a 15mw HeNe?

I just saw this listing on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=400022865765

So what's the possibility that you could actually get a HeNe that does more than a couple of milliwatts? Of course I know not to trust most sellers, especially those that don't specialize in lasers, and most of these sellers will simply look at the label on the laser and write down the peak power listed there. I have a HeNe that's marked less than 100mw but it is doing no where near that - under 5mw I'm almost positive (compared to other low-powered red pointers I have).

How common are HeNe's doing more than 5mw? This one made me wonder because the seller isn't claiming 95mw or some unreasonably high figure as most laser-ignorant sellers of used HeNe's do.

There is someone on PL who has a 75mW HeNe.

It really looks orange at that power.

Here.

http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6349&highlight=75mW+HeNe

The longer the tube, the higher the power. The largest I've seen are more than a meter long, and output 35mW. That 75mW is multimode, which allows for more power, and so does it's girth. It's a bit wider than a normal 1-3mW HeNe.

yup, quite possible - it just won't be small

I can't speak for or against the seller, but I looked at the listing, and that tube is exactly how a 15mW tube should be as far as dimensions.

I think the max power for HeNe is about 120mW. The tubes are many many feet long though. That tube looks a little bit small for 15mW, but I could be wrong.

If a 35mW HeNe is slightly more than a meter, then a 16" tube is pretty close, but it is maybe a tiny bit on the short side. Even if it's just aroud 10-11mW out and in good condition overall it's still a decent deal..

Used by the forest service, sounds like the real deal to me.