EASY TO CARRY
- 2 x Safety Goggles $39.98- 405NM,450NM,473NM,532NM LASER SAFETY GOGGLES
I got in touch with Susie at O-Like during the decision making process. She has limited English ability; but for the whole part - answered my 'many' questions. I found emailing back and forth a very time consuming process - so I emailed and asked for her SkypeID - which she gave me. I told her that I have read very mixed reviews about O-Like: some people saying that their lasers have arrived dead, some under-spec, some over-spec, some having trouble with customer service. She "assured me" that everything is fine and that she has good packing methods etc. I told her that I did not want to proceed unless she could guarantee spec or over-spec lasers, I wanted her to LPM them. I also mentioned that I will be doing a review for her company, and her products - and this probably helped her to give me the "best end of the stick". She promised me that they would be over-spec, and she said she would LPM them before posting (but after I pay). Susie promised me everything and pushed me to pay [because the following day was the start of the long Chinese holiday, and I told her I wanted the lasers ASAP].
Ordering, Paying, Postage
On the 25/04/2013 I placed the order. Being the first time I have order Lasers - I wasn't aware of the strange payment methods. Susie told me not to pay using the website feature - but to wait for her to send me a PayPal invoice. When I received the PayPal invoice - it didn't say "O-Like" and it didn't say "Lasers" anywhere. This worried me so I started THIS THREAD. I discovered that this is a 'normal payment method' because PayPal itself has deemed lasers illegal. I proceeded and made the payment on the 25/04/2013. I received an email with a copy of the receipt (which was actually a link back to the O-Like website, with my products listed there and paid for).
19/04/2013 - Thinking about what lasers I should buy?
25/04/2013 - Order & Paid O-Like.
26/04/2013 - Received Photos of LPM via email.
26/04/2013 - Items Posted by O-Like.
29/04/2013 - Received Tracking Number from Susie (She was actually on holiday and still checking her email).
06/05/2013 - Item arrive here at Fiji. Singapore Speed Post marked the item as "Failed Delivery - Prohibited/DGR/Not Approved".
Bother lasers are over-spec! :drool:
Customs in Fiji
Before purchasing anything I went to the Customs office here in Fiji and I asked them about their regulations on lasers. They said that they are not regulated at all, he didn't even know what they were used for. I was perhaps a little 'too honest' and I explained to him that they can be dangerous if mishandled; and that some people in Australia point them at aircraft pilots etc (and I told him that they are regulated in other countries). He still insisted that it would not be a problem.
I was quite worried/anxious when SpeedPost marked my items as dangerous. The call centre told me it was marked for "dangerous drugs" which confused me even further. I called the local post office (where the lasers were physically being held) and they told me that Customs had requested to see inside the package. I had to go there in person and provide ID, and then they would open the box in front of me. I asked them why they needed to open it - and if there was any problem; and they said: "No it is just a random check, we want to see the item $20 Flashlight". Ironic? Marked as something different to get past Customs; and instead mine gets pulled up!
Anyway I only go into "town" once a week so I went on Friday fully prepared. I printed the invoice from O-Like, and a screenshot of their home-page. I even printed a small screenshot from this forum - showing that there is an online community of over 20,000 members who use lasers as a hobby. I was all smiles, even though my heart was pumping, and I didn't want to open the package until I came home. I was friendly, using the local greetings. The Customs lady opened my package while asking me what it is. I explained to her that it isn't really a "flash-light" but its actually a "laser-light". She asked me what they are used for? I said there are many uses, but I will be using it for amateur astrology (night sky pointing), and camping. "Just a hobby" I said. She handed me the carry-bag inside which was the 100mW 532nm. She said is this the laser? Please open it. Nervously and carefully I opened the end and sure enough there it was. She took it from me and fondled it for a minute, then gave it back.
And then............... SHE LET ME GO! :angel: I re-taped my box, paid the small post office fee, and walked out happy as a pig-in-mud. One set of glasses didn't make it back inside the box - so I tried them on with my friends and we all went "wwwoooowww look at the sky change colour".
Unboxing
I was disappointed to not find any foam, or padding products inside the box. That being said, the lasers seem to work perfectly. It was all packed in pretty tight, I'm sure that all the items inside helped to buffer against each other. The lasers themselves were stored inside the smaller belt-bags. The batteries were not inside the lasers, they were separate. I got all the originals including the upgrades I order - and two chargers. Everything was there - nothing missing.
Here are some unboxing photos. Sorry about the focus; using a friend's Canon 450D and the Auto-Focus is dead.
Products
Sadly I don't own an LPM. However the lasers "appear" to be functioning the same as when I first started using them (two days ago). I've been following the duty cycle Susie mentioned of around 30/40 seconds on, and 1 minute off. Sometimes I push it to 50 seconds on. I have never felt the host get warm. Being my first lasers, I am utterly impressed with the sky pointing and burning ability. First, some differences I've noticed.
100mW 532nm Green Wide-Beam
It's AMAZING! It's so bright at night, it feels like I can touch the stars. It doesn't seem to ruin night-adaptation (but I'm not an expert on night-sky-pointing). The thing with this laser is its BEAM DIVERGENCE is superb! It goes on and on, I feel like I can focus most of its power on a tree about 2 KM away with ease. The beam stays the same diameter, forever.
It is 15.5CM / 6.2 inches long, the thickest part having a 2.5CM diameter. It's black in colour, with a focus lense that can easily be unscrewed.
300mW 405nm Violet Burning
This guy loves to burn. I'm still learning - but it lights matches with ease (without bothering too much with the focus, as long as its "close"). I can burn the match-wood, and melt through various plastics. I love the colour. The downside to this laser is something that I'd like to ask about. Either the divergence is terrible, or the focus lens needs to be shifted. When I point it into the night sky, it quickly diverges into a "thick blurry blob". I mean, it is still sufficient to point out stars, but compared with the green laser - it kinda sucks for sky-pointing. I can't focus the dot down on a surface more than about 7 metres away. I turn the knob to focus, keep going, then it hits its furthest turn - but I want to keep going.
Is this something I can fix but shifting the lens? What do you guys think?
Photos
I'm no professional at photography and it took a lot of fiddling with the DSLR to get it right. I found so far that ISO100 with long shutter speeds (30seconds) works best. Strangely; the violet laser beam CANNOT be photographed on ISO100. I have to lift it to ISO200 minimum before it shows, and I've found ISO400 makes it look nice and visible. It's also really difficult to get the correct violet colour - it seems to be blue instead of violet (in the photographs). Here is a selection of photos (my first time shooting laser beams etc).
Summary
I'm happy with Susie's performance at O-Like. It was a difficult sale; due to lack of English, and first time buying. Overall I feel I definitely got good value, and the lasers seem to be well built. I'm totally impressed by the beam divergence (or lack thereof) on the green laser. The violet laser is beautiful and burns well. The postage was quick, and the packing was acceptable - considering everything worked out of the box. I would buy again from Susie, but again I should mention that telling her I would write a review may have affected my service.
If anybody has any suggestions, adjustments, or requests I am happy to comply! Thanks for reading! :beer:
_______________________
O-Like 100mW[333mW] 532 Wide-Beam
O-Like 300mW[109mW] 405nm
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