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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Laserglow Polaris vs Wickedlasers Arctic 3

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I have an Arctic 3 which is OK...ish i have played around with adjusting it for a smaller beam diameter and it seems to of lost a little bit of power since i have bought it.

I am going to be investing in the Hercules-650 with all the accessorys and i came across the Polaris the 1000mw version, i am wondering if anyone has compared the 1000mw Polaris to the Arctic 3, if its considerably better im probably going to go all out and get both.

Thanks for all the advice in advance guys.
 





jakeGT

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Why would you spend $1000 on a 445 laser? The LG polaris 1000 is only 1000-1300mW, You could build a 1300mW 445 for $100.
 

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Im not an electrician, i love lasers plain and simple. I have had a fascination with them for over half my life. Laserglow lasers are the best in the world. $1000 on a quality handheld laser seems reasonable to me. Other people spend double that and more on HDTVs, every man to his own.

I just want some professional advice between the 2 lasers, and on the Polaris.

Thanks again.
 

Helios

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You could get an AMAZING laser from someone here thats hand made by an enthusiast and not a minimum wage slave for a quarter of that price.

otherwise pretty much anything is better than the arctics.
 

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You could get an AMAZING laser from someone here thats hand made by an enthusiast and not a minimum wage slave for a quarter of that price.

otherwise pretty much anything is better than the arctics.

Im still new to this site, im unaware that people here make and sell quality lasers. If there are some people in particular that you know and can inform me of i would very much appreciate it.

Thankyou.
 

Helios

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Im still new to this site, im unaware that people here make and sell quality lasers. If there are some people in particular that you know and can inform me of i would very much appreciate it.

Thankyou.

Hit the buy sell trade forum and just observe for awhile. You should get a feel for whats out there, whose making what you want, and how much its worth. For $250 you can buy ALOT around here.
 
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Bounty, I believe we talked on Youtube regarding the LaserGlow Hercules and Scorpius.
It is a funny coincidence that you found your way here just as I replied to your questions (check your mail on your youtube account).
If I am mistaking you for someone else, I apologize.

I would like to point out a significant difference between the Polaris and any other 445nm laser on the market: Beam quality.
As you may well be aware, the beam on your Arctic is less than perfect and highly divergent on one axis resulting in a rectangular or bar shaped profile.
This is due to the way that these diodes are engineered - beam quality is sacrificed for high power. Sadly, that is normally the case with high power lasers.

However, the Polaris is designed with optics that compensate for this poor beam quality. Typical divergence for any 445nm laser you will find for sale here is going to be ~2.0mRad average or thereabouts.
The Polaris boasts a much cleaner, more circular beam than that of the Arctic or our DIY hobby lasers with an advertised divergence of 0.9mRad (very good).
The reason this is, is that the Polaris uses beam shaping optics that turn the rectangle into more of the dot you would expect from a laser.

The catch is, these additional optics result in a loss of power, so the higher power models are not constructed with these corrective optics.
Namely, the >500mW models will NOT have the corrective optics installed. That means that if you want full power (1000mW) you will have to sacrifice beam quality.

So, yes, on this forum we often create some great stuff but we are a community of cheapos and are always looking to save a buck. I have not yet seen a portable 445nm laser built on these forums that employs beam correction (not that it can't be done but simply because it is costly).
If you are looking for the BEST, I would not hesitate to recommend Laserglow.
If you want to save some cash, there are many builders on this forum that offer services for a fee.

Also, contact the member aryntha. He has an extensive collection of lasers and owns a Laserglow Polaris himself. He would be the man to talk to if you have any questions about it. You may also want to try contacting Laserglow's customer service, too. The staff is very knowledgeable and will be sure to help you out with your inquiries.
 

DJNY

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RA_pierce, afaik the higher powered Polaris lasers (>400mW) don´t have any correction optics inside. Please correct me if I´m wrong.
 
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RA_pierce, afaik the higher powered Polaris lasers (>400mW) don´t have any correction optics inside. Please correct me if I´m wrong.

You are right and I mentioned that.
According to LG's site, the >500mW models do not have beam correction.
 

jakeGT

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Namely, the >500mW models will NOT have the corrective optics installed. That means that if you want full power (1000mW) you will have to sacrifice beam quality.

Seeee DJ! He did say it.

You still have my vote for president though.
 




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