Can someone suggest the right, perfect laser for me?

Hello, I am new here and I'm not sure if I posted this in the right place? If I didn't, I am sorry.. Well I am looking for the perfect laser at the right price. I need a laser that is atleast 1 plus W and that has a good visible "bright" beam and that I can see miles and miles away at night. I would like one that is ithier green or blue too... I am looking to spend less then 120$ (prefer) but am willing to go to 200$. I hope that's enuff! :thinking: And I need one that comes with batteries. Thank you in advance! :san:

can i ask why you need 1Watt+ ? as someone first a first post its not likely someone will sell you something of this calibre.

Do you own safety glasses for lasers ?

a 100mW (legit, not a claimed 100mW from ebay) green will give you a striking bright beam that can cover that sort of distance and is considerably safer than venturing into the "watt" range .. however still quite dangerous!

Welcome by the way

I went to the link that the other user gave me in this thread but I guess it got deleted. And I saw other posters with less then 5 posts buying a laser from him so what is the derfrence between me & them? And yes, I will be getting protective wear! And no I am not starting nothing by proving that there are people in that exact thread bying lasers from dat gentleman, I am just stating facts... If there are rules for that then everyone shoulsd be forced to follow them not just a handful!

Please dear god spell stuff correctly. I'm already a safety nazi. Don't activate the grammar nazi in me! Now why do you need to see it miles away? And why 1w? Both of these can lead to trouble. Don't be funnin us. Might as well be honest. Why does distance matter?

There are no "rules" but let me tell you a story.
One of my first hi-powered lasers was a 150mW 532nm green laser from Optotronics.
The laser your thinking of buying is at least four times as powerful.
It took me almost a year of researching lasers here on LPF before I was comfortable with the type of laser your thinking of buying.
You need to fully understand how dangerous these units can be. I encourage you to read what people are posting here.

You can and will receive permanent eye injuries the very first time you accidentally drop it or put the batteries in while it's facing toward
you or maybe catch a direct hit off a mirror. You could easily become legally blind. This is no joke. We're looking out for your safety.
Please understand there's no room for mistakes. None at all. We need to know you will be responsible.

My advice is to start off slow.
A 150mW 532nm green laser will literally blow your socks off just like it did for me.
This is still an extremely dangerous laser if handled incorrectly.
But after you've become accustomed to it, you can proceed to move up in power.

As far as the "gentlemen" who sells >1W lasers to "anyone", I don't necessarily agree with it.
But as a member of this forum, I like to give first time laser owners a heads-up.
Because if you don't know what your dealing with here, you can get into a lot of trouble physically and legally.

We are here to help you. Keep asking questions.

:beer:

Have you had experience with lasers before? Because if this is your first one, you probably shouldn't get a 1w laser. A 100mw green laser will be easily seen at night. Lasers are not toys, they can easily cause permanent eye damage if used irresponsibly.

But if you already have some experience, check out the b/s/t section there are some nice lasers for sale there.

I'm new too so I suppose I'm not exactly qualified to shake my finger at you.
But I have personally seen a high-powered blue laser that was at least 800mw. And let me tell you, if you're wanting 1W+ for visibility, 50mw of green is already insanely bright and more than enough for you to see a good distance away at night.
Even a good 5mw greenie will have a visible beam at night.
For 'miles and miles', like Moebius said, 100-150mw is more than enough.

As everything on these forums though, safety comes first, which is why people are cautioning you against a 1W laser. 1W easily stings skin and blinds literally instantly, which is something that no one really wants to happen.

My suggestion, Get the best green laser you can afford in 100-150mW range , It will be just as bright as a 1w blue laser.

anything over 5mW is ultimately going to damage the vision if used improperly, safety goggles goes without saying. Keep safe and use responsibly.

Good luck.

Mrko1990 said:

Hello, I am new here and I'm not sure if I posted this in the right place? If I didn't, I am sorry.. Well I am looking for the perfect laser at the right price. I need a laser that is atleast 1 plus W and that has a good visible "bright" beam and that I can see miles and miles away at night. I would like one that is ithier green or blue too... I am looking to spend less then 120$ (prefer) but am willing to go to 200$. I hope that's enuff! :thinking: And I need one that comes with batteries. Thank you in advance! :san:

Click to expand...

When you buy a laser , always remember to be S.M.A.R.T

Specific :
Be specific about what you want. Color Preferences , intended uses , range of beam ,price range and most importantly any prior experience . More information you have , the better.

Click to expand...

Preferred Wavelength : 445nm , 532nm
Preferred Power : 1W+
Price Range : $120 Preferred , $200 MAX
Prior Experience : Unknown , Assumed Null
Remark : Highly "Visible"

Visibility is a bit hard to say.

