Lucky my laser didn’t explode in my pocket last night.
Hmmmm...interesting yet alarming event last night. I was visiting a friend at his house, laying back on his couch with a blanket over me. My 400mW green laser and a flashlight were both stashed in my front left jean’s pocket. I was vaguely aware of a warm sensation in that general area but brushed it off as a combination of the blanket and the wine I was drinking. Suddenly I had an epiphany and I frantically dug into my pocket to see if the flashlight was on: no. Then I dug out and unzipped the padded nylon soft case I keep my laser in and the laser was on and so freakin hot that it instantly burned my hands. I turned it off and threw it on the floor to let it cool off. The pouch had a clean hole melted through the end of it (about 1/8” thick insulated nylon), and I had to hold an ice pack for about an hour to treat the burns on my palm and fingers (there are slight blisters present today). After an hour or so the laser was cool enough to touch. It still works but the beam seems very scattered and there’s a lot of beam splash now.
A couple of thoughts:
1. I will not be carrying a laser in a padded pouch anymore. The padding effectively insulated the laser and trapped most of the heat inside, so I didn’t become aware of the high heat being generated until after an estimated 20 or 30 minutes elapsed (this laser is not very well heat sinked and has a one minute on/off duty cycle).
2. I wish that someone manufactured plastic or aluminum hard cylindrical cases for lasers with push-on or screw-on lids (some entrepreneur on this board should run with this idea!). They should be lined with 1/16” foam and be available in a variety of diameters and lengths. I ordered a cigar case online for this purpose but it barely doesn’t fit my laser. (Yes, I could go to Hope Depot and buy some threaded PVC and make my own case, but carrying PVC pipe seems somewhat hokey, and I’d prefer a slightly more elegant, ready-made solution.)
3. I feel lucky that the 18650 battery didn’t explode in my pocket. I’m glad I pay extra for quality AW protected batts (this one was 2900 mAh), but I am still wondering if it COULD have exploded.
4. I WISH that laser manufacturers incorporated simple and convenient lock-out mechanisms in their designs, such as a secondary on/off button or switch. Even a design where you could just unscrew the battery compartment a quarter or half turn to lock it out (like on a my Zebralight H501 headlamp) would suffice (yes, I can unscrew the tailcap on my current laser every time I put it in my pocket, but it requires about six full rotations and just isn’t very convenient). Also, I wish that lasers were always designed with a recessed push clicky rather than one that sticks out beyond the end of the laser (like the one I have).
5. I’m wondering if A) my 18650 battery is probably damaged at this point, or if it’s dangerous to use again, and B) if the diode on my laser is probably damaged, and I’ll never get the same kind of output again?
Carrying a laser almost reminds me of carrying a concealed pistol. If you don’t have a good holster or case that guards the firing mechanism (trigger or on/off button), or you are careless, you run the risk of an accidental discharge or activation, which could obviously be disastrous.
Hmmmm...interesting yet alarming event last night. I was visiting a friend at his house, laying back on his couch with a blanket over me. My 400mW green laser and a flashlight were both stashed in my front left jean’s pocket. I was vaguely aware of a warm sensation in that general area but brushed it off as a combination of the blanket and the wine I was drinking. Suddenly I had an epiphany and I frantically dug into my pocket to see if the flashlight was on: no. Then I dug out and unzipped the padded nylon soft case I keep my laser in and the laser was on and so freakin hot that it instantly burned my hands. I turned it off and threw it on the floor to let it cool off. The pouch had a clean hole melted through the end of it (about 1/8” thick insulated nylon), and I had to hold an ice pack for about an hour to treat the burns on my palm and fingers (there are slight blisters present today). After an hour or so the laser was cool enough to touch. It still works but the beam seems very scattered and there’s a lot of beam splash now.
A couple of thoughts:
1. I will not be carrying a laser in a padded pouch anymore. The padding effectively insulated the laser and trapped most of the heat inside, so I didn’t become aware of the high heat being generated until after an estimated 20 or 30 minutes elapsed (this laser is not very well heat sinked and has a one minute on/off duty cycle).
2. I wish that someone manufactured plastic or aluminum hard cylindrical cases for lasers with push-on or screw-on lids (some entrepreneur on this board should run with this idea!). They should be lined with 1/16” foam and be available in a variety of diameters and lengths. I ordered a cigar case online for this purpose but it barely doesn’t fit my laser. (Yes, I could go to Hope Depot and buy some threaded PVC and make my own case, but carrying PVC pipe seems somewhat hokey, and I’d prefer a slightly more elegant, ready-made solution.)
3. I feel lucky that the 18650 battery didn’t explode in my pocket. I’m glad I pay extra for quality AW protected batts (this one was 2900 mAh), but I am still wondering if it COULD have exploded.
4. I WISH that laser manufacturers incorporated simple and convenient lock-out mechanisms in their designs, such as a secondary on/off button or switch. Even a design where you could just unscrew the battery compartment a quarter or half turn to lock it out (like on a my Zebralight H501 headlamp) would suffice (yes, I can unscrew the tailcap on my current laser every time I put it in my pocket, but it requires about six full rotations and just isn’t very convenient). Also, I wish that lasers were always designed with a recessed push clicky rather than one that sticks out beyond the end of the laser (like the one I have).
5. I’m wondering if A) my 18650 battery is probably damaged at this point, or if it’s dangerous to use again, and B) if the diode on my laser is probably damaged, and I’ll never get the same kind of output again?
Carrying a laser almost reminds me of carrying a concealed pistol. If you don’t have a good holster or case that guards the firing mechanism (trigger or on/off button), or you are careless, you run the risk of an accidental discharge or activation, which could obviously be disastrous.
