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FrozenGate by Avery

Review: FocalPrice SKU 08EBR24E -- 5mw 650nm

Joined
Aug 24, 2009
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Note: this exact SKU is no longer available on FocalPrice. SKU LP022S appears to be identical, however this may not be the case. Buyer beware.

On 24 August I ordered a FocalPrice 08EBR24E 5mw 650nm red laser pointer at a price of $4.84 USD. Shipping from Hong Kong to my location took approximately 20 days. The pointer was shipped in a padded envelope with no box or batteries.

The pointer is powered by two AAA batteries and will accept both NIMH and alkaline batteries without issue.

Construction is very good and is on par with what would be expected from products sold in typical retail stores for ten times the price. Construction material appears to be aluminum. The central (battery) section of the case appears to have been type II anodized while the beam module head, clip, and rear cap are polished. Thread interface is good and does not squeak or bind. The pointer is lighter than the typical NewWish-style green pointer, but feels heavy enough to be substantial.

Beam quality is typical for direct injection diode lasers. The spot is slightly elliptical but this is barely detectable. There is a large halo around the beam; this is visible at range in dark conditions but is not bright enough to detract from the pointer's ability to point.

I have no way to test if the claimed wavelength and output power are accurate. The beam is a brilliant red and is very visible in indoor lighting conditions. It is detectable but difficult to see outdoors in direct sunlight.

Overall, this pointer is very good value for money. It's a very good buy for anyone looking for a pointer for presentations or other indoor activities. Use as a cat toy is not recommended without prior testing with a calibrated LPM.

08EBR24E (left) beside a defective NewWish '5mw' pointer:




Business end


Beam pointed at a white curtain from 10':

The secondary spot in the upper left is a camera lens artifact. Color representation is not accurate as 650nm is beyond the sRGB gamut used by digital cameras and monitors. The true color is more of a brilliantly bright blood red.

Pointer beam in comparison to beam from a '5mw' NewWish DPSS green:

Colors are not accurate due to limitations of the sRGB gamut. The lower redish dot is a camera lens artifact.
 





Seems like a nice pointer. It's quite hard to find high quality 5mw 635nm-650nm pointer.
 
Long term update:

I have had a few minor problems with intermittent operation and flickering due to what appears to be a flaky switch. Sometimes the laser has to be turned on twice in order to light up. These problems effect perhaps 1 out of every 25-50 uses and are a minor inconvenience at most.

More seriously, the pointer has shorted out its batteries several times due to poor design of the negative spring on the laser module head. I would not recommend using rechargeable batteries in this pointer due to the potential for destruction or explosive failure of shorted rechargeable cells.
 


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