An "I'm new here, Hi All"/Decision help thread:

[enigmahack]

Okay, to address a few things here:

Randomlugia: I haven't frequented CPF for a while, and when I started to get back into lasers, I found this forum to be more solely focused on lasers instead of anything that emits light. That and most of the hardcore laser addicts here also seemed to be on there too, so I figured this forum would better suit my questions for getting answers

About the battery thing: are you suggesting though that there isn't a battery/charger combination I don't have to monitor every 5 minutes? How long does the battery take to charge for like a 2200-2400mah? I didn't know that leakage or possible explosions were common enough that people have to worry about it. Lol


David:
I have made a decision and for now, I am going to stick with the green laser. Blue is too powerful too quick, (my most powerful laser was maybe 100mw, so 3-400mw is a safe, responsible jump I think) going right to 1W (which I know myself and I would likely get) is too dangerous. I trust myself but I do find 1W a little... Scary or intimidating.

Also been doing a lot of reading and found that basically blue light seems to push towards green visual degradation of sight. I mean, the articles discuss prolonged exposure, and I'd have goggles on anyway... But still.

On the flip side, you're absolutely right that I will likely end up with a few of them anyway. Green, blue, then a decent red.

I suppose I'm still a little obsessed with how bright green is, and I figure that is a huge motivating factor as to my decision making process.

At any rate, I'm enjoying the discussion and have been learning quite a bit from it too

 

[randomlugia]

The green would blow your mind with how bright it is every time you turn it on, while the blue would be more dangerous and much better for burning.

You do realize that a 1W blue laser is brighter than a 300mW green laser?

About the battery thing: are you suggesting though that there isn't a battery/charger combination I don't have to monitor every 5 minutes? How long does the battery take to charge for like a 2200-2400mah?

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm suggesting. And I honestly don't know, I've never actually discharged a battery to the point of dimming. I charge them after every use, so they don't usually see more than 30 minutes of runtime between charges.

 

[enigmahack]

No I didn't realize that 1W of 445 is brighter than 300mw of 532. I mean it makes basic sense in that 1W is higher output than 300mw. But in terms of how sensitive our eyes are to green, I had kind of neglected to note where that "cutoff" would be. What would you suggest is an equal brightness visually compared to a 1W 445? 300mw was a round number that I didn't want to go below, but I don't see myself getting higher than 500mw intentionally.

What you say about the battery actually makes sense though, in that you just charge it when you're finished with it. I know I would have multiple batteries just for the sake of having them, so I suppose as long as I keep an eye on them, it's not a big deal really.

 

[david1235102]

You do realize that a 1W blue laser is brighter than a 300mW green laser?

Honestly I thought they were about the same, except i was thinking of up to 500mW. I believe enigmahack said he was looking for a green between 250mW and 500mW. Does a 500mW green show up brighter than a 1W blue?

 

[enigmahack]

David you're absolutely right, between 300 and 500mw, though depending on who I purchase from apparently a 500mw can be overspec and show up as a 600+...

But I digress.

For the sake of the argument however, pretend I was going with a 400mw laser, spec'd at 400mw...

 

[randomlugia]

No I didn't realize that 1W of 445 is brighter than 300mw of 532. I mean it makes basic sense in that 1W is higher output than 300mw. But in terms of how sensitive our eyes are to green, I had kind of neglected to note where that "cutoff" would be. What would you suggest is an equal brightness visually compared to a 1W 445? 300mw was a round number that I didn't want to go below, but I don't see myself getting higher than 500mw intentionally.

I would look around the Multimedia section for a while to get an idea, there a lot of great threads where members post pictures comparing their greens and blues. You could even start a thread there asking for comparison pics.

What you say about the battery actually makes sense though, in that you just charge it when you're finished with it. I know I would have multiple batteries just for the sake of having them, so I suppose as long as I keep an eye on them, it's not a big deal really.

Now you've got it.

Honestly I thought they were about the same, except i was thinking of up to 500mW. I believe enigmahack said he was looking for a green between 250mW and 500mW. Does a 500mW green show up brighter than a 1W blue?

He did say that, but it seemed like it was a rough decision on which to get, and I wasn't sure if it was because he thought that the green would be brighter.

 

[enigmahack]

The interesting part is that I would have gone with Blue right away, except 1W I think is far too powerful for me right now. I'll likely change my mind down the road, but for now it's more a matter of safety; A 400mw green is going to be relatively less dangerous than a 1W blue.

I'm not an idiot by any stretch, but I'd rather form much better safety practices using high power lasers with something in the lower-echelon of higher powered lasers.

 

[randomlugia]

I'm not going to push you towards a blue... but I hope that you realize that 400mW of green is still extremely powerful. Catching a reflection from a laser that powerful can/will cause a lot of eye damage, and it's almost every bit as dangerous as 1W. Once you step over 300mW you should be in the "if I hit it, it dies" mindset. If it were me wanting to "develop safety practices and experience with high powered lasers", I'd use a 30mW green...

 

[enigmahack]

Well, I'm hardly saying I don't have already a good methodology when it comes to safety with lasers. What I'm saying is that safety is an ongoing practice so to speak - it's something you have to continually be diligent with and I'd rather make a "mistake" with 400mw than 1W.

