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WickedLasers Evolution Pro 100 Review
I purchased this laser in the Wicked Group Buy hosted by Niko (thanks!). And a big “thank you” to Steve (CEO of WL) for this GREAT offer. I am very pleased with this purchase especially at the price I paid. Now, don’t get me wrong- this laser would still be worth every penny had I paid the original retail price.
Appearance and Construction:
Wicked pays close attention to the aesthetics of their products, and none of their products illustrate this better than their new 2010 line-up.
The Evo is constructed of aluminum. It is anodized in black and has the WickedLasers logo etched into the body.
There are few blemishes but nothing you will notice without careful inspection. The button is raised and positioned at the perfect point on the body making it comfortable to activate. The body is lined with a grip that runs down the length of the battery compartment. It is smooth, but still gives a nice, firm, no-slip- grip. The laser is built with a safety pin (minilock, Wicked calls it) that prevents activation when removed. It is designed in a way that it does not interfere with the looks and does not protrude excessively. The LED indicator is bright enough to notice, but not so bright that it is uncomfortable to look at. Both safety features are very discreet while still being useful.
The AR coated window at the aperture of the laser is easy to clean and does not get dirty too easily. It is removable (although I have never had a need to remove it) and is great to keep the lens clean and dist free.
It is comfortable to hold, and when I am not pointing or burning, I find myself “feeling” the body involuntarily. The grooves and angles give this laser an interesting texture.
The pocket clip is strong enough to hold it in place but it could use a little more resistance.
The laser runs on 2 AA batteries. One complaint I have is that the first section of the battery compartment is too narrow for some NiMH rechargeable batteries I have. I had to strip the sticker on the battery and five it a coat of spray paint (to insulate it electrically) in order to get them to fit. Alkalines and Lithiums seem to fit fine, however. The use of AA rather than AAA batteries gives this laser the advantage of a longer battery life than other pen-type lasers.
The laser itself is very light. Without the batteries it is about as heavy as a NewWish (Generic DX type) laser, which is astonishing considering it is about 25% longer and the diameter is about 30% larger. In my opinion, a bit more weight would greatly improve the “feel” of the laser, but I know many people prefer their electronics to be light.
The laser is well balanced and will not roll off a table.
Performance and Beam Characteristics:
This laser, being 100mW of 532nm, is bright. The output is stable and the beam mode stays in a nice, round TEM00.
Wicked’s power graph that came with the laser measures a 134.9mW peak and a 126.1mW average. I tested this laser on my Laserbee power meter from a cold start (70 degrees Fahrenheit ambient temp.) and after a warm up period. My results are consistent with Wicked’s graph. From cold start, I got 136mW peak and 125mW average over 2 minutes. From a warm start, I got 148mW peak and the output settled around 146mW (this power test is shown in the video). I got a high peak of 156mW but typically the output stays pretty consistent to the results above. This laser is well within specs.
TEM00
Beam expanded to show profile
I calculated a 1.2-1.3mRad divergence, which is good for a laser with an initial beam diameter of less than 1mm.
I feel comfortable running this laser without a duty cycle. This is something I like very much. It is so much more fun to play without worrying about overheating. The unit I received prefers to operate warm which is a bonus, since power does not rapidly drop off during use.
I have not tested for IR leakage because I already know that WL filters their lasers.
One thing I have to gripe about is the beam alignment. The beam exits at about 3-5 degrees from the aperture. I really would like it if the alignment were fixed. I could live with 1-2 degrees, but this is a little too much. This is an easy thing to fix and I may end up doing it myself after the warranty expires.
To sum it up:
I really love this laser. I can’t put it down. With the exception of a few “cons” this unit is exactly what a portable green laser should be. This laser is definitely going everywhere with me.
I’ll let the media say the rest.
Beam through rain water
Evo on left through glasses, 10mW on right through glasses, Evo in center without glasses.
