8 lasers shipped at once = Customs problem?

[WhyHaveALife]

You better get some glasses the block both 532nm green and 808nm IR for that LZSK 400mw 532nm.

Survial Lasers has a good pair---the Eagle Pair® brand protective laser safety goggles for combined 190-540nm & 800-2000nm wavelengths

See at: Laser Safety

Eh to be honest I just plan on using those two green ones outside at night and stuff (also getting O-Like 500mW green)? So I don't need IR filter? Plus I have my Spartan 1W blue with hopefully the beam expander soon that I can use for burning and using inside? I have 4 pairs of 190-540nm from Dragonlasers that I kinda regret buying because I did not know IR protection could be included. My Spartan has an IR filter I'm pretty sure.

Thanks for the advice though, I just want to save some money. I know you can't put a price on your eyesight, but does my logic seem sound?

 

[WhyHaveALife]

You still have a lot of reading to do my friend. 100mW red isn't a LOT of red and it doesn't leak ir.

Keep reading and wear those glasses!

Yes I know I am still in-experienced, thanks for saying I have a lot of reading to do instead of calling me a moron. Trust me a read a ton on laser safety, it's just hard to pick up everything... And yes I use my glasses whenever using my lasers indoors of course.

I just recalled only green (DDPS I think?) lasers leak IR, didn't think of that when I posted. And as far as I know 100mW is still dangerous, I know it isn't watts but it's way more than the 5mW deemed mostly safe... please correct me if wrong.

 

[ThunderSqueak]

100mw is still dangerous.

<hijack>

I was having a thought... a beautiful picture might be taking a night shot in the winter from flat top ... maybe a green beam against one of the more reddish auroras ^^... maybe with some ice crystals in the air. I was just looking outside, nice night isn't it, snow is going away fast :>

</hijack>

I can vouch for the eagle pair, at least the ones I have, which are these:

Eagle Pair EP-2 190-380 & 600-760 OD4+
Eagle Pair EP-1 190-540 & 800-2000 OD4+
Eagle Pair EP-4 10600 OD5+

The EP-4 goggles are basically a polycarbonate safety glasses with a slight yellow/green tint to them. They made an order I was making meet the "free shipping" requirement at the time. This saved me 80 dollars in shipping, even with the added cost of the glasses (there was nothing else on that website that looked like I might use it). Shipping charges to Alaska can be a PITA ... and expensive.

I do know, often batteries wont be able to be shipped up here, they wont fly them, which is how pretty much all of our mail gets here. They also will not fly things like vacuum pump oil or even guitar polish! I run one of the shops in town and have to watch what I get shipped here, and unless it has a license with it they simply wont allow it. Alaska is strict that way.

 

[Encap]

Your 1W 445 blue does not have an IR filter and does not need one as it produces no IR--it is a direct diode blue laser.

The 400mw, 532nm green is a Diode Pumped Solid State(DPSS) laser. DPSS green laser produces green indirectly using an IR laser diode whose beam is transformed into 532nm green by a series of crystals that convert 808nm to 1064nm and then to 532nm.
See: Diode-pumped solid-state laser - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As far as not needing green and IR blocking glasses because you are going to use it outside---remember nobody using a laser inside or outside ever starts out with or has the intention of damaging their eyes with a laser but accidents do happen. Unanticipated, unknown, unexpected, and unfamiliar dangers can and do present themselves --that is why people need to use and use protective glasses. Damage to eyes happens in less than 0.25(1/4) of a second-- faster than the human blink reflex--so fast that there is no possibility you can even blink much less control or correct anything that is happening.

Not much more can be said other than you can not afford to learn from experience like a child learns that a flame burns if he sticks his finger in it because in the case of high powered lasers learning by experience can mean irreversable eye damage not just a blister on a finger.

 

[WhyHaveALife]

Ugh that's right... just need to get through my mind that only DPSS lasers produce IR. Thank you for your kind workds Encap on safety, but I do want to see the beam outside and all... so... yeah... I know being cautious is not enough but that is what I will do. I use glasses inside and if I'm pointing it at anything remotely close or setting it down on a surface where the laser could move.

And yeah Thunder do you live in Anchorage? Today was a nice day, was like 45 degrees! I was chilling out on my balcony with a friend. Snow is melting like crazy like you said! I haven't been able to get out of the city since I have gotten my lasers (senior in high school with a job) but this summer I can't wait to take my lasers to places like Flattop or outside of Anchorage! Too bad I'll have to use them at like 2am for it to be dark haha.

Thank you guys for your responses and advice about safety Still learning lots, I appreciate it.

 

[ThunderSqueak]

When I first found this forum, and was looking at some of the threads, this one scared the hell out of me

http://laserpointerforums.com/f53/hit-eye-1000mw-445nm-blue-laser-69469.html

a must read :twak::twak:

 

[WhyHaveALife]

I've read that one multiple times, but I guess it's worth a reread!

 

[ThunderSqueak]

And yeah Thunder do you live in Anchorage? Today was a nice day, was like 45 degrees! I was chilling out on my balcony with a friend. Snow is melting like crazy like you said! I haven't been able to get out of the city since I have gotten my lasers (senior in high school with a job) but this summer I can't wait to take my lasers to places like Flattop or outside of Anchorage! Too bad I'll have to use them at like 2am for it to be dark haha.

Yep, I live in Anchorage It is dark right now, mostly dark anyway and only 12:36 am :> Granted, that will change soon.... and it will only be "dusk" for that few hours before returning to noon day sun again ... isn't Alaska Great

 

[WhyHaveALife]

Oh yeah I posted on your profile with that membermap image. Yup, 2nd year up here so still not used to it. Going to go fishing this summer for first time ever in my life haha. Anyways man I'm going to bed, school in morning. Take care. I'm praying my lasers get hereeeeee

 

[tsteele93]

^^^ a LOT of reading.

Last dos centavos- I always insist on DHL express when shipping from China- its not cheap and it is very quick (once got a box in 68 hours) BUT I use DHL cause their boxes almost NEVER get opened. SO its alot more than just the quick delivery. DHL pre-inspects and puts their 'dhl inspected' yellow tape on inner box and in a dozen in 3 years none ever re-inspected. I only use USPS/EMS for lasers/diodes/lenses etc going to China.

hak

I second this. My worst experience has been with Fed Ex. And I was importing less than $100 worth of flashlights. I didn't even have lasers or batteries in the package.

I ended up paying $13.50 in duty tax (which is fine) and another $6.50 to fed ex as a "collection fee!"

Fex Ex international is not the way to go!

 

[tsteele93]

Ugh that's right... just need to get through my mind that only DPSS lasers produce IR.