5 Watt Laser Power Meter
- Thread starter nospin
- Start date
Re: New 5 Watt Laser Power Meter
Hello Everyone,
I got my Nospin meter a few days ago. You've already seen the pictures and the reviews are correct so I won't go into all that stuff.
I like the meter, yes it does look like a clock radio
but it works great for the money. The box is pretty good, it's metal and pretty stiff for it's thickness. If the box only came in woodgrain I can see why Nospin used it.
The only thing I can add to whats already been posted about this meter is a video showing it's response.
Here it is reading a 5mw red and a 150mw green. Both lasers are right on spec. The reason I put this up was to show it's repeatability.
YouTube - powermeter.avi
I'll be taking it to a friends place to check it against his Coherent meter later this week but it certainly looks like its working properly.
I made a cover to protect my sensor. If anybody else gets this meter I would suggest you put a cover on it too. It's brand new, you don't want to mess it up.
Hello Everyone,
I got my Nospin meter a few days ago. You've already seen the pictures and the reviews are correct so I won't go into all that stuff.
I like the meter, yes it does look like a clock radio
but it works great for the money. The box is pretty good, it's metal and pretty stiff for it's thickness. If the box only came in woodgrain I can see why Nospin used it.The only thing I can add to whats already been posted about this meter is a video showing it's response.
Here it is reading a 5mw red and a 150mw green. Both lasers are right on spec. The reason I put this up was to show it's repeatability.
YouTube - powermeter.avi
I'll be taking it to a friends place to check it against his Coherent meter later this week but it certainly looks like its working properly.
I made a cover to protect my sensor. If anybody else gets this meter I would suggest you put a cover on it too. It's brand new, you don't want to mess it up.
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jayrob
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- Sep 21, 2007
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- 9,862
Re: New 5 Watt Laser Power Meter
Nice video...
This shows why I wrote the kind of review that I wrote on this meter...
http://laserpointerforums.com/f52/lpm-ophir-sensor-nospin-awesome-50064.html
It works very reliably... Jim knows how to check and adjust the sensor if needed. So that when you get it, it is perfectly calibrated.
Mine works perfectly just like yours does...
Nice video...
This shows why I wrote the kind of review that I wrote on this meter...
http://laserpointerforums.com/f52/lpm-ophir-sensor-nospin-awesome-50064.html
It works very reliably... Jim knows how to check and adjust the sensor if needed. So that when you get it, it is perfectly calibrated.
Mine works perfectly just like yours does...
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2008
- Messages
- 671
Re: New 5 Watt Laser Power Meter
I am just as impressed that fatboy55's lasers are exactly on spec. Also, I found that a breeze from open windows in the room can skew the measurements +1 or +2 mW. I also found that a very hot room, 80 degrees F or above, will also add 1 or 2 mW to the reading. However, once I moved the LPM into a colder room (about 75 degrees F) with no windows the errors went away. What's weird is that really cold temperatures don't affect the LPM at all while only slightly hot temperatures do. Does anyone else experience the same thing?
The errors are completely understandable though. I know that temperature can affect the resistance of the various electrical components inside the LPM.
I am just as impressed that fatboy55's lasers are exactly on spec. Also, I found that a breeze from open windows in the room can skew the measurements +1 or +2 mW. I also found that a very hot room, 80 degrees F or above, will also add 1 or 2 mW to the reading. However, once I moved the LPM into a colder room (about 75 degrees F) with no windows the errors went away. What's weird is that really cold temperatures don't affect the LPM at all while only slightly hot temperatures do. Does anyone else experience the same thing?
The errors are completely understandable though. I know that temperature can affect the resistance of the various electrical components inside the LPM.
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Re: New 5 Watt Laser Power Meter
So was I. I knew the 5 was and really the 150 isn't. Sometimes it's lower or higher, it's a piece of junk. I just got lucky when I did the video.
I'm sure if I did it 5 min before or after it wouldn't have been 150.
I thought about reshooting it as some people would think I faked it but being on spec is too cool to not post even if it was just luck.
I'll post the results after I compare it to the coherent.
So was I. I knew the 5 was and really the 150 isn't. Sometimes it's lower or higher, it's a piece of junk. I just got lucky when I did the video.
I'm sure if I did it 5 min before or after it wouldn't have been 150.
I thought about reshooting it as some people would think I faked it but being on spec is too cool to not post even if it was just luck.
I'll post the results after I compare it to the coherent.
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2008
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- 17,644
Re: New 5 Watt Laser Power Meter
Nice test Video...I would have preferred a red Laser since
they are known to be more stable...
Although I have a few green Labbies that are quite stable
after they warm up.
As was stated... If the OHPIR Head's Internal circuit is
Zeroed at (lets say) 25 deg C... the LPM will drop to zero
around that same calibration temperature almost every time
without ant other external influences...
Jerry
Nice test Video...I would have preferred a red Laser since
they are known to be more stable...
Although I have a few green Labbies that are quite stable
after they warm up.
As was stated... If the OHPIR Head's Internal circuit is
Zeroed at (lets say) 25 deg C... the LPM will drop to zero
around that same calibration temperature almost every time
without ant other external influences...
Jerry
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2008
- Messages
- 6,058
Most impressive work, Nospin....KUDOS ! As an FYI (not sure if it is relevant or not) Coherent includes a "customizable sensor cover" with their top-of-the-line meters....IT'S A CAN COOZIE ! Yeah, a "thermal cover" for the sensor is actually a can-blanket. You slide it over the sensor's head and trim it to fit. They couldn't be bothered on their $2000 + meter to trim the freaking cover first. WOW. You MAY wanna try to see if one would prevent the issues with thermal drift ! Post your results, if you have time to try this, thanks ///Greg
///Greg
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- Mar 30, 2008
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- 6,058
I dunno - I sent him a PM a while after my post, and no reply...at least it isn't just me, huh ?
///Greg
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- Mar 30, 2008
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Nospin - did you receive my PM, or did the system gobble it up ? (I blame it on the system, but it is most likely MY fault if it didn't go through
)
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2010
- Messages
- 207
Wow, How'd you do that.
I ordered the meter Friday morning and Monday morning, three days later, I find the meter in my P.O. box.
I've already found out that several lasers that I thought might be about 5 mW are probably only about one or two mW. And a greenie that I thought was about 50 mW reads pretty constantly at 22 mW. It's good to know that actual power of these pointers. And I'll be glad to have the meter for when my Jetlaser arrives.
Thanks,
Ed