As far as I know, no countries prohibit importation of diodes or modules.
It is a complete and functional portable laser that requires certification (depending on the country).
I could be wrong, but I think that what OP was saying is that his options are:
- Buy 5mW laser in country, have quickly
- Buy better lasers on internet, but wait long time
...I have no idea why I just wrote those options as if I wasn't a native english speaker.. ?!? Something is up with me today.
Anyway, back on point - the reality is that the parts you'll need in order to properly combine 4 lasers into one beam are equally unlikely to be the kinds of things you can just find easily nearby. You would be looking for things like PBS cubes or FS mirrors, and you'll need some optics in all likelihood too. Unless you happen to have these things, I think the project will take just as long in the "assembling materials" phase as it would take you to just wait out a 3 week shipping timeframe on a good diode.
That said, even if you do accomplish combining 4x5mW, and even if you did it in a way that really gave you 20mW (no efficiency loss), I'm really not sure you'd notice. A red laser at 75mW is barely more impressive than the same at 5. It's brighter, but it's not like you suddenly start to see a solid beam.
Having said that too, I also understand the urge to "build" right away. Sometimes I get that impulse, and the thought of waiting, even if it's prudent, just kills you. So in a pinch, you could grab a laser pointer, grab a DVD-burner, and hope your butt off that the laser pointer's diode is in some sort of housing that lets you swap it out, and replace it with the DVD-burner's. At least you'll get some real power
Though honestly, you could probably even get 20mW from a DVD
reader's LD.
