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- Dec 21, 2008
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Preface
After writing my recent IgorT 6X review, I realized I've almost reached my typing quota for the month (and your review-reading quotas too,
)... so I'm going to try the "less is more" approach for this review 
Intro
A while back I decided to get myself JayRob's "Kryton Groovy Green" kit which seamlessly mates a 532nm module (used in standard Laser pointers) with Kenom's popular Kryton custom hosts. JayRob suggested O-Like as a good place to get the 532nm modules, so I went ahead and ordered their 120~150mW module. At $105 + an extremely modest $4 for traceable shipping, it's a good deal. You can't complain when you're paying less than a dollar per mW
The Customer is King
Before I review the module itself, I would like to introduce Susie (aka Standstone11, LPF member since Jun '08), the main force behind O-Like. Shortly after placing an order at O-Like, Susie will send you a confirmation mail which, among other info, contains an estimated shipping date. Once she ships you your product, she again notifies you via email. she is also quick to respond to any questions you may have. I'm pleased to state that I've always received a reply from her no later than the next business day. That goes for "issue management" too (see below). The whole process was almost flawless, but If I had to split hairs, I would say that Susie is a bit overly-protective of her products and reputation. But then again, which seller isn't.
Customer service-wise, Susie's top-notch :beer:
130 mW of 532nm goodness
The original module I received came in perfect condition and worked flawlessly, etc. At the time, I didn't have an LPM so I couldn't verify it's true output, but to be honest, it didn't look a whole lot different than my Megagreen <50mW laser pointer. I was later on able to verify this when I received my Kenometer LPM, noting that the actual output power was only in the upper 70s.
But thanks to Susie's efficient issue management as well as her confidence in me as an honest customer and LPF member, she sent me a replacement even before she could verify the module I sent back was indeed "under-powered" (not to mention, still working...).
The replacement module fared a lot better on the Kenometer, settling down at 130mW. The measurement was taken at the end of a 60s cycle, using a 3.7V CR123A. I won't lie, I would have preferred to see a slightly higher figure, particularly since the Kenometer measures slightly higher (~+5%), but it's of course still within the advertised range.
The module emits a clean, thin beam which, at 1.6mrad, tends to diverge a little more than say, a high-quality laser pointer (<1mrad). As was known to me at the time of purchase, the module does not incorporate an IR filter. Consequently, I have noted the module's output to be 17% IR. I'm no expert in this area but 17% "sounds" reasonable to me
Conclusion
I would sum it all up by saying that O-Like's customer service and sales process is great! However, the module(s) themselves are merely good. When I take into consideration the highly competitive pricing though, then I should immediately add that the modules are certainly worth the quoted price!
[Imagery]
I've added images of the module, beam/dot and LPM measurements. The 169mW reading is a spike after 10s, the 130mW it's "stable" output (seen between 30-60s) and a post-IR filter reading of 112mW. The smaller dot / thinner beam are from my ~70mW "<50mW" laser pointer, included for comparison purposes.
You can review the original-sized images over at my Flickr site. All images taken with a Canon 50D and EF-S 60mm Macro lens.
After writing my recent IgorT 6X review, I realized I've almost reached my typing quota for the month (and your review-reading quotas too,
)... so I'm going to try the "less is more" approach for this review Intro
A while back I decided to get myself JayRob's "Kryton Groovy Green" kit which seamlessly mates a 532nm module (used in standard Laser pointers) with Kenom's popular Kryton custom hosts. JayRob suggested O-Like as a good place to get the 532nm modules, so I went ahead and ordered their 120~150mW module. At $105 + an extremely modest $4 for traceable shipping, it's a good deal. You can't complain when you're paying less than a dollar per mW
The Customer is King
Before I review the module itself, I would like to introduce Susie (aka Standstone11, LPF member since Jun '08), the main force behind O-Like. Shortly after placing an order at O-Like, Susie will send you a confirmation mail which, among other info, contains an estimated shipping date. Once she ships you your product, she again notifies you via email. she is also quick to respond to any questions you may have. I'm pleased to state that I've always received a reply from her no later than the next business day. That goes for "issue management" too (see below). The whole process was almost flawless, but If I had to split hairs, I would say that Susie is a bit overly-protective of her products and reputation. But then again, which seller isn't.
Customer service-wise, Susie's top-notch :beer:
130 mW of 532nm goodness
The original module I received came in perfect condition and worked flawlessly, etc. At the time, I didn't have an LPM so I couldn't verify it's true output, but to be honest, it didn't look a whole lot different than my Megagreen <50mW laser pointer. I was later on able to verify this when I received my Kenometer LPM, noting that the actual output power was only in the upper 70s.
But thanks to Susie's efficient issue management as well as her confidence in me as an honest customer and LPF member, she sent me a replacement even before she could verify the module I sent back was indeed "under-powered" (not to mention, still working...).
The replacement module fared a lot better on the Kenometer, settling down at 130mW. The measurement was taken at the end of a 60s cycle, using a 3.7V CR123A. I won't lie, I would have preferred to see a slightly higher figure, particularly since the Kenometer measures slightly higher (~+5%), but it's of course still within the advertised range.
The module emits a clean, thin beam which, at 1.6mrad, tends to diverge a little more than say, a high-quality laser pointer (<1mrad). As was known to me at the time of purchase, the module does not incorporate an IR filter. Consequently, I have noted the module's output to be 17% IR. I'm no expert in this area but 17% "sounds" reasonable to me
Conclusion
I would sum it all up by saying that O-Like's customer service and sales process is great! However, the module(s) themselves are merely good. When I take into consideration the highly competitive pricing though, then I should immediately add that the modules are certainly worth the quoted price!
[Imagery]
I've added images of the module, beam/dot and LPM measurements. The 169mW reading is a spike after 10s, the 130mW it's "stable" output (seen between 30-60s) and a post-IR filter reading of 112mW. The smaller dot / thinner beam are from my ~70mW "<50mW" laser pointer, included for comparison purposes.
You can review the original-sized images over at my Flickr site. All images taken with a Canon 50D and EF-S 60mm Macro lens.
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. Great review tho!
