Help deciding: 445nm or 462nm for first burner

[Atomicrox]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

I have an honest question, though: Would it be bad to pop balloons from across the room with one of the lasers I mentioned above (without glasses)? Also, I'm not talking about popping balloons all day or anything, just for maybe a minute or two and at ten or so feet. (I'm not looking for a Dr.'s quotable answer or anything, just how maybe you'd feel about doing that.)

The surface of the balloon is reflective and might send the beam back at your eyes depending on the hit angle. It's unlikely it'd still be collimated, but I'm not fully convinced it's safe. I suppose one could perform an experiment with glasses and look for a dot being reflected back for the balloon at an opposing wall.

I'll admit I've done this a couple times, but it's been a few years and now I don't do any burning whatsoever without goggles.

 

[Master Philip]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

That's a great point, Atomicrox. Especially if I were to try popping a mylar balloon... lol
It wouldn't have dawned on me to consider the beam reflection from a regular balloon.
Sounds like a necessary experiment.

 

[Master Philip]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

Phillip, I'm in Alaska too, by the way, I was working on North Star Island on the first exploratory well drilled there, also Duck Island and few others near it. I'm going to be back up in Prudhoe Bay in about two weeks for a month myself.

I'm happy to know there are other Alaskans on here. Even cooler that you have been to the place I told my story about. I was on Nabors 33E for a winter to help drill an extended reach well.

 

[Master Philip]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

Pi R Squared, I didn't notice it until now, you're in Snohomish County. I was born in Monroe (in Snohomish County). I don't remember it though, as I had moved away before I was one.

 

[Shakenawake]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

yeah 462nm in really nice. more of a true blue than 445nm, in the sense that there is less violet in it. it will still make some things show their phosphorescence and fluorescence. not sure what the cut-off WL for this effect is

unless you also get a 445nm, you won't realize the color difference, it's somewhat subtle, like the difference between 520 and 532

 

[Pi R Squared]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

Pi R Squared, I didn't notice it until now, you're in Snohomish County. I was born in Monroe (in Snohomish County). I don't remember it though, as I had moved away before I was one.

I have passed through Monroe several times before, it's not far. There's nothing memorable about it to remember so you aren't missing anything.

yeah 462nm in really nice. more of a true blue than 445nm, in the sense that there is less violet in it. it will still make some things show their phosphorescence and fluorescence. not sure what the cut-off WL for this effect is

unless you also get a 445nm, you won't realize the color difference, it's somewhat subtle, like the difference between 520 and 532

Once he gets one blue then he will want all three.

Alan

 

[Atomicrox]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

yeah 462nm in really nice. more of a true blue than 445nm, in the sense that there is less violet in it. it will still make some things show their phosphorescence and fluorescence. not sure what the cut-off WL for this effect is

unless you also get a 445nm, you won't realize the color difference, it's somewhat subtle, like the difference between 520 and 532

There's no hard cut-off, it just decreases as the WL increases. 532nm still fluoresces a lot of stuff (the green dot is usually too bright but you can see the fluorescence with a grating). I've seen a few materials being fluoresced by red and infrared, but it's rarer.

 

[Master Philip]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

Once he gets one blue then he will want all three.

Alan

I ALREADY want all three! lol
I've been lurking around the laser host threads looking for future host ideas. Could you guys tell me, how hard IS IT to turn a host and parts into a functional laser? The more I think about the idea of putting one together, the more excited I get about the idea. However, I have next to no experience with this.

 

[Pi R Squared]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

I ALREADY want all three! lol
I've been lurking around the laser host threads looking for future host ideas. Could you guys tell me, how hard IS IT to turn a host and parts into a functional laser? The more I think about the idea of putting one together, the more excited I get about the idea. However, I have next to no experience with this.

OK it can be very easy with the hard parts already done for you or it can be completely DIY or anywhere in between. To start with have a look at the white links in my signature. These are build threads and tutorials on the easiest ways to assemble a laser from off the shelf parts where the hard part is already done. There is a 5th one I haven't got around to posting yet that will also be very detailed. The important things to learn is what parts will work together and what mistakes to avoid. A basic knowledge of electronics and soldering skill and having the right tools is very important.

Alan

 

[Master Philip]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

I just took a look at your stainless build (the last one on your list of white links). I'd have to say that looks completely doable! I'd assume a veteran laser pro could probably slap that together in half an hour...? (Whatever the time, I'm sure it'll be quadrupled for me.)
Now I am going to seriously consider picking up a kit!

 

[Pi R Squared]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

I just took a look at your stainless build (the last one on your list of white links). I'd have to say that looks completely doable! I'd assume a veteran laser pro could probably slap that together in half an hour...? (Whatever the time, I'm sure it'll be quadrupled for me.)
Now I am going to seriously consider picking up a kit!

