- Joined
- Sep 16, 2007
- Messages
- 3,658
- Points
- 113
A few hours after E-mailing NOVA to ask why it was taking so long for my laser to get here (3 days) my laser arrived. I felt embarrassed and rude when I received it. Sorry NOVA...
Anyway...
I purchased the X105 without all the extras and TNT 1-2 day shipping.
My laser is rated at: 118.6mW (average) and 120.5mW (peak).
They gave me a free Matrix diffraction grating.
The divergence is good at about 1.0-1.1 mRad. It isn't as good as my 0.7mRad 5mW but it's close enough to make me happy.
The laser's beam is nearly perfectly aligned with the body, and I was excited to see that I can actually point the laser at an object and actually lase a solid green beam directly at (on, into, through the other side... hehe) the object; not 2 feet to the left or right of where the body is pointed.
The casing is much heavier than I anticipated and feels very solid. The weight is still not of any issue when it comes to portability. It is definitely light enough to carry in a pocket (which I wouldn't do without some kind of protection).
At night, the beam is extremely clear and solid. I didn't use it too much outside so as not to draw too much attention to myself. It is easily the brightest laser I have ever seen/ owned. I can see the dot on a building 150 meters away during the day.
The beam is very stable and is at full power from the moment I press the button. However, I notice when using a lens that after a couple seconds the mode changes from TEM00 to near TEM01. The beam does not split into 2 separate beams but instead, becomes more of an elliptical shape. I concluded that this is due to problems dissipating heat as the unit becomes warm after about 30 seconds of continuous use. I did not think this problem was enough to RMA as this slight mode change does not affect burning capabilities or brightness. It takes less than 30 seconds of continuous use to do most burning tricks (matches usually light in less than 5 seconds unaided at 30cm; wood, paper, plastic all smokes or burns instantly at more than 50cm; dark colored balloons pop instantly at greater than 2 meters; flies burn instantly, and so does my skin) I actually burned my skin while trying to tie a rubber band on my laser's button; "Ow, what's that?... OW!... oh..." I keep the duty cycle low (25 seconds max) due to thermal buildup. It is a very low duty cycle but theres no need for long use when you can burn a hole through electrical tape in a couple seconds.
During the day the beam is visible indoors and faintly when in direct sunlight outside. I absolutely love this laser. Every penny (including shipping) was worth it.
THANK YOU NOVA!
Pictures:
X105 (left) compared to ~3mW Galileo (center) and ~5mW red (right):
Beam shots at aperture:
Videos:
Compilation:
Anyway...
I purchased the X105 without all the extras and TNT 1-2 day shipping.
My laser is rated at: 118.6mW (average) and 120.5mW (peak).
They gave me a free Matrix diffraction grating.
The divergence is good at about 1.0-1.1 mRad. It isn't as good as my 0.7mRad 5mW but it's close enough to make me happy.
The laser's beam is nearly perfectly aligned with the body, and I was excited to see that I can actually point the laser at an object and actually lase a solid green beam directly at (on, into, through the other side... hehe) the object; not 2 feet to the left or right of where the body is pointed.
The casing is much heavier than I anticipated and feels very solid. The weight is still not of any issue when it comes to portability. It is definitely light enough to carry in a pocket (which I wouldn't do without some kind of protection).
At night, the beam is extremely clear and solid. I didn't use it too much outside so as not to draw too much attention to myself. It is easily the brightest laser I have ever seen/ owned. I can see the dot on a building 150 meters away during the day.
The beam is very stable and is at full power from the moment I press the button. However, I notice when using a lens that after a couple seconds the mode changes from TEM00 to near TEM01. The beam does not split into 2 separate beams but instead, becomes more of an elliptical shape. I concluded that this is due to problems dissipating heat as the unit becomes warm after about 30 seconds of continuous use. I did not think this problem was enough to RMA as this slight mode change does not affect burning capabilities or brightness. It takes less than 30 seconds of continuous use to do most burning tricks (matches usually light in less than 5 seconds unaided at 30cm; wood, paper, plastic all smokes or burns instantly at more than 50cm; dark colored balloons pop instantly at greater than 2 meters; flies burn instantly, and so does my skin) I actually burned my skin while trying to tie a rubber band on my laser's button; "Ow, what's that?... OW!... oh..." I keep the duty cycle low (25 seconds max) due to thermal buildup. It is a very low duty cycle but theres no need for long use when you can burn a hole through electrical tape in a couple seconds.
During the day the beam is visible indoors and faintly when in direct sunlight outside. I absolutely love this laser. Every penny (including shipping) was worth it.
THANK YOU NOVA!
Pictures:
X105 (left) compared to ~3mW Galileo (center) and ~5mW red (right):
Beam shots at aperture:
Videos:
Compilation: