ZapU
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Wicked Lasers sent me a G2 to review.
I will mainly compare the differences between the G1 and the G2.
First change was it arrived from UPS, not the Postal Service. It was left on my doorstep without requiring a signature.
It was packed with bubble wrap and was undamaged.
The customs declaration listed the ascension number and stated plainly it was from Wicked Lasers. No hassle with customs here.
It came with a full lens set and a lens cleaning pen.
The lens pen is a surprise as it is much smaller than the standand camera
lens pen. Much more useful for the small laser lens!
The charger and the battery.
I can confirm it is a Sanyo battery, it's just very hard to read.
Also marked UR1850A. Quick Google search says it's a 2250mA unprotected
battery.
THE CHARGER FAILED AFTER JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES!
This is a problem with most of the recent G2’s shipped.
WL would do better to just ship lasers and let everyone get their own battery and charger like every other laser manufacturer. And if they continue to ship the goggles, they need to put a disclaimer on it saying it won't stop a direct shot.
WL goggles let through 18mW:
The supplied goggles for the G2 on top of the one sent with the G1. Slightly darker tint, no text on the lens, otherwise identical.
The paint on the G2 is more glossy than the G1 (top).
No scratches or flaws.
(I mounted a tripod nut on the G1, doesn’t come that way.
)
Peak power no lens cap:
Power settles in around ~760mW after a few minutes:
Putting on the high power cap took off about 8mW. Much lower than previously reported! I now recommend leaving the high power cap on. I measured virtually no reflection off it.
Power on high with training lens cap:
Power on low with high power cap:
Power on low with training lens cap:
35mW reflected back at diode from the training lens cap:
Nice sharp focus, clean beam at 20 feet:
I won't go back over the different lenses. You can see pics of them
in The_LED_Museum review of the G2
http://laserpointerforums.com/f52/review-wicked-lasers-arctic-g2-56520.html
Took a minute or two to figure out the smart switch. Just memorize click, click, click, brief hold, brief hold. It works easily.
Wicked has gone the extra mile for safety. With the smart switch, no one will be able to pick up a G2 and use it if they don't know the code. Add the training lens and the safety pin, and you have a very secure package.
Updates:
Here's a video with the focusing lens cap on. Really fast! Compare it to the G1 in my other review (link in my sig)
The G2 lens is as good if not better than the Aixiz 445 lens I use in my G1. Same divergence, similar power, cleaner beam.
There is a bit of reflection off the focusing lens also:
I ran the G2 for 35 minutes, including the burning video. Here are 5 shots taken at 5 min intervals after the video.
Battery voltage was 3.85V and the battery temp was 95 degrees after 35 minutes. Room temp was 80. Still had two battery diodes lit.
The temps are lower than what I recorded on my G1 by around 10 degrees.
By the way, the Radiant Alpha was on the whole 35 minutes. Don't know what it's duty cycle is, but it was very stable for this test.
Update
Since I had such a small loss in mW from the high power lens on the G2, I decided to test the one on my G1. What a difference!
At 770mW, the G2 lens knocked off 7mW, about 1%. Then I tried the G1 high power lens, it dropped the power to 695mW, about 10%!
There are no visible differences between the two.
So those of you that have a G2, just keep your high power lens cap on.
If you have a G1, use the suggestions in my G1 tutorial.
http://laserpointerforums.com/f51/care-feeding-your-arctic-beast-54859.html.
I also tested the floodlight lens cap to see what the danger was from using it outside. Tested from 14 inches. The LPM sensor is much larger than the human pupil. Doesn't seem to be a worry:
And then the flashlight lens cap. It could be dangerous at close range:
Here's the Galaxy lens cap. I measured one of the brightest spots:
I posted this is another thread, but I think it belongs here too. Galaxy lens
shot into a tree canopy.
Update:
I measured the reflection off a textured white metal garage door:
Here's a look inside when you take off the black ring. (Be careful not to turn the diode/lens housing underneath). The ring is different on the G2:
To adjust or remove the lens, you have to scrape off the epoxy. You would only need to unscrew it about a 1/4 turn to close focus it for burning. The lens is a standard Aixiz thread and can be replaced with a Jayrob 405-G-1 lens to add about 100mW.
The G2 lens is different from the latter model G1 lens also. It looks exactly like the Aixiz or O-like 405/445.
Here is the output using the Jayrob 405-G-1 lens:
Update:
I ran the OEM Sanyo battery till the laser shut down. It lasted 1hr, 20 mins.
Battery voltage was 3.53V.
Then I put in the Tenergy 2600 and ran it to shut down. It lasted 2hrs, 30 sec.
Battery voltage was 3.60V. 80 degree room, laser never got over 102.
Power dropped from 890mW at start to 825mW at end.