Yes that is a nice one, and my most expensive so far. Yes if done the same way, a half hour is probably about right. I say go for it, you'll be glad you did, you will know exactly what your getting and know how it was put together if you ever need to fix it. No waiting for up to 6 weeks for something from China that once in awhile will never arrive at all. And Survival Laser USA Home is one of several sites and people to buy from. To make it very easy you can buy some "no-diode host bundle", "JAD kit" (just add diode), or a Mrcrouse "plug n burn" host, and there are others, several stores and people and machinists here to buy from. Too many people screw up their first build so it's better to go the easy route until you feel confident, there are some members here that have screwed up a build several times!

To make it easy: don't handle a bare diode, to press your own diode in a module you need a special tool and a vice, and then you need to solder wires onto the diode or sometimes a driver directly to the diode. This is where it sometimes goes wrong if you haven't done that before. Just buy one already in a module with wires attached.

Another place people sometimes screw up is with a round driver or a battery contact board where you have to press it into the brass ring and solder it and then press it in the pill, sometimes they mangle the brass ring or sometimes solder will go around the edge of the board and cause a short. Keep in mind some hosts don't even use a pill and will just have a battery contact board on the back of the heat sink. There are also some cases where you will use a rectangular driver and heat sink it to the pill.

Also if you buy a driver that is adjustable and not preset then to set the current correctly you need to use a test load and a DMM and know how to use them. Somehow something sometimes goes wrong there and people fry a driver or a diode! You must own a DMM no matter what though so you can troubleshoot what's wrong when it's all put together and won't turn on.

Another thing people are always doing is inserting the batteries backwards. Most drivers don't have reverse polarity protection, or if they do it's only good for a few seconds and is designed in a way that it shorts though the driver instead of the diode and frys your driver. Most diodes are case neutral so the host can be wired host negative or host positive. Sometimes the host is electrically isolated from the module/diode. Sometimes the diode is case negative (I think only some red diodes), and sometimes the diode is case positive ( I think only DPSS modules and IR diodes), care must be taken that these are wired correctly.

The other mistake people make is when they screw the parts together in the wrong order and twist the wires breaking a pin off the diode. There have been members that did this multiple times! :crackup: there are some hosts though where this can't happen though so be aware of how the parts go together.

So for a first build I recommend doing it the easy way where you will only have to solder two pairs of wires and assemble some parts, then when your familiar with all the different parts and how lasers are put together then decide if you want something more DIY.

Alan

 

[Master Philip]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

Thanks for the detailed explinations. I suppose going with a less expensive/less powerful kit would probably be the wise thing to do. Also, if/when I accadentally turn it on while tinkering with it, I don't have to worry about boiling an eyeball or something. (Actually, I'm not really worried about hurting myself with a laser as much because I do a lot of amature work on firearms and I could immagine the "don't point the barrel at yourself" kind of rules apply to lasers as well.)
I checked out Survival Laser USA. Isn't there somewhere that sells the entire kit (as in every component) or am I going to have to pick and choose parts. I'm asking because I feel nervous in my ignorance that I'd end up buying parts that don't go together...
Perhaps I just need to do some more searches. (I don't know, maybe Survival Laser USA has a complete kit and I just didn't notice it for some reason.)
Anyways, I really appriciate you taking the time to help me out. I'm on the slope for another week. So, if I find a kit and order it soon, I could probably get it put together on my next days off and bring it up with me.

 

[Pi R Squared]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

Survival Laser only sells complete kits on their international site and they are only for export, not available for US customers. The closest you can get to a complete kit is one of their no-diode host bundles and then buy an appropriate diode/module separately. There are legal issues with selling complete lasers if they are battery powered and not under 5mW.

Alan

 

[Atomicrox]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

Easiest "kit" option is a 501B plug-n-burn host from Mrcrouse
http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/p...-add-module-w-driver-starting-20ea-83813.html
plus a diode in module w/ driver from DTR (lots to choose!)
https://sites.google.com/site/dtrlpf/home/diodes

This is quick, cheap and very hard to mess up

 

[Master Philip]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

This is quick, cheap and very hard to mess up

Sounds like my first time... :eg:
Honestly, though, I like the sound of that! I just have that gut feeling like I KNOW I'm going to eff something up my first time, you know? That fear of doing something for the first time...?

 

[Master Philip]

Re: Portable Lasers: 456nm vs. 463nm

Survival Laser only sells complete kits on their international site and they are only for export, not available for US customers. The closest you can get to a complete kit is one of their no-diode host bundles and then buy an appropriate diode/module separately. There are legal issues with selling complete lasers if they are battery powered and not under 5mW.

Alan

I was not aware of the legality of >5mw battery powered units.
Now, I'm cringing about the $315 I just slapped down on that JetLaser from China! :shhh: