I used this forum to help me decide which company to order a small, low power laser from. Attached you will see an image of the 4 different lasers I ordered. From Top to bottom they are:
Dragon Laser 15mw $80
Laserglow 5mw $60
Optotronics 5mw $30
Lucky Electronics (Amazon) 5mw $8
The conclusion I've reached is, you get what you pay for.
Dragon Lasers: $80, 15nw
The Dragon Laser came from China and took the longest time to get here. It came registered mail (signature) and the customs form said it was a fountain pen. Total time from order to delivery was 15 days. It came in a plain white box with cut outs in foam for the pen and two batteries (which were missing) and no instructions. The pen is a beautiful high gloss black with gold trim. As it is a 15mw green laser, the noticeably brighter than the other 3 pens but is a little inconsistent. Sometimes it starts out as bright as a 5mw pen but then brightens up considerably. Time will tell if it will continue to behave like this. I like the feel and heft of the pen. One aspect that is important to me is whether I can feel the batteries moving around in the pen. In this pen the batteries are very tight. I can feel some movement but it's minimal and acceptable. For $80 plus delivery I am happy with this pen. It is going in my telescope carrying case to be only used as a star pointer.
Laserglow: $60, 5mw
This is my favorite so far. It took 9 days to get delivered. It came in a beautiful black box with the company logo on it and foam cut outs for the pen and the included batteries and detailed instructions. It would make a nice gift. The pen is also a high gloss black with gold trim but slightly shorter than the Dragon laser. I like the compactness of this pen. The batteries are rock solid in the tube and the laser is stable and plenty bright for a 5mw power. The button is rubberized and slightly oval with a solid click like the Dragon laser. This is my goto pen laser for fun around the house.
Optotronics: $30, 5mw
This one took only 5 days to be delivered. The box is flat black with black cardboard cutouts for the pen and batteries and minimal instructions. It's cheap looking and not an impressive gift. The pen itself is a flat black tube with a somewhat rubberized feel. It is also the longest of the 4 pens. The laser is as bright as the Laserglow but only after a half second delay. It starts dim but them brightens up to match the laserglow. The one thing I don't like is the batteries flop around inside the tube which feels cheap to me. This pen is OK but not my favorite. It was relatively cheap and I can recommend it for those who don't want to spend more.
Amazon cheapo: $8, 5mw
What can I say? It sucks in every way. The laser is inconsistent from dim to slightly dimmer. It only took 3 days to come in a foam envelope, regular mail. I can't recommend this pen for any reason. I'm just going to throw it away because I don't trust it.
In conclusion, I love the Laserglow pen as it is the best looking, highest quality pen from packaging to operation.
Dragon Laser 15mw $80
Laserglow 5mw $60
Optotronics 5mw $30
Lucky Electronics (Amazon) 5mw $8
The conclusion I've reached is, you get what you pay for.
Dragon Lasers: $80, 15nw
The Dragon Laser came from China and took the longest time to get here. It came registered mail (signature) and the customs form said it was a fountain pen. Total time from order to delivery was 15 days. It came in a plain white box with cut outs in foam for the pen and two batteries (which were missing) and no instructions. The pen is a beautiful high gloss black with gold trim. As it is a 15mw green laser, the noticeably brighter than the other 3 pens but is a little inconsistent. Sometimes it starts out as bright as a 5mw pen but then brightens up considerably. Time will tell if it will continue to behave like this. I like the feel and heft of the pen. One aspect that is important to me is whether I can feel the batteries moving around in the pen. In this pen the batteries are very tight. I can feel some movement but it's minimal and acceptable. For $80 plus delivery I am happy with this pen. It is going in my telescope carrying case to be only used as a star pointer.
Laserglow: $60, 5mw
This is my favorite so far. It took 9 days to get delivered. It came in a beautiful black box with the company logo on it and foam cut outs for the pen and the included batteries and detailed instructions. It would make a nice gift. The pen is also a high gloss black with gold trim but slightly shorter than the Dragon laser. I like the compactness of this pen. The batteries are rock solid in the tube and the laser is stable and plenty bright for a 5mw power. The button is rubberized and slightly oval with a solid click like the Dragon laser. This is my goto pen laser for fun around the house.
Optotronics: $30, 5mw
This one took only 5 days to be delivered. The box is flat black with black cardboard cutouts for the pen and batteries and minimal instructions. It's cheap looking and not an impressive gift. The pen itself is a flat black tube with a somewhat rubberized feel. It is also the longest of the 4 pens. The laser is as bright as the Laserglow but only after a half second delay. It starts dim but them brightens up to match the laserglow. The one thing I don't like is the batteries flop around inside the tube which feels cheap to me. This pen is OK but not my favorite. It was relatively cheap and I can recommend it for those who don't want to spend more.
Amazon cheapo: $8, 5mw
What can I say? It sucks in every way. The laser is inconsistent from dim to slightly dimmer. It only took 3 days to come in a foam envelope, regular mail. I can't recommend this pen for any reason. I'm just going to throw it away because I don't trust it.
In conclusion, I love the Laserglow pen as it is the best looking, highest quality pen from packaging to operation.
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