5mW: Questions and where to buy

[j-d]

'Ello,
I'm looking to buy a green laser but don't know which to get. I'm interested in it mostly just for playing around with the light; in other words, I don't need (or want) to be able to burn things, blind people, get arrested, etc. I just want to shine bright-ass green dots on things, maybe through a glass of water or a fish tank from time to time. I don't even really care if the beam can be seen at night. So a 5mW laser seems perfectly fine to me, or if I could find a slightly weaker one, even that would be pretty good. I just want it to be a hella bright dot.

That being said, I'm concerned about safety. Based on the playing around I've done with my red laser I know--for an absolute fact--that I will be shining any green laser I get my hands on at glasses of water, window panes, rivers, etc. And I know these cheap green lasers aren't IR-filtered. Seems like IR is a pretty contentious issue, but for those of you from the IR-is-dangerous camp, should I be especially concerned with a 5mW laser? I do occasionally point lasers, for example, at my finger. In such a situation, will a 5mW laser do any damage?

Finally, the where-to-buy question. I want it fairly quickly so I'm willing to pay $16 (as seen in check that I cannot link to the eBay auction that is kinda dumb it is item number 110353721126) to get it quickly. Is this likely to be a pointer of decent quality? It seems to be in the same casing as every other laser, so I assume it was made in the same dark factory by the same sad people in the same dusty Chinese province town as are the DX lasers.

I'm not looking to invest a fortune here, or to demolish buildings. I just want a decent, fun laser decently quickly, without blinding myself or getting a sunburn.

Thanks,
-j.

 

[nastynick]

just got my 10$ 5mw from ebay in the mail tonight
like 2 weeks of shipping
but boy are these cool
super bright dot
went outside in the dark, and the beam is visible
extremely satisfied

 

[Ieon]

'Ello,
I'm looking to buy a green laser but don't know which to get. I'm interested in it mostly just for playing around with the light; in other words, I don't need (or want) to be able to burn things, blind people, get arrested, etc. I just want to shine bright-ass green dots on things, maybe through a glass of water or a fish tank from time to time. I don't even really care if the beam can be seen at night. So a 5mW laser seems perfectly fine to me, or if I could find a slightly weaker one, even that would be pretty good. I just want it to be a hella bright dot.

That being said, I'm concerned about safety. Based on the playing around I've done with my red laser I know--for an absolute fact--that I will be shining any green laser I get my hands on at glasses of water, window panes, rivers, etc. And I know these cheap green lasers aren't IR-filtered. Seems like IR is a pretty contentious issue, but for those of you from the IR-is-dangerous camp, should I be especially concerned with a 5mW laser? I do occasionally point lasers, for example, at my finger. In such a situation, will a 5mW laser do any damage?

Finally, the where-to-buy question. I want it fairly quickly so I'm willing to pay $16 (as seen in check that I cannot link to the eBay auction that is kinda dumb it is item number 110353721126) to get it quickly. Is this likely to be a pointer of decent quality? It seems to be in the same casing as every other laser, so I assume it was made in the same dark factory by the same sad people in the same dusty Chinese province town as are the DX lasers.

I'm not looking to invest a fortune here, or to demolish buildings. I just want a decent, fun laser decently quickly, without blinding myself or getting a sunburn.

Thanks,
-j.

Lasers over 5mw need laser goggles (http://www.dragonlasers.com/)

Green lasers and red lasers that are dirt cheap but are bad-ok quality http://www.dealextreme.com/

GOOD quality lasers http://www.laserglow.com/ and http://www.novalasers.com/


If you don't have too much cash DX is good, but lasers over 5mw are illegal in USA so 5mw is still legal though.


IR isn't a problem with 5mw green unless your an complete and utter idiot and stare into your laser, though if you want to be REALLY safe just rip out one from a webcam, digital camera or a video camera.