For instance.
Green is a highly visible color , but when we take into account of rayleigh scattering.
Green lasers produce a narrower but sharper beam.

While blue lasers , which might only be half as sensitive under scotopic vision. Scatters a lot more compared to the green color.
So it'll produce a wider and chunkier beam. Which to some might appear to be more "visible")

Manageable:
With the information you have.
Ask yourself. Would you be able to handle the power you wanted?
Would you be able to manage the laser ,which is itself a delicate electronic?
Can you do some basic repairs?
Do you have any animals or kids around the house which MIGHT get their hands on the laser , which can be dangerous in the wrong hands.
(Trust me , I handed my laser to my friends once and they started waving it around like a light saber. Ignorance is not an excuse)

Click to expand...

Now as you don't have any prior experience with Class 4 lasers , which sits at the top of the laser foodchain. I don't exactly recommend it, but !
And this is a smelly butt .
You probably won't listen anyway , because I surely didn't.
(I'm a bad role model)

At your budget , asking for a green laser in the 1W+ range really isn't reasonable .
So I recommend a blue one instead.
Here are a few choices .
Survival Laser II 445nm Parts Bundle - Laser Components Only
SF501B 445nm Blue

Acceptable :
For some countries such as Australia , Britain and parts of Asia. Ownership of lasers above class I , 5mW is illegal without a license. Illegal owners will be prosecuted and charged with possession of illicit materials.
Check first whether or not its LEGAL to own lasers of such specification in your home country/state/city/town/shack.

Click to expand...

That'll be for you to answer.

Reliable :
Read up on the forums regarding various manufacturers of portable lasers. Some brands are more reliable than others , some might have inconsistent qualities , others might be a total waste of money.
DO YOUR RESEARCH.

Click to expand...

Time-Related :
Remember. Laser prices only goes up as time goes on. Inflation , rising material prices and a niche market doesn't help in pressing the cost. So if you are going to buy one. Make the decision fast and informed.
Check the group-buy thread for any new events , or maybe the B/S/T session to see if there are any lasers that suit your needs.

Click to expand...

Sorry for thread jack, but I just have to mention, I am extremely glad to see some well written, informative and friendly posts on a thread of this type.

Especially Moebius and EpicHam, you guys rock.

Very nice to see a change of atmosphere from "Therz a search bar use it n00b nobody gon spoonfeed you".

Mrko1990, remember that if you need anything further explained in detail or anything, and have trouble finding it, you can always send me a Personal Message, I'll do my best to clear it up for you.

Eudaimonium said:

Sorry for thread jack, but I just have to mention, I am extremely glad to see some well written, informative and friendly posts on a thread of this type.

Especially Moebius and EpicHam, you guys rock.

Very nice to see a change of atmosphere from "Therz a search bar use it n00b nobody gon spoonfeed you".

Mrko1990, remember that if you need anything further explained in detail or anything, and have trouble finding it, you can always send me a Personal Message, I'll do my best to clear it up for you.

Click to expand...

The problem being right off the bat we already have conflicting information about recommendations
:crackup:

I'll chuck my 2 cents in then.

First of all, welcome to the forum.

Now about the lasers. You aren't going to get 1 Watt of green for 120-200$. Green is the most expensive common laser color. You can get 1 Watt of blue for that price range (I'm actually in the process of ordering one right now).

Like the others here, I wouldn't recommend a 1 Watt laser as your first laser. Believe me I know the temptation to jump in to the world of lasers with one of the most powerful lasers available, but believe me they are dangerous! They will burn skin, eyes, and a lot of materials instantly.

I would start out with a 200 mW green. Its a lot safer than 1 Watt of blue, it will be brighter and have a more visible beam, and you'll still be able to burn stuff with it, but it won't burn your house down by accident.

Heres a few decent lasers to get you started:
Power Rock Green laser Torch 150mW /Focusable&Waterproof [OLPRGL150] - $103.99 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

PL 532nm 100-700

HL 532nm 50-300

Just note that the laserbtb lasers do NOT come with batteries, which will help get a laser through international customs easier.

And of course, laser safety glasses:

Laser Safety Glasses, Goggles, Eyewear :: Dragon Lasers

Safety]Safety

Just remember to be safe and have fun

Blarg King said:

I'll chuck my 2 cents in then.

First of all, welcome to the forum.

Now about the lasers. You aren't going to get 1 Watt of green for 120-200$. Green is the most expensive common laser color. You can get 1 Watt of blue for that price range (I'm actually in the process of ordering one right now).

