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[Request] 445nm pics at different distances

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So, I've been doing a ton of research over the past few days before considering what my first high power laser will be. I'm most definitely considering getting a 1w 445nm because of the price/power ratio, but I'm a little skeptical about the shape of the "dot" these diodes tend to produce. It would be much appreciated if some owners of >750mW 445nm could post some pictures of the beam and dot at different distances so I can see what it looks like before spending $200+ on a laser. Thanks for all your help guys.


Off topic: I'm thinking about these glasses, I'd rather not spend over $50 on any glasses. Comment on these please for protection from 445nm and possibly 532nm.
[Link]
 
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Try looking up a beamshot thread or threads about the diodes themselves. Maybe even some threads about builds using the diodes.

One last thing. Don't buy an expensive laser only to try to get "okay" safety equipment. No point in having a laser if you don't have the vision to see it!
 
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I've been searching for a few days, and have yet to find a picture of a dot at over 20 or so feet. I think there was one picture that said 41 feet, but nothing over that. Most pictures are indoors with the exception of the video about the 9km range of one of the 1w 445nm's. I would honestly like to use my laser to burning as well as outdoor use, hence why I want a good dot on it so that its not a blob in the distance.
 
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I've been searching for a few days, and have yet to find a picture of a dot at over 20 or so feet. I think there was one picture that said 41 feet, but nothing over that. Most pictures are indoors with the exception of the video about the 9km range of one of the 1w 445nm's. I would honestly like to use my laser to burning as well as outdoor use, hence why I want a good dot on it so that its not a blob in the distance.

I can tell you right away that the divergence on 445nm diodes are really not great. The dot is rectangular seeing as how its a multimode diode. I don't have any first hand experience with them, but I can tell you that they're bright enough that you would see a blob of light regardless. Even if it were a clean round dot it'd be bright and have "splash". However if you're going to be spending pretty penny it seems, maybe you could invest in an OSRAM diode. They're not multimode, but they can't be driven like the X-140 series. But they have better divergence.
 
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Would you mind telling me where I can get a 500mW OSRAM diode? If this is what you meant, the highest one is 80mW, which I may be wrong about this, but it won't burn much.

Edit: I'll just add this right now, I'm not looking for a perfect dot that looks just like a 5mW laser, I would be find with a dot that's ~1.5in. at 100ft.
 
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Would you mind telling me where I can get a 500mW OSRAM diode? If this is what you meant, the highest one is 80mW, which I may be wrong about this, but it won't burn much.

Edit: I'll just add this right now, I'm not looking for a perfect dot that looks just like a 5mW laser, I would be find with a dot that's ~1.5in. at 100ft.

That's what I was saying is that they aren't very strong diodes. If you only want a "decent" beam and high power then I suppose an X-140 series is your best bet... well... it's pretty much all there is actually
 
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Check my avatar

... to see larger image- use ctrl and + .
The tree was approx 55 yards away. The DIY 1.4W blue(445w/AixiZ glass lens) on right is on a part of the trunk that is about 22 inches across.
the two 635/200s(both c-Mounts) are on a trunk about 15 inches wide and the 532/400 part is a little wider(all PL-C JETLASERS)

No tripod used so beam may appear a little fatter in my pic.

A beam expander can make the spot smaller at distance. A gas laser like a HeNe will have a much better divergance.

I may have been able to focus these a little better but atm I did not care about that. You should get a smaller spot using a 405nm laser.

Hope this has been helpful to you...hak
 
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Thanks Hakzaw. That's pretty helpful to know. It does appear sort of spread out, but that's not bad since its around 165 feet away. At this point I think I've been convinced not to get a 445nm now despite the awesome power of these things. I just saw the 510nm diode thread, and they look amazing for what I want, I'll just have to wait until they come in 500mW or so. I'll just wait a little while, do more research, and then look at the green lasers. I don't really want to get DPSS though, I'd prefer to stay away from anything IR or easily breakable. Thanks for the help, I'll come back in a few days probably.
 

benmwv

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Pictures of the dot at a distance, from a distance can be misleading.

Here is a picture of a 445nm laser in my backyard shining on a fence 250-300ft away (Notice kitty :p):

5b285933.jpg


It seems to stay fairly thin, but here is the picture I took after I walked all the way up there:

2f298471.jpg


That board is about 6 inches wide, so that is definitely not a thin beam even though it appears to be much thinner at a distance.
 
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Thank you greatly for that pic. I'm going to have a very hard time deciding between a blue or a green since 6in at ~275 feet isn't as bad as I thought. It still appears as a dot there.

If you don't mind my asking, what kind of laser is that (brand and specs)? Also, is there a beam expander on it? Thanks so much.
 

benmwv

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It is a homemade laser in a C6 host using the 445nm A-140 diode. No beam expander. Power is about 500mw, couldn't use a more powerful laser because it would get too hot before I could walk up there, take a picture, and come back. But any other high power 445 laser will be the same size at distance. The difference from 500mw to the 750-1000mw specified doesn't affect the divergence, they all use the same c@sEO A140/M140 diodes.
 
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Thanks for both your responses guys. It seems that a lot of people here over exaggerate the divergence of the 445's. I will probably end up getting a 445nm laser or build one myself depending on whether I can find any hosts that I like.
 
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Compared to a good ole' red (650nm) it is horrid divergence, but it isn't like a 635nm, no.
 
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These are from a review I did on a 445 from survival laser.
Beam diameter at several distances focused as tight as possible



10ft
dscn2036a.jpg


20ft
dscn2037b.jpg


30ft
dscn2040a.jpg


40ft
dscn2041p.jpg




Hope this helps.
 
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