I am new to laser pointers and have a few questions.
First off, I am trying to understand what specifications to look for when shopping to determine how far a laser will shine and the laser's ability to melt objects.
Obvousaly the higher the diode output in mW, the brighter and more powerful it will be. But what about color and wavelength? Just thinking about the basics of wavelengths, I assume a laser with a lower wavelength (like blue) would shine farther and burn objects better if it focuses more light into a smaller beam. Is this correct? What about price? I have seen 1W blue lasers for $1000 and I have seen 1500mW blue lasers for less than $300. Why such a big difference?
Also, I have seen 2W blue lasers with a class IIIA rating and 1W lasers with a class IV rating. That doesent make sense, why would a less powerful laser have a higher class rating than a lesser powerful one?
Lastly, I am considering getting the WarenLaser Luna II 445nm 1500mW blue pointer. It costs $270 so I am pretty much trying to get the best laser in that price range. Am I looking at a good option? The Luna II is the most powerful one I could find for under $300. I dont suppose anyone makes a class IV for under 300?
EDIT: It seems WarenLaser ships from China, no thank you. Any suggestions for US based companies?
First off, I am trying to understand what specifications to look for when shopping to determine how far a laser will shine and the laser's ability to melt objects.
Obvousaly the higher the diode output in mW, the brighter and more powerful it will be. But what about color and wavelength? Just thinking about the basics of wavelengths, I assume a laser with a lower wavelength (like blue) would shine farther and burn objects better if it focuses more light into a smaller beam. Is this correct? What about price? I have seen 1W blue lasers for $1000 and I have seen 1500mW blue lasers for less than $300. Why such a big difference?
Also, I have seen 2W blue lasers with a class IIIA rating and 1W lasers with a class IV rating. That doesent make sense, why would a less powerful laser have a higher class rating than a lesser powerful one?
Lastly, I am considering getting the WarenLaser Luna II 445nm 1500mW blue pointer. It costs $270 so I am pretty much trying to get the best laser in that price range. Am I looking at a good option? The Luna II is the most powerful one I could find for under $300. I dont suppose anyone makes a class IV for under 300?
EDIT: It seems WarenLaser ships from China, no thank you. Any suggestions for US based companies?
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