Like the others here, I wouldn't recommend a 1 Watt laser as your first laser. Believe me I know the temptation to jump in to the world of lasers with one of the most powerful lasers available, but believe me they are dangerous! They will burn skin, eyes, and a lot of materials instantly.

I would start out with a 200 mW green. Its a lot safer than 1 Watt of blue, it will be brighter and have a more visible beam, and you'll still be able to burn stuff with it, but it won't burn your house down by accident.

Heres a few decent lasers to get you started:
Power Rock Green laser Torch 150mW /Focusable&Waterproof [OLPRGL150] - $103.99 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

PL 532nm 100-700

HL 532nm 50-300

Just note that the laserbtb lasers do NOT come with batteries, which will help get a laser through international customs easier.

And of course, laser safety glasses:

Laser Safety Glasses, Goggles, Eyewear :: Dragon Lasers

Safety]Safety

Just remember to be safe and have fun

Click to expand...

Ohh.. I don't know about O-like .
I've used it before and its quite underspecs and with DPSS lasers . I'll rather wait for a while and spend a bit more when I can at least stand on my own.

Baby steps yeah?

Okay well then ignore the first one. I've never bought from o-like so I was just going off the general impression of them being okay but not the best.

But the laserbtb ones should be up to spec.

In replacement of my o-like suggestion I'll put this:

Green Laser Pointers : Dragon Lasers

Dragon Lasers are more expensive, but they're also of excellent quality.

Blarg King said:

Okay well then ignore the first one. I've never bought from o-like so I was just going off the general impression of them being okay but not the best.

But the laserbtb ones should be up to spec.

In replacement of my o-like suggestion I'll put this:

Green Laser Pointers : Dragon Lasers

Dragon Lasers are more expensive, but they're also of excellent quality.

Click to expand...

Adding a bit to the Dragon Laser.

IRRC , Dragon laser's main supplier is CNI . (Quite a bit cheaper than Dragon Laser)
Now why buy from Dragon laser when you can get one at almost half price directly from CNI?

Well.
CNI only sends in the cream of the crop to Dragon Laser. Which then they'll test and calibrate to ensure the alignment of the KTP and yttrium something crystals .
So if you buy from Dragon Laser. They are definitely going to be overspecs and will work for sure. (ForSure ®)

Just a tad on the pricey side.




If you ask me , another good choice would be JetLaser.
http://jetlasers.org/25-532nm

As with the examples I've given .
Namely .
Survival.
JetLaser
Sci-fi

They are actually managed and even built by the senior members of the forum.
Garoq ,hakzaw1 ,Thejoker301


However, since I haven't used a JetLaser or a Sci-fi laser before. I can't really go into details ,but rest assured. You are in good hands if you go by those brands.


Blord , SBA, daguin and many more laser enthusiasts are out there too.
I'm sure they'll be more than glad to get you started on this marvelous hobby.

Can't say how many times I've heard people wanting 1W of 532 for under $200, but there was a Time we were all noobs. I remember looking at wickedlasers' (who I thankfully ended up not going with) site and wondering, how come the "1W" krypton is $1000 and the 1W arctic is "only" $450?

Up to 500mW, 532nm lasers are pretty reasonable in price, but past 500mW and especially past 800mW they jump in price. DPSS in general will cost a pretty penny, especially in high powers. just wait till you see the prices on 589nm and 594nm.

I broke lots of rules as a noob. my first laser was 5mW, then I jumped to 1W and thought I woundn't need safety glasses if I was just careful. I was wrong. I did not own the laser long before I realized the glasses were vital. I didnt blind myself or anyone else, but this is a most real possibility without glasses. some "safety glasses" out there suck (cough cough lazerer), so make sure to get good ones, rated OD4 for the wavelength you end up getting

finally, in your shoes, i'd recommend getting a builder member on the forum here to build you a 1W 445nm. there are builders within the U.S. In this manner, shipping will be faster, cheaper, and your laser need not pass through customs, risking siezure. in say, a SF501B host with an aluminum heat sink, this laser shouldn't be much over $100.

the best bang for buck I've seen is offered by ricktrent. Here is a link to his site: Most powerful Hand Held Laser

each laser kit can become 3.2-3.5W 445nm, 3W 445nm, 2W 445nm, 1.3-1.5W 445nm, or 1W 638nm

these prices will be hard to beat. once more, glasses. please be safe, your actions could effect the hobby for all, these are by nature high profile devices, so it can be hard to be low-key

1W is dangerous enough in the wrong hands, I can't stress responsibility and safety enough with any laser, but 1W and above, even more so. 2W+ lasers dont just burn, they can very easily ignite things. DON'T *&%# around with these things, seriously. they are visible from I.S.S. so respect them