The flip side to that is that if I'm being safe all the time, it wouldn't matter. I think it's similar to owning a fast car - the potential is there to do more damage, obviously. It's how respectfully you treat it.

The point that I was trying to go for though was that what I want is obviously dangerous, much more so than anything I've had before. The mindset is the same in that I'm going to continue to be as safe as I possibly can, but being safe is always a developing habit.

I just want to get to the point that I don't have to think about being safe anymore, and it's just habit. Like getting in a car and putting on your seatbelt - I've been doing it so long that it's just common sense and "something doesn't feel right" when you don't do it. I want to get to that point with lasers too where I am so used to being safe with it that I know something's wrong if I'm not as safe as I could be.

That's all I was getting at - developing safety habits takes a life time. No-one is ever perfectly safe, and the best you can do is be as consistently safe as possible. I wouldn't feel in danger around a 30mw laser, but I DO with a higher powered one like 300-400mw.

1W is just out of my comfort zone but once I start feeling more comfortable, I'll probably move up into it. (Which I personally think is a better mentality than the sometimes immature "I want as powerful as possible because it's as powerful as possible"; Bigger isn't always better and I am aware of my own limits)

Another relevant comparison would be like going from a BB gun which can still put out an eye, to a handgun. The basic safety measures are still the same, but there has to be an extra amount of care taken with a handgun, because there's so much more at risk.

Well, if a 300-400 mw laser is a handgun, a 1W laser is like a shotgun. Same safety procedure, but there's more power there to be concerned about.

I don't know if I'm making sense, but I'm hoping I am. I'm certainly not immature or inexperienced with lasers, but I have a very healthy respect for the amount of power and potential for disaster that exists. That's all.

 

[Solder Blob]

Hey guys. I'm pretty new here too. I decided to keep most of my builds to 500mW or less. I mean, that's plenty enough to see the beam on most of them and still dangerous enough for the adventurer. It's easier to set the driver if you don't have to heatsink it. Easier for me anyway, as I use mostly flex V5 drivers. Unfortunately, I ran out of old flashlight parts and need your help to continue building.

If you can tell me what these things are called, and where I can get a bunch of them, I'd be one happy camper. I've been searching DealExtreme and Google for about a week and keep coming up empty. It's those round wafers(any size) where you solder on a spring or just use a solder blob to connect the battery. Here's the pictures. I can use either type. I can not find them or the name of them ANYWHERE!

Thanx, Blob

 

[david1235102]

On the flip side, you're absolutely right that I will likely end up with a few of them anyway. Green, blue, then a decent red.

i would start with a red. you can get 300mW of red from o-like for about $65 shipped. If you start with the others, then the red won't look nearly as powerful (or burn nearly as well) as the others and you could be disappointed.

 

[enigmahack]

i would start with a red. you can get 300mW of red from o-like for about $65 shipped. If you start with the others, then the red won't look nearly as powerful (or burn nearly as well) as the others and you could be disappointed.

Ohhh you're totally right - I never even thought about that...

And for 65$, I could (and likely will) order that right now

I'll have to get glasses for it as well, so that's another few bucks however completely necessary and worth it.

Thanks for the advice - hadn't thought that way!

 

[enigmahack]

Okay, done.

Just bought and paid for:
Cute High power 300mW red laser torch/focusable
Red laser safety goggles/590-780nm protective goggles

Once it comes in, I'll definitely have to do a review with pics and videos though

 

[david1235102]

Okay, done.

Just bought and paid for:
Cute High power 300mW red laser torch/focusable
Red laser safety goggles/590-780nm protective goggles

Once it comes in, I'll definitely have to do a review with pics and videos though

http://laserpointerforums.com/f52/o...aser-review-ol-cr-250-a-58900.html#post833016

I just made this review of mine.

 

[anselm]

I just want to get to the point that I don't have to think about being safe anymore, and it's just habit....

This applies not only to lasers, but to everything dangerous:
high voltage, power tools, guns, etc...:

That's actually a dangerous state of mind to put yourself in.
Often times, in the beginning, people are paranoid and much more safety
concerned. Then once they get used to it, a false sense of security settles in.
Once you're used to it, and a habit develops, you think less about security
all the time, and instead you think about getting it done what you're doing....
BAMM, that's when it hits (bites, electrocutes, fries, radiates, shoots, ...) you in the face (foot, butt, finger, ...) !!

 

[enigmahack]

This applies not only to lasers, but to everything dangerous:
high voltage, power tools, guns, etc...:

That's actually a dangerous state of mind to put yourself in.
Often times, in the beginning, people are paranoid and much more safety
concerned. Then once they get used to it, a false sense of security settles in.
Once you're used to it, and a habit develops, you think less about security
all the time, and instead you think about getting it done what you're doing....
BAMM, that's when it hits (bites, electrocutes, fries, radiates, shoots, ...) you in the face (foot, butt, finger, ...) !!

I don't disagree, the part that I was trying to get at was the safety habits that are good that are automated. I don't mean that I'd be more neglectful after getting used to it. I mean that the good habits are already in place, not that I'd be absent minded about it.

I do see what you're getting at however and I think you have great points.

David, I'm checking out your review right now