I recently took delivery of a LaserGlow Galileo 532nm Class IIIa green laser pointer. This is my first greenie, and I have a couple of questions regarding its performance.
Rated Divergence: <1.2 mrad
Measured Divergance: 1.4 mrad
As you can see, my measured divergence exceeds the specification! I plan to measure the divergence again this evening, being as precise as I can with my current tools. We'll see how it does...
Beam projection (spot) quality:
The beam spot on a wall 33 feet away is not really a "spot." It has a definite elongation. See the photos.
Beam on wall @ 33 feet:
Same conditions, reduced exposure:
Note that for my divergence measurement, I used the smallest diameter, ignoring the elongation.
Beam alignment:
I didn't find any specification on the alignment of the beam and the body / housing / host, but mine seems to be a bit excessive for a pointer marketed to be used with a telescope. My quick measurements and calculation show that the beam is about 2.5-3° offset from the body. Is this normal?
The following photos show the beam at about 16 inches when rolling the body (using a fixed hard stop / cradle, to maintain body alignment). I tried to capture the max left and right projections.
Misalignment: Max left:
Misalignment: Max right:
Here are closeups of the beam shift.
Misalignment: Max left:
Misalignment: Max right:
Is my laser OK? Does the spot elongation and divergence indicate a possible internal optics misalignment? Does this warrant an exchange? Or is it all "good enough," and I should just shut up and enjoy my laser?
This isn't intended to be a review... but here are a couple of photos of the packaging and laser.
Packaging:
Display Box, Closed:
Display Box, Open (note, the battery in the box is not the one that the Galileo came with):
Label:
Thanks for looking!
Power: No questions here... just FYI
Rated Output Power: 4.0-5.0 mW
Tested* Average Power: 4.3 mW
Tested* Peak Power: 4.3 mW
I cannot test / confirm LG's measurements.
*Tested by LaserGlow, printed on label
Rated Output Power: 4.0-5.0 mW
Tested* Average Power: 4.3 mW
Tested* Peak Power: 4.3 mW
I cannot test / confirm LG's measurements.
*Tested by LaserGlow, printed on label
Rated Divergence: <1.2 mrad
Measured Divergance: 1.4 mrad
As you can see, my measured divergence exceeds the specification! I plan to measure the divergence again this evening, being as precise as I can with my current tools. We'll see how it does...
Beam projection (spot) quality:
The beam spot on a wall 33 feet away is not really a "spot." It has a definite elongation. See the photos.
Beam on wall @ 33 feet:
Same conditions, reduced exposure:
Note that for my divergence measurement, I used the smallest diameter, ignoring the elongation.
Beam alignment:
I didn't find any specification on the alignment of the beam and the body / housing / host, but mine seems to be a bit excessive for a pointer marketed to be used with a telescope. My quick measurements and calculation show that the beam is about 2.5-3° offset from the body. Is this normal?
The following photos show the beam at about 16 inches when rolling the body (using a fixed hard stop / cradle, to maintain body alignment). I tried to capture the max left and right projections.
Misalignment: Max left:
Misalignment: Max right:
Here are closeups of the beam shift.
Misalignment: Max left:
Misalignment: Max right:
Is my laser OK? Does the spot elongation and divergence indicate a possible internal optics misalignment? Does this warrant an exchange? Or is it all "good enough," and I should just shut up and enjoy my laser?
This isn't intended to be a review... but here are a couple of photos of the packaging and laser.
Packaging:
Display Box, Closed:
Display Box, Open (note, the battery in the box is not the one that the Galileo came with):
Label:
Thanks for looking!
