Any 445 accidents yet?

oic0 · Sep 1, 2010

Come on guys fess up. How many times have you inadvertently exposed yourselves to 445 now. I assume no one has been hit in the eye yet, but whos looked at their dot too close up. I know my safety glasses fell off once already exposing me until I could close my eyes (about half a second). Ordered a new pair to fit over my glasses better ASAP.
For the record, didn't make me see a spot like looking at a welding arc or light bulb does. Still scared me though after all the safety preaching on here.

magonegro · Sep 1, 2010

Sometimes I don't wear the safety glasses because I need to see the dot, with the glasses engaged I cant even see the dot. Never had been hitten in the eye by the beam tough. Also I never stared at the dot for more than 1 second or so before my eyes automatically close. I still use my two eyes normally. If anyone uses the glasses ALWAYS, for sure he couldnt have seen the wonderful beam... The real danger is not using the glasses when there could be reflections on windows or mirrors when you can really get caught by a REAL beam, not scattered light.

Anyway, if you are not experienced, wear the glasses always, don't even try to see the beam.

oic0 · Sep 1, 2010

You do need the glasses even for dot viewing. The dot from my 50mw green is unpleasant, I cant imagine what 1000-1500mw does to the eyes. You need to be careful with that! When you want to see the beam, just take a step outside and aim for some distant tree. Works for me.

Might also try some lower OD goggles. I have a pair of the crap ones from Wicked, as well as a real pair of OD4. With the wicked ones I can still see the beam! the dot looks about like how my 50mw green looks with no glasses on. Its actually to bright to even properly focus.

Eudaimonium · Sep 1, 2010

I most oftenly use my 445nm inside my room without goggles, only use them when burning some stuff.

Generally, common sense is way more important than goggles. Sure, dot on the wall is unpleasent to look at, but won't blast you into oblivion

I always hold laser with both hands and always have a thumb on tail clicky ready to turn the laser off in moment's notice if needed. Don't let it slip, don't go near anywhere where a human head can be (hallway, eye level door etc).

Using my goggles just kind of kills the feeling. Not a single photon of blue goes through them it seems, and I am fascinated by the beam and it's visibility and undetermined color

I did burn my hair once, looking at the lens with my goggles on and trying to aproximate the aperture exit beam size. Looking at the lens without goggles hurts to much though, like looking at the sun. Goggles on for burning fun. Off for all other types of fun.

DrSid · Sep 1, 2010

You can't tell it's ok without visiting a doctor ..

chipdouglas · Sep 1, 2010

oic0 said:
You do need the glasses even for dot viewing. The dot from my 50mw green is unpleasant, I cant imagine what 1000-1500mw does to the eyes. You need to be careful with that! When you want to see the beam, just take a step outside and aim for some distant tree. Works for me.

Might also try some lower OD goggles. I have a pair of the crap ones from Wicked, as well as a real pair of OD4. With the wicked ones I can still see the beam! the dot looks about like how my 50mw green looks with no glasses on. Its actually to bright to even properly focus.

"dot" viewing is especially what you need goggles for

oic0 · Sep 1, 2010

Heres mine writing on a box. No way am I looking at this without goggles! Camera is about 3ft from the cardboard box. The lines its writing arent really visible in that lighting (why I didnt share it before, crap video IMO), but they are hair thin, just the brightness makes the dot look huge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg4VJCaWDs8

Eudaimonium · Sep 1, 2010

DrSid said:
You can't tell it's ok without visiting a doctor ..

I am not staring at the dot like a retarded person.

I say I am using it indoors, without goggles, but with common sense. As you can see, I'm quite capable of using an internet forum.

I am not saying you all should stop using goggles. I am saying that dangers of this laser are bit over-rated.

Laser posses great danged if direct eye hit is taken, and with power, effective distance is increased. So is the danger of reflections.
Avoiding both give you neccerary degree of safety needed before even talking about goggles.

Goggles protect only you. What about those around you?

