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Hello From London (is there anyone else)?

SamWood

SamWood

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Hello,
My name is Sam and I’m a producer currently living in London. I’ve always had a fascination with Laser’s ever since being a child, but getting a high power laser to the UK is difficult.
Has anyone else had to deal with damage occurring when shipping from the US?
And just how many hobbyist’s are there in London?
 





BowtieGuy

BowtieGuy

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Welcome to LPF, Sam! :wave:

Have fun, stay safe, and enjoy your stay. :yh:

We do have members in the UK, not sure if they're in London.
 
paul1598419

paul1598419

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Welcome to the LPF, Sam. Couldn't say how many laser enthusiasts live in London. We do have some vets here from the UK, though.
 
G

Gazen

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Welcome to the forum :)

Make sure you utilize the search bar and acquire safety glasses for any lasers >5mW.
 
CurtisOliver

CurtisOliver

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I'm very close to London, just off the M25. I'm in Brentwood, so have both London and Es*** services.
From certain locations, the city skyline can be seen quite clearly. Depending on weather of course.
Luckily I haven't had that problem with customs.
Welcome to the forum. :)
Enjoy your stay. :beer:
 
SamWood

SamWood

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I don’t suppose you have a Laser Power Meter do you?
I’ve recently built a 445nm “2.2watt” laser and would like to know what it’s outputting.
 
paul1598419

paul1598419

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What did you build? Sounds like an M140 diode driven at 1.8 apms. Those typically only come close to 2.2 watts when you use an aspheric glass lens like the G2 or G9. I have built at least 10 of these and they usually put out 2100 mW to 2180 mW with the optics I have described.
 
CurtisOliver

CurtisOliver

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SamWood said:
I don’t suppose you have a Laser Power Meter do you?
I’ve recently built a 445nm “2.2watt” laser and would like to know what it’s outputting.
Click to expand...

I do have an LPM but I’ve got to fix it as it no longer powers on. I’m hoping it’s either the fuse or my transformer. But like Paul said these lasers are usually quite consistent.
 
paul1598419

paul1598419

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Yeah, all of mine fell in that gap I mentioned using the lenses I referred to. If you drive one at 1.8 amps and use a G2 or G9, it will put out 2100 to 2180 mW. There is little need to measure it unless you have a very accurate LPM and just want to know about the last possible 80 mW.
 
SamWood

SamWood

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Ive currently got a G7 lens from Sanwu Lasers on the way, what kind of output can I expect from this?
And yes it’s a classic M140 driven at 1.8amps build.
 
SamWood

SamWood

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paul1598419 said:
What did you build? Sounds like an M140 diode driven at 1.8 apms. Those typically only come close to 2.2 watts when you use an aspheric glass lens like the G2 or G9. I have built at least 10 of these and they usually put out 2100 mW to 2180 mW with the optics I have described.
Click to expand...
Good to know, I plan on using the G7 lens from Sanwu.
 
paul1598419

paul1598419

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I wouldn't. You don't need a longer FL lens like the G7. Use a short focal length lens like the G2. The only reason to use that longer FL lens is to get a smaller spot at the sacrifice of power. No need with the M140.
 
Dreadnought

Dreadnought

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Yep, I live in North London!

So far, customs have been great so far to me and nothing has been damaged. Usually, you'll receive packages with Royal Mail, and in my opinion are amazing. They are quick, cheap and will get the job done without damaging too much. I doubt a laser would get damaged though since members do usually pack it in with stuff like newspapers or bubble wrap.

If you want to talk, there's a bunch of us on a discord server in which you can contact me far more quickly than the forums! The link is in a thread which you can search for directly!

Hope to talk to you later!
 
SamWood

SamWood

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Dreadnought said:
Yep, I live in North London!

So far, customs have been great so far to me and nothing has been damaged. Usually, you'll receive packages with Royal Mail, and in my opinion are amazing. They are quick, cheap and will get the job done without damaging too much. I doubt a laser would get damaged though since members do usually pack it in with stuff like newspapers or bubble wrap.

If you want to talk, there's a bunch of us on a discord server in which you can contact me far more quickly than the forums! The link is in a thread which you can search for directly!

Hope to talk to you later!
Click to expand...
I Live in North London too, but I couldn’t find the thread you were talking about.
I’m in the Muswell Hill/Crouch End area.
 
SamWood

SamWood

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paul1598419 said:
I wouldn't. You don't need a longer FL lens like the G7. Use a short focal length lens like the G2. The only reason to use that longer FL lens is to get a smaller spot at the sacrifice of power. No need with the M140.
Click to expand...
I’m thinking of picking up a G2 or G9 and doing a comparison, as I would then have a standard AR coated Glass lens, a G2/G9, and a G7.
I have access to production quality cameras, and a post production facility. Would anyone be interested in seeing that?
 
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