Burning wood
Presentation box
Video:
I purchased this laser in the Wicked Group Buy hosted by Niko (thanks!). And a big “thank you” to Steve (CEO of WL) for this GREAT offer. I am very pleased with this purchase especially at the price I paid. Now, don’t get me wrong- this laser would still be worth every penny had I paid the original retail price.
Appearance and Construction:
Wicked pays close attention to the aesthetics of their products, and none of their products illustrate this better than their new 2010 line-up.
The Evo is constructed of aluminum. It is anodized in black and has the WickedLasers logo etched into the body.
There are few blemishes but nothing you will notice without careful inspection. The button is raised and positioned at the perfect point on the body making it comfortable to activate. The body is lined with a grip that runs down the length of the battery compartment. It is smooth, but still gives a nice, firm, no-slip- grip. The laser is built with a safety pin (minilock, Wicked calls it) that prevents activation when removed. It is designed in a way that it does not interfere with the looks and does not protrude excessively. The LED indicator is bright enough to notice, but not so bright that it is uncomfortable to look at. Both safety features are very discreet while still being useful.
The AR coated window at the aperture of the laser is easy to clean and does not get dirty too easily. It is removable (although I have never had a need to remove it) and is great to keep the lens clean and dist free.
It is comfortable to hold, and when I am not pointing or burning, I find myself “feeling” the body involuntarily. The grooves and angles give this laser an interesting texture.
The pocket clip is strong enough to hold it in place but it could use a little more resistance.
The laser runs on 2 AA batteries. One complaint I have is that the first section of the battery compartment is too narrow for some NiMH rechargeable batteries I have. I had to strip the sticker on the battery and five it a coat of spray paint (to insulate it electrically) in order to get them to fit. Alkalines and Lithiums seem to fit fine, however. The use of AA rather than AAA batteries gives this laser the advantage of a longer battery life than other pen-type lasers.
The laser itself is very light. Without the batteries it is about as heavy as a NewWish (Generic DX type) laser, which is astonishing considering it is about 25% longer and the diameter is about 30% larger. In my opinion, a bit more weight would greatly improve the “feel” of the laser, but I know many people prefer their electronics to be light.
The laser is well balanced and will not roll off a table.
Performance and Beam Characteristics:
This laser, being 100mW of 532nm, is bright. The output is stable and the beam mode stays in a nice, round TEM00.
Wicked’s power graph that came with the laser measures a 134.9mW peak and a 126.1mW average. I tested this laser on my Laserbee power meter from a cold start (70 degrees Fahrenheit ambient temp.) and after a warm up period. My results are consistent with Wicked’s graph. From cold start, I got 136mW peak and 125mW average over 2 minutes. From a warm start, I got 148mW peak and the output settled around 146mW (this power test is shown in the video). I got a high peak of 156mW but typically the output stays pretty consistent to the results above. This laser is well within specs.
TEM00
Beam expanded to show profile
I calculated a 1.2-1.3mRad divergence, which is good for a laser with an initial beam diameter of less than 1mm.
I feel comfortable running this laser without a duty cycle. This is something I like very much. It is so much more fun to play without worrying about overheating. The unit I received prefers to operate warm which is a bonus, since power does not rapidly drop off during use.
I have not tested for IR leakage because I already know that WL filters their lasers.
One thing I have to gripe about is the beam alignment. The beam exits at about 3-5 degrees from the aperture. I really would like it if the alignment were fixed. I could live with 1-2 degrees, but this is a little too much. This is an easy thing to fix and I may end up doing it myself after the warranty expires.
To sum it up:
I really love this laser. I can’t put it down. With the exception of a few “cons” this unit is exactly what a portable green laser should be. This laser is definitely going everywhere with me.
I’ll let the media say the rest.
Beam through rain water
Evo on left through glasses, 10mW on right through glasses, Evo in center without glasses.
Burning wood
Presentation box
Video:
And feel free to check out my pictures on flikr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45163882@N06/sets/
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