All I am saying is that I am careful enough to enjoy awsome blue/violet-ish beam indoors.

yobresal · Sep 1, 2010

My retarded co-worker walked into my office with his 1 watt that I repaired/built for him. He knows about laser safety but decided to jokingly shine right at me. His aim was off and he blasted me in the left eye. In all the years of dealing with lasers I have never caught a stray beam to the eye and then this yahoo walked into my office and blasted me. I couldn't believe what had just happened. My vision is fine though. So far as I can tell.

Eudaimonium · Sep 1, 2010

yobresal said:
My retarded co-worker walked into my office with his 1 watt that I repaired/built for him. He knows about laser safety but decided to jokingly shine right at me. His aim was off and he blasted me in the left eye. In all the years of dealing with lasers I have never caught a stray beam to the eye and then this yahoo walked into my office and blasted me. I couldn't believe what had just happened. My vision is fine though. So far as I can tell.

Sentence contradicts itself.

You do not "Joke" with lasers, as we all know, they are anything but toys and stuff to mess around with.

He apparently does not know how harmful it is if he aimed it right at you.

BShanahan14rulz · Sep 1, 2010

Too bad. Did you have to explain to him why you punched him in the eye as hard as you could? "I was joking, but I was aiming for the space next to your head..." >.>

This is why I show off my lasers, but won't build any for other people.

oic0 · Sep 2, 2010

yobresal said:
My retarded co-worker walked into my office with his 1 watt that I repaired/built for him. He knows about laser safety but decided to jokingly shine right at me. His aim was off and he blasted me in the left eye. In all the years of dealing with lasers I have never caught a stray beam to the eye and then this yahoo walked into my office and blasted me. I couldn't believe what had just happened. My vision is fine though. So far as I can tell.

Sounds pretty scary. I bet a lot of 4 letter words flew.

TheGreaterWatt · Sep 2, 2010

Well I have quiet a few burn marks in my desk but, I haven't taken a stray beam in the eye and i'm crossing my fingers that I never will. I am mostly concerned for my curious pets and their vision because I don't think that they make goggles for pets... :undecided:

yobresal said:
My vision is fine though. So far as I can tell.

The fact is that you wouldn't be able to tell; not immediatly. The thing with laser light is that it just punchs tiny holes in the retina and the brain just fills in the gaps. These holes just acumulate until the brain can't fill them in any more. The only time you would notice is if the damage happened on the edge of your vision; then you would end up with blind spots. Either way the damage is done.

drummerdimitri · Sep 2, 2010

My eyes are surprisingly laser/light tolerant. I only wear goggles when I am focusing the dot on a white wall for best divergence (thinnest line in this case), otherwise I can look at the dot a foot away from a white wall and not feel unpleasant. I also burn things with it without using goggles most of the time. I guess everyone has a certain tolerance level for how much light intensity they can absorb. I've also been hit with my 1.1 W blue many times before for a fraction of a second from mirror reflections and it seems like it's all good. I know I should wear goggles more often, but since the intense light doesn't bother me, I don't see the point if handled with care and responsibility. Oh and I've also got my thumb caught in the beam while focusing and it really does hurt for a brief amount of time.

DrSid · Sep 2, 2010

That's the trick with blue (and partly with red, and much more so with 808) .. the light SEEMS less bright than it really is .. and you reaction (blinking, pupil dilation) are much slower .. also the light is much less unpleasant. It is said, that with IR, first marks of eye damage is strange crackling sounds inside your head .. that are tiny bubbles of steam forming in the eye liquid. No pain. No immediate degradation of light. No unpleasant brightness.

Kulhu · Sep 2, 2010

DrSid said:
That's the trick with blue (and partly with red, and much more so with 808) .. the light SEEMS less bright than it really is .. and you reaction (blinking, pupil dilation) are much slower .. also the light is much less unpleasant. It is said, that with IR, first marks of eye damage is strange crackling sounds inside your head .. that are tiny bubbles of steam forming in the eye liquid. No pain. No immediate degradation of light. No unpleasant brightness.

huh? i don't think steam forms that fast, unless you point the laser at your eye for a minute.

Any 445 accidents yet?

oic0

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magonegro

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oic0

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Eudaimonium

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DrSid

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chipdouglas

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oic0

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Eudaimonium

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yobresal

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Eudaimonium

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BShanahan14rulz

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oic0

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