About ten years ago, I bought two green lasers off ebay. I was 18 at the time and thought they were pretty cool, and being in the UK, I couldn't really see any mainstream websites to buy them from, whereas there was an abundance on ebay. So, I did my research, and found a seller that was stocking 50mw, 100mw, 200mw etc green lasers and had very good feedback. I had some back and forth with her about what I had read was a problem in some other green lasers "No IR filter," and she reassured me all the lasers she sold had IR filters. I think the one I bought was 100mw in the end.
Prior to that purchase though, perhaps before doing my research, I had bought a "240mw" green laser off ebay too. It was somewhere in China or Hong Kong. Now don't get me wrong, I was suspicious about the product in general. I came to find out that all 240mw green lasers weren't actually 240mw but more like about 30mw, and they also had no IR filter. Not great.
So, in the last ten years, very irregularly (maybe once a year or so) I have got the lasers out on foggy nights mostly, to have a quick play around. Pretty much every time I've used them, I've never ever had a direct accidental shot into my eye, nor reflection into my eye for that matter, but I have looked at the side of the beam fairly close up. I only use them for a few minutes and put them away, but most of the time after using, I find my eyes have a dull ache for a while which gradually subsides. I just believe this to be because they're very bright. Furthermore, I just bought a new 50inch TV, when setting that up the other week, in a fairly dark room, my eyes started aching after a while as I was probably too close to the TV when watching it.
Regardless, I wanted to know how dangerous these so-called 240mw lasers are. How would they affect you (some people say you can't see the infra-red...?) and what time period after would you notice any changes to eyesight if you did happen to damage something?
Purely reading some of the posts on here made me a little paranoid, although what people specifically meant was unclear. How can these lasers damage your eyes if you don't get a direct shot?
I have looked at the side of the beam many times up pretty close over the years, and never noticed any damage to my eyes. I've never had a direct shot though nor reflection as I've used them pretty carefully.
How does this IR damage work? My Dad said that shining it in fog if it has no infra red filter, it will reflect off fog and come back at you.....really? If so, then surely I'd be screwed right now. I've never had any black spot or anything form in my vision, but as I said, I've never had a direct shot/reflection into my eye.
Also - how can you test if these have an IR filter and what mw they are exactly? If anyone is in the UK and can do this, please get in contact, I'd be interested to find out. Thanks
Prior to that purchase though, perhaps before doing my research, I had bought a "240mw" green laser off ebay too. It was somewhere in China or Hong Kong. Now don't get me wrong, I was suspicious about the product in general. I came to find out that all 240mw green lasers weren't actually 240mw but more like about 30mw, and they also had no IR filter. Not great.
So, in the last ten years, very irregularly (maybe once a year or so) I have got the lasers out on foggy nights mostly, to have a quick play around. Pretty much every time I've used them, I've never ever had a direct accidental shot into my eye, nor reflection into my eye for that matter, but I have looked at the side of the beam fairly close up. I only use them for a few minutes and put them away, but most of the time after using, I find my eyes have a dull ache for a while which gradually subsides. I just believe this to be because they're very bright. Furthermore, I just bought a new 50inch TV, when setting that up the other week, in a fairly dark room, my eyes started aching after a while as I was probably too close to the TV when watching it.
Regardless, I wanted to know how dangerous these so-called 240mw lasers are. How would they affect you (some people say you can't see the infra-red...?) and what time period after would you notice any changes to eyesight if you did happen to damage something?
Purely reading some of the posts on here made me a little paranoid, although what people specifically meant was unclear. How can these lasers damage your eyes if you don't get a direct shot?
I have looked at the side of the beam many times up pretty close over the years, and never noticed any damage to my eyes. I've never had a direct shot though nor reflection as I've used them pretty carefully.
How does this IR damage work? My Dad said that shining it in fog if it has no infra red filter, it will reflect off fog and come back at you.....really? If so, then surely I'd be screwed right now. I've never had any black spot or anything form in my vision, but as I said, I've never had a direct shot/reflection into my eye.
Also - how can you test if these have an IR filter and what mw they are exactly? If anyone is in the UK and can do this, please get in contact, I'd be interested to find out. Thanks