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Question on ebay laser pens

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Andrew1

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noticed the other threads on ebay lasers being incredibly overspec'd, and was wondering is it only certain models that tend to be well over 5mW, or are almost all handheld lasers sold on ebay overspec.

are the ebay lasers easily made into burning lasers if the IR filter is removed?
 
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hwang21

hwang21

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Most eBay lasers will give 30mW-50mW if it's a green laser. Some red ones can do 80mW, even 130mW in some cases
 
crazyspaz

crazyspaz

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Assume that it will be around 50mW, if not more. I have had no luck with pens- all the ones ive gotten have been like 1-2mW. But i got one of those (in your picture) and it is at least 50mW- although im guessing its closer to 100mW. Can burn dark materials, beam is very visible at night- and best part was, it only cost 15$ :D

Also, just because i have had zero luck with pens doesnt mean you will. Like you said, a LOT of members have gotten pens that meter in above 100mW (just not me, grrr).
 
A

Andrew1

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what is an approximation for the wattage (mW) needed to light matches, pop balloons, etc?

and what would that likely end up costing me


also, if a laser has a secondary lockout mechanism (such as the key in pic above) is that a sign it will be overspec?
 
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NightExplorer96

NightExplorer96

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Andrew1 said:
what is an approximation for the wattage (mW) needed to light matches, pop balloons, etc?

and what would that likely end up costing me


also, if a laser has a secondary lockout mechanism (such as the key in pic above) is that a sign it will be overspec?
Click to expand...

50mW can pop black balloons.
Price: $40-70

200mW will easily light matches
Price: $200-300

And no, a locking mechanism dosen't mean the unit will be over-spec at all. It only shows the unit has a "safety mechanism" which are present on some units while some do not have one. :)
 
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Zeebit

Zeebit

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Tha Greenlander said:
50mW can pop black balloons.
Price: $40-70

200mW will easily light matches
Price: $200-300

And no, a locking mechanism dosen't mean the unit will be over-spec at all. It only shows the unit has a "safety mechanism" which are present on some units while some do not have one. :)
Click to expand...

A 50mw green can actually be bought for a lot less than that. We are talking about overspec ebay pens, aren't we?
 
NightExplorer96

NightExplorer96

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Zeebit said:
A 50mw green can actually be bought for a lot less than that. We are talking about overspec ebay pens, aren't we?
Click to expand...

I think he may be talking about "true 50mW"

I wouldn't want him to buy a eBay 50mW Pen anyway because of the bad quality and IR dangers.
 
NightExplorer96

NightExplorer96

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Zeebit said:
Read the thread title! :mad:
Click to expand...

He asked in a post what would be the wattage to pop balloons/ light matches and how much it may cost him.

I think he may be asking for a true output powered unit with a IR Filter. At least that's what I got.
 
A

Andrew1

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Tha Greenlander said:
I think he may be talking about "true 50mW"

I wouldn't want him to buy a eBay 50mW Pen anyway because of the bad quality and IR dangers.
Click to expand...

i'm trying to find a decent burner, and had been looking at the ebay ones since they are rather cheap, and was thinking about buying a few, taking the IR filter out for the extra heating.

what has more of an effect on the burning ability of a laser, wavelength or the mW
 
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Zeebit

Zeebit

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Tha Greenlander said:
He asked in a post what would be the wattage to pop balloons/ light matches and how much it may cost him.

I think he may be asking for a true output powered unit with a IR Filter. At least that's what I got.
Click to expand...

Andrew1 said:
i'm trying to find a decent burner, and had been looking at the ebay ones since they are rather cheap, and was thinking about buying a few, taking the IR filter out for the extra heating.

what has more of an effect on the burning ability of a laser, wavelength or the mW
Click to expand...

See? Think before you post! How many times have you been told to do that?:spank:

@OP: Just get a bunch of those cheapies from eBay and hope that one is strong enough. The 405nm are often more overspec than the greens. Use a magnifying glass to focus the beam so you can burn.

The burning ability of a laser has been a subject for debate for a long time. Use the search bar at the bottom of the page to learn more.
 
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NightExplorer96

NightExplorer96

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Andrew1 said:
i'm trying to find a decent burner, and had been looking at the ebay ones since they are rather cheap, and was thinking about buying a few, taking the IR filter out for the extra heating.

what has more of an effect on the burning ability of a laser, wavelength or the mW
Click to expand...

Both have an effect :)

mW shows how much power a laser has which determines what it can do.

nm shows the laser's color. Out of all the most common colors blue is considered the best at burning since it can be had for cheap at high powers :wave:
 
A

Andrew1

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Tha Greenlander said:
Both have an effect :)

mW shows how much power a laser has which determines what it can do.

nm shows the laser's color. Out of all the most common colors blue is considered the best at burning since it can be had for cheap at high powers :wave:
Click to expand...

i had been thinking the bright reds into the IR ranges were best at burning due to those being associated with heat more frequently

is there any maker that is known for higher quality (both LPF members and offsite companies)
 
NightExplorer96

NightExplorer96

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Andrew1 said:
i had been thinking the bright reds into the IR ranges were best at burning due to those being associated with heat more frequently

is there any maker that is known for higher quality (both LPF members and offsite companies)
Click to expand...

Blord makes great quality 445nm's units.

Off companies are listed below :)

LaserGlow
laserbtb
DragonLasers
JetLasers
 
brendon7358

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From my experience buying, testing and selling pens on the forum, your best bet is to get something like this (or a few of them)(this is the best ebay seller I had out of the 5 or so I tried).

  • You can expect greens in the 20mW to 60mW range
  • You can expect Red in 60-110mW
  • You can expect Purple in 80-120mW.
If your lucky you could get more... or less.

  • You can light a match with 75mW focused
  • Pop a balloon with 50mW focused
Most videos of cutting electrical tape they practically rip it themselves and the laser does very little burning. The easiest thing to burn is black foam like in leftover containers, you can probably melt those with 30mW.

DO NOT get a high powered 445nm for your first laser, why?

  1. It's very easy to make a mistake and hurt yourself (or worse someone else)
  2. If you start off with the most powerful lasers available, then you will never really be able to appreciate them properly.
  3. When burning gets boring, there is nothing better than pointing a green pointer and seeing how far away you can see the dot, without worrying about blinding someone.
 
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A

Andrew1

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which color would you suggest starting out with then, a red, green, or violet (405nm)

and like 100 mW range?
 
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