200mW 650nm Lazerer laser not lighting matches

[Pyrodroid]

So I got my first laser from Lazerer yesterday. According to the power certificate the laser maxed out at 263 mW. It’s pretty bright, even with the safety glasses, but I am unable to light a match with it. I held the beam on a red-tipped match for 60 seconds and nothing happened. From what I’ve read on some other threads my first guess is that the beam diameter is too large to light matches? It’s a focusable laser, but even when it’s as focused as can be, the dot is between 5-8 millimeters in diameter. Is this normal? Should I be able to light a match with this?

In a review if this laser someone also mentioned that they could burn through a black cd case in about 2 seconds. I tried this with mine and it takes over 60.

Link to laser: http://lazerer.com/lzcs-classic-650nm-200mw-focusable-red-laser-pointer

 

[DropZone01]

So I got my first laser from Lazerer yesterday. According to the power certificate the laser maxed out at 263 mW. It’s pretty bright, even with the safety glasses, but I am unable to light a match with it. I held the beam on a red-tipped match for 60 seconds and nothing happened. From what I’ve read on some other threads my first guess is that the beam diameter is too large to light matches? It’s a focusable laser, but even when it’s as focused as can be, the dot is between 5-8 millimeters in diameter. Is this normal? Should I be able to light a match with this?

In a review if this laser someone also mentioned that they could burn through a black cd case in about 2 seconds. I tried this with mine and it takes over 60.

Link to laser: LZCS - Classic 650nm 200mW Focusable Red Laser Pointer

Hello,

I have not used that laser in particular but I would try with the match head blackened with a felt tip marker. When you are firing a red laser at a red match head you are reflecting the red back off it. Making it a colour other than red will allow more energy to be absorbed I think. As for the dot being 5-8mm, that seems large to me and is probably why it isnt performing for you. How far away are you trying to focus?

Dropzone01

 

[Pyrodroid]

Alright, I tried to light a match that's been blackened with a marker like you suggested, and it still didn't light. I've been trying to light it 2-3 cm away from the laser, and yet even that close only about half of the beam or less is actually hitting the match. (Perhaps that can give you a better idea about the beam diameter, its about the same as two match-heads, which is about 6.5 millimeters by my measurements)

 

[DropZone01]

Hmmm.... that is odd because you said that you can cut through a CD case, albeit slowly according to you, I would still expect it to be able to light a match eventually especially if it is blackened. Is it possible that you are too far inside your focus? Perhaps it is focusing much further out than the point you are attempting to burn with? Have you done any beam shots in smoke, steam or fog where you can confirm that it has converged fully and started to diverge again? That would be your ideal burning point.

It could be that the lens isn't on properly and that is why it won't focus for you. When it is focused to infinity and you hit an object across a room or down a hall, is the dot distorted or abnormally large? This would suggest to me that the lens isn't on properly. Not sure if any of this helps, but given the power your laser peaks at I don't see any reason it won't do what you are trying to do with it

 

[Pyrodroid]

Ok, so when the laser is focused to infinity, I'm not able to light a match. By using fog like you suggested, however, I found that I was indeed to far inside my focus. I was able to find a point where the laser is focused a lot more, down to about 0.5 mm, and a match lit almost instantly. This being my first laser, I had no idea lasers could focus like that! Thanks for all your help DropZone01.

 

[DropZone01]

Ok, so when the laser is focused to infinity, I'm not able to light a match. By using fog like you suggested, however, I found that I was indeed to far inside my focus. I was able to find a point where the laser is focused a lot more, down to about 0.5 mm, and a match lit almost instantly. This being my first laser, I had no idea lasers could focus like that! Thanks for all your help DropZone01.

No problem glad I could help and you are going to be able to enjoy your laser now!

 

[RedDart]

I owned that exact same laser and it lit matches (black) with ease even when it wasn't at it's focal point...