Poll: What new wavelength would you most like to see accessible within 5 years.

Hello All, I decided to create this poll to find out what everyone's desirable wavelengths are. If within the next 5 years, your favourite could become accessible (low enough cost for hobbyists), what would it be? It can either be in diode or DPSS form whether already in existence or not. If your wavelength is not listed in the poll, click other and write a post of which you would choose and why (optional). As the forum only allows up to 10 options I will update my post to include anyone else's suggestions.

420nm - 1 - 4%
490nm - 6 - 24%
495nm - 1 - 4%
500nm - 2 - 8%
555nm - 3 - 12%
575nm - 1 - 4%
580nm - 4- 16%
595nm - 0 - 0.00%
610nm - 6 - 24%
620nm - 0 - 0.00%

not specified - 1 - 4%

No of Votes - 25

Final Count - 31/01/2021 19:21UTC


***************************************************
POLL CLOSED - FINAL RESULTS TOTALLED
***************************************************

5 YEARS ON

Here is a quick analysis:

420nm - 1 - 4%

Still very expensive to get hold of in diode form. However it is possible. Here is a 430nm and the company offers InGaN diodes in 5nm increments.

https://laserpointerforums.com/threads/the-tg430-55mw-430nm-laser-diode.103107/

490nm - 6 - 24%
495nm - 1 - 4%
500nm - 2 - 8%

Well we done very well in this section. A sudden influx of cheap diodes came our way very soon after this poll begun. 2016-2017 saw a boom of new wavelengths reviving the community. All of the cyan section became covered with cheap and powerful Class 3B diodes. And where the cyans stopped 505nm diodes tookover. Pretty much the entirety of cyan-aquamarine section is now available to the hobby. The only sad news is that the 480nm diodes dried up that came along with the 505's.


555nm - 3 - 12%

Still rare and expensive unfortunately

575nm - 1 - 4%
580nm - 4- 16%
Another surprise turned up when mysterious new DPSS lasers turned up at 565 and 575nm. Even more bizarre was they was cheap. Unfortunately some suffered crystal degradation. However word has it, that we should keep an eye out in the future for a return of these wavelengths.


595nm - 0 - 0.00%
610nm - 6 - 24%
620nm - 0 - 0.00%

As expected, orange still remains elusive. Only expensive means to get hold of wavelengths in this range. Whether it is DPSS or supercooled red laser diodes.

not specified - 1 - 4%

No of Votes - 25

Final Count - 31/01/2021 19:21UTC

Very interesting to see what wavelengths people wanted to see available and what actually happened.

For me it's a hard choice between 490, 495 and 585 (not on the list). I really hope we get cyan and true yellow diodes within the next few years.

I voted for 610nm. While we have some orange lines already, a cheap orange would be great(apart from 593.5).

-Alex

Yellow, Orange and Cyan parts of the spectrum for me was only logical to include, I was going to allow multiple choices but I thought this would make it that little bit harder. Good choice Hap, an affordable 610nm would complete most people's collections. For some reason, your 610nm vote is not showing up on the results, so it looks like I am going to have to do regular updates.

CurtisOliver said:

Yellow, Orange and Cyan parts of the spectrum for me was only logical to include, I was going to allow multiple choices but I thought this would make it that little bit harder. Good choice Hap, an affordable 610nm would complete most people's collections. For some reason, your 610nm vote is not showing up on the results, so it looks like I am going to have to do regular updates.

Click to expand...

My mistake, I forgot to vote! Got it now :yh:

-Alex

Yes I have your vote now, i thought it might of been the poll playing up. It was ok anyway because I had accounted for you in my update.

I voted orange (610nm). While all of the wavelengths listed are cool, nothing's more unusual and unseen in a portable.

Otherwise, spectral cyan (488nm) is my favorite. Probably more likely to come down in price since it actually exists as a diode.

Cool , who know 610nm may eventually be viable.

490, close enough to 488 for me!

490, close enough to 488 for me!

Click to expand...

I can add 488 on to the list if you want Diachi.

Also voted for 490, though my favourite is 465nm.

610nm. Seems like we don't have any true oranges right now. 638nm and 593.5nm and the only things that come close.

CurtisOliver said:

I can add 488 on to the list if you want Diachi.

Click to expand...

No need, thanks though!

Razako said:

610nm. Seems like we don't have any true oranges right now. 638nm and 593.5nm and the only things that come close.

Click to expand...

Well *technically* 593.5nm lasers are orange. They're part of the orange spectrum :yh:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_(colour)

-Alex

Hap said:

Well *technically* 593.5nm lasers are orange. They're part of the orange spectrum :yh:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_(colour)

-Alex

Click to expand...

Check your link.:beer:

The 593.5 is just a bit too close to the edge for me to call orange. I'd want something that's the color of a rich sunset.

Rivem said:

Check your link.:beer:

The 593.5 is just a bit too close to the edge for me to call orange. I'd want something that's the color of a rich sunset.

Click to expand...

For some reason it won't directly link to the wiki page Just click the "Did you mean Orange" tab haha. Yeah, back when I owned a ~593.5nm laser it didn't look very orange apart for the beam(on very rare occasions) :yh:

-Alex