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Lambo

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Hi! My name is Zach and I am new to these forums and just now really getting into lasers I have a 20mw 532 green and a 75mw 405 violet.

And quick question I'm going to be buying a 3w blue laser soon from laserpointerstore.com they have the Thor m2 and Thor ultra which one would be a better 3w blue the ultra is $200 for 3wblue but the Thor m2 is around $85 right now but smaller batteries would that make much of a difference? Should I go with the m2 or the more expensive ultra but bigger 26650 batteries instead of 16340s.
 





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Welcome to the forum Zach :) . 75mW -> 3W is a huge leap. With 3W you should 100% buy some safety glasses. I have recently purchased the 1.6W M2 which should be arriving some time next month and will be doing a review on that. You should take a look at the Sanwu laser pointers 200mW red 650nm for £18.80 ($25). I have one of these coming soon too. In my opinion just go for the M2 as this will be a good solution if you want a cheap powerful laser.
 

Lambo

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Oh I know it's a huge leap and I already have ordered safety glasses for powerful blue lasers. I'd rather not lose my eyes so I'm gonna be suuuuper safe with it. Thanks for advice on which one to get.

Edit: One more thing should I also buy the magnification optical expander for the 3w Thor m2?
 
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Good and no problem. I mean, you could go for the Ultra if money is no issue. The only differences I see are : Larger and more fancy host (Which does look great) and comes in fancier packaging. There may be more but make sure you check lots of reviews. (I bought mine 3 days before these were on sale :( ). The optical expander does look great and I would recommend it.
 

diachi

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Oh I know it's a huge leap and I already have ordered safety glasses for powerful blue lasers. I'd rather not lose my eyes so I'm gonna be suuuuper safe with it. Thanks for advice on which one to get.

Edit: One more thing should I also buy the magnification optical expander for the 3w Thor m2?

Welcome! :beer:

Which safety glasses did you buy? :)
 

Encap

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Wellcome and enjoy the forum.

Be very careful --get good quality laser glasses --either of the lasers you mention can cause permanent occular damage or blindness in less time than the human blink reflex of .0.25 seconds -they are very dangerous -- not toys --no sencond chance---happen so fast that it is impossible to make a correction once an accident is in progress. Eagle Pair are low cost minimum good quality glasses--much better than the $2- $10 glasses out there : https://www.survivallaser.com/Safety_Goggles/cat556089_826120.aspx
See, the entire site is great information: Laser Pointer Safety - What to do if you are hit by a laser pointer or laser pen

Here is a good laser hazard chart of eye damage safe distances: http://www.lasersafetyfacts.com/resources/FAA---visible-laser-hazard-calcs-for-LSF-v02.png

You might also want to check out JetLasers who actually make lasers rather than a reseller web site who couldn't care less and is just about money from reselling other peoples stuff + Jetlasers actually does care and the give the best customer service in the business. See: https://www.jetlasers.org/
 
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Lambo

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Welcome! :beer:

Which safety glasses did you buy? :)

I got Eagle Pair® 190-540nm OD6 Slip Over Laser Safety Goggles

I ain’t lookin to go blind lol

And if it’s night out or during the day as long as I point it into the sky and I can’t see the dot I should be fine to take them off and look at the beam yea?
 
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diachi

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I got Eagle Pair® 190-540nm OD6 Slip Over Laser Safety Goggles

I ain’t lookin to go blind lol

And if it’s night out or during the day as long as I point it into the sky and I can’t see the dot I should be fine to take them off and look at the beam yea?


Good choice! :beer:

Yes, you can look at the beam safely, you don't even need to point into the sky (look out for aircraft if you do!). You just need to be really careful about reflections, even diffuse reflections off of glossy or similar surfaces could cause eye damage.

Be cautious of the fire hazard presented by that much power too, I've got a couple nice holes burnt in my blinds!
 

Lambo

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Good choice! :beer:

Yes, you can look at the beam safely, you don't even need to point into the sky (look out for aircraft if you do!). You just need to be really careful about reflections, even diffuse reflections off of glossy or similar surfaces could cause eye damage.

Be cautious of the fire hazard presented by that much power too, I've got a couple nice holes burnt in my blinds!

My job is overnight stocking and I have a bunch of giant cardboard pieces all around my room that ill prob mess with and not point it anywhere else inside because I'm not trying to get burn holes like you did lol

Edit: will these batteries be fine for the 3w Thor m2 or is there a better/certain brand I should get for high power lasers? https://i.gyazo.com/9193dc4a30b551d4b7a819e1c9c20ffc.png
 
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..welcome

Eye protection is never used by the audience at safe laser shows.. but the guys working on the lasers MUST wear them at many times. W/o the right pair it is not only dangerous to work close with lasers, but , i some cases. its impossible ..like measuring the beam or spot w/ a ruler or calipers. That is how the divergence is determined... While it does not happen quickly, with care and some luck you will develope a sixth sense about safety, and know when to use them..otherwise they stay around the neck or on top of your head --ready to use ASAP>


hak
 
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Welcome to the LPF, Zach. There's plenty of good information here along with many knowledgeable members. Stay safe and enjoy while you learn.
 
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The most dangerous time is when:
you are close to the source
the beam is coming at you
and the beam is horizontal.


since the beam grows w/ distance-- its better to be far away
coming at you is always the brightest and thus most dangerous--
and horizontal makes taking a hit into the center of your eye more likely ,and thus getting a much increased 'hit' because or your eye's lens magnifying the power as much as 1000X.

One other caution-- the side shields are very important because--- the inside of your glasses/goggles 'acts' like a mirror when the beam comes over your shoulder and into the back side of your glasses...you can get a very serious reflection injury with your back to the laser source--not common but something to remember.

Just last night I was trying to meter a yamataka 1W 520 onto a small sensor (only 6mmx6mm--) which would have been both dangerous and impossible w/o eye protection.
FYI any lasershow worker who is not in at least possession of proper eye ware can get an operator/owner in deep trouble==one friend got fined $2000 over this. So just having them on site is not nearly enough-- they must be in good condition and made for the correct wavelength and be 'on' the worker.
 




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