50 MW Laser and Safety Goggles?

[kashif]

I am new to this so I might be asking questions which sounds stupid. I purchased a 50 MW Green Laser Pointer from a local online store.

http://www.souq.com/GREEN-LASER-POINTER-50-MegaWatts-extremely-powerfull-can-reach-farther-than-human-eye-sight/6729225-EN/

The Seller dosent have much info and he told me that the beam is only visible at night. So all I need to know that how powerful are 50MW lasers? Do I need safety goggles as a MUST? I am an Adult 30 years old and have no intention of misusing the product. I just purchased it to play with it as a fun in the room with lights off or outside at night pointing on stars.

The problem is that Safety goggles are not available here as for my knowledge. How should I use the laser? I already wear longe distance eyesite spectacles and also I have Keratoconos in my right eye. Please help me to use the laser with proper care and to avoid damage to eyes. I mean what should I avoid staring most ? The dot? The beam or what.....?

Please Reply.
Thanks.

 

[kiyoukan]

Staring at the beam or the dot will not hurt you it is not like welding.
As for safety they cant hurt but as long as you can keep the beam out of your eyes and remember to blink you should be fine.
Another problem is that the laser you have could be outputting 20mw of green and the rest IR, So getting goggles that only block green might not work.
But if you are using this just for pointing at things that are not mirrors then you should not have an issue.

 

[Ash]

Well. Use common sense of course.
If looking at the dot on a white wall of a 50mW 532nm laser hurts your eyes (akin to staring into the sun), it may possibly be doing some damage.
The serious damage is caused by a very quick swipe or direct-hit to the eye from the laserbeam.
Also, remember that you can get a pretty strong (but diffuse) beam-shot into your eye if you accidentally point it at a window/TV/reflective material, etc... in your house. That can potentially cause damage to those cones (in your eye) that you rely on to perceive the color green.
So, really a 50mW laser is no toy. It should be safe enough to use outdoors and to bounce off mirrors indoors as long as nobody gets a direct hit (or even a swipe) and you check the air for traffic (planes, heli's) before you beam the stars outside. :angel:
This you should hopefully be aware of: Lasers can cause damage to the eye faster than your blink reflex.
Safety goggles are primarily used for when you are burning up close, or performing alignment experiments or divergence calculations. You don't need them to have fun with your laser, but you would have more fun if you had a pair.
Not sure how reliable these are: Link
But people seem to say they are adequate. :thinking:

 

[Greenmechanic]

These glasses are much better then nothing. The reviews have been better then one would expect for<$10
Use them anytime you don't know where the beam will go, when inside, or if doing close-up burning.
BTW: if the beam on this laser is only visible at night, it probably is not 50mW, more like 15-20mW.
My 50mW greens are visible indoors, in daylight, with the blinds closed.
One I have at 27mW, is also, barely.

 

[kashif]

Thanks guys for your suggestions and help. I ll take extra care while using it now. I am still waiting for the laser to be delivered to me and I will post in this thread after getting it.

Thanks once again. You guys are very helpful