Testing Wicked Laser Arctic in laser lab 08/02/10; your requests are welcome

Hi all... Jon Phillips here. I'm the editorial director of Maximum PC and Maximum Tech. For our continuing Arctic G1 coverage, we'll have full access to a laser lab this coming Monday. The technicians have a power meter, but please let me know if there are any other empirical data points you'd like us to collect. We can try some burning experiments, so your suggestions are welcome as to what might provide a reliable constant appropriate to the scientific method. I.e., what do you want us to aim the laser at? Surely there are more telling targets than black balloons (right?). Here are the first photos we've posted:

Wicked Laser Spyder III Arctic: Our First Photos | Maximum PC

Be safe out there. Please take every precaution necessary to protect yourself and the public at large, and please follow the letter of the law. Thanks! -JP

Perhaps beam profile, its shape and size measured at varying distances, or even a
graphical represantation of the ouput power over say 5 mins or so.

I should have mine on that day too, but will in no way have access to a lab or even a LPM at this point. ANY information you leave will be very much appreciated. But I would LOVE to know if the specs in reality are even close to what they have been sold to us as.

I'd like to see effects of the training lens, and any other lens.

DrSid said:

I'd like to see effects of the training lens, and any other lens.

Click to expand...

I think he got a Gen 1

Peace,
dave

Still comes with the training lens

I ordered a 5mW Spyder III back in December. Wicked lost the order, and, to make it up to me, sent me a 200mW Spyder III in May, which actually is more like a 275mW.

The thing scares the bejeezus out of me.

But I ordered an Arctic anyway. What about trying to burn something more substantial than matches or balloons. Like maybe a block of wood. (or, heck, while I'm sure it won't work, an old magnesium NeXT cube) :-D

drumz0rz said:

Still comes with the training lens

Click to expand...

Didn't realize that.

Peace,
dave

Yep .. G1 should not have low-power mode, but it should take and include the same training lens. If it is G2 prototype by some chance, of course we would like to see the low power mode.

Output Power
Beam x/y measurements
Image of the (dot [actually:bar]) at a distance of >100feet, >500feet
Weight (with and without battery)
Ability to burn tin foil?
How long it takes to melt a hole in the lens of the provided Wicked Laser Shades
Can it boil water?
Divergence calculation on x-axis and y-axis using this: pseudonomen137's JScript mRad Calculator
Light white paper on fire
Light a previously-unlit candle
Ignite Magnesium

yeah, laser power measured through the provided goggles . . .

JonOrangeLotus said:

For our continuing Arctic G1 coverage, we'll have full access to a laser lab this coming Monday.

Click to expand...

Hi, I hope you won't take this question badly, did you order the artic from WL introducing yourself first or anonymously ?

I just would like to know if you received a random one before reading your results.

Please test the goggles as well. Measure the beam's power when shown through the goggles.

Ash said:

Output Power
Beam x/y measurements
Image of the (dot [actually:bar]) at a distance of >100feet, >500feet
Weight (with and without battery)
Ability to burn tin foil?
How long it takes to melt a hole in the lens of the provided Wicked Laser Shades
Can it boil water?
Divergence calculation on x-axis and y-axis using this: pseudonomen137's JScript mRad Calculator
Light white paper on fire
Light a previously-unlit candle
Ignite Magnesium

Click to expand...

Someone has given this some thought

boscoj said:

yeah, laser power measured through the provided goggles . . .

Click to expand...

Yes, I would like to see the goggles set up so the laser passes through them and into the meter, that way we can see how effective these goggles are and for how long, that would be my main request, I would like to keep my eyes

:crackup:

Good idea about measuring the power of the beam once it has passed through the goggles. We'll do that. FWIW, I think there are two goggle versions, and we received the less expensive version. Regardless, we can identify the precise goggle model when report results of that test.

To answer another question, I reached out to WL quite a while ago, requesting review units of various lasers in anticipation of our magazine launch (Maximum Tech). Coincidentally, this was right when news of the Arctic was just hitting. Long story, short, we have a review unit. I didn't order the Arctic via the typical channels. So, yes, WL knows who we are. To this extent, yes, it's possible a laser was cherry-picked for us -- a "ringer" if you will. However... we now have a second Arctic. So we will be testing two (both G1s).

What do you guys think about burning through a very large chunk of wax -- a large, dark candle? This wouldn't be so much a burning experiment, as a chance to capture some cool, telling video. Think the beam would burn clean through before the wax could drip and fill the hole?