I will mainly compare the differences between the G1 and the G2.
First change was it arrived from UPS, not the Postal Service. It was left on my doorstep without requiring a signature.
It was packed with bubble wrap and was undamaged.
The customs declaration listed the ascension number and stated plainly it was from Wicked Lasers. No hassle with customs here.
It came with a full lens set and a lens cleaning pen.
The lens pen is a surprise as it is much smaller than the standand camera
lens pen. Much more useful for the small laser lens!
The charger and the battery.
I can confirm it is a Sanyo battery, it's just very hard to read.
Also marked UR1850A. Quick Google search says it's a 2250mA unprotected
battery.
THE CHARGER FAILED AFTER JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES!
This is a problem with most of the recent G2’s shipped.
WL would do better to just ship lasers and let everyone get their own battery and charger like every other laser manufacturer. And if they continue to ship the goggles, they need to put a disclaimer on it saying it won't stop a direct shot.
WL goggles let through 18mW:
The supplied goggles for the G2 on top of the one sent with the G1. Slightly darker tint, no text on the lens, otherwise identical.
The paint on the G2 is more glossy than the G1 (top).
No scratches or flaws.
(I mounted a tripod nut on the G1, doesn’t come that way.
)
Peak power no lens cap:
Power settles in around ~760mW after a few minutes:
Putting on the high power cap took off about 8mW. Much lower than previously reported! I now recommend leaving the high power cap on. I measured virtually no reflection off it.
Power on high with training lens cap:
Power on low with high power cap:
Power on low with training lens cap:
35mW reflected back at diode from the training lens cap:
Nice sharp focus, clean beam at 20 feet:
I won't go back over the different lenses. You can see pics of them
in The_LED_Museum review of the G2
http://laserpointerforums.com/f52/review-wicked-lasers-arctic-g2-56520.html
Took a minute or two to figure out the smart switch. Just memorize click, click, click, brief hold, brief hold. It works easily.
Wicked has gone the extra mile for safety. With the smart switch, no one will be able to pick up a G2 and use it if they don't know the code. Add the training lens and the safety pin, and you have a very secure package.
Updates:
Here's a video with the focusing lens cap on. Really fast! Compare it to the G1 in my other review (link in my sig)
The G2 lens is as good if not better than the Aixiz 445 lens I use in my G1. Same divergence, similar power, cleaner beam.
There is a bit of reflection off the focusing lens also:
I ran the G2 for 35 minutes, including the burning video. Here are 5 shots taken at 5 min intervals after the video.
Battery voltage was 3.85V and the battery temp was 95 degrees after 35 minutes. Room temp was 80. Still had two battery diodes lit.
The temps are lower than what I recorded on my G1 by around 10 degrees.
By the way, the Radiant Alpha was on the whole 35 minutes. Don't know what it's duty cycle is, but it was very stable for this test.
Update
Since I had such a small loss in mW from the high power lens on the G2, I decided to test the one on my G1. What a difference!
At 770mW, the G2 lens knocked off 7mW, about 1%. Then I tried the G1 high power lens, it dropped the power to 695mW, about 10%!
There are no visible differences between the two.
So those of you that have a G2, just keep your high power lens cap on.
If you have a G1, use the suggestions in my G1 tutorial.
http://laserpointerforums.com/f51/care-feeding-your-arctic-beast-54859.html.
I also tested the floodlight lens cap to see what the danger was from using it outside. Tested from 14 inches. The LPM sensor is much larger than the human pupil. Doesn't seem to be a worry:
And then the flashlight lens cap. It could be dangerous at close range:
Here's the Galaxy lens cap. I measured one of the brightest spots:
I posted this is another thread, but I think it belongs here too. Galaxy lens
shot into a tree canopy.
Update:
I measured the reflection off a textured white metal garage door:
Here's a look inside when you take off the black ring. (Be careful not to turn the diode/lens housing underneath). The ring is different on the G2:
To adjust or remove the lens, you have to scrape off the epoxy. You would only need to unscrew it about a 1/4 turn to close focus it for burning. The lens is a standard Aixiz thread and can be replaced with a Jayrob 405-G-1 lens to add about 100mW.
The G2 lens is different from the latter model G1 lens also. It looks exactly like the Aixiz or O-like 405/445.
Here is the output using the Jayrob 405-G-1 lens:
Update:
I ran the OEM Sanyo battery till the laser shut down. It lasted 1hr, 20 mins.
Battery voltage was 3.53V.
Then I put in the Tenergy 2600 and ran it to shut down. It lasted 2hrs, 30 sec.
Battery voltage was 3.60V. 80 degree room, laser never got over 102.
Power dropped from 890mW at start to 825mW at end.
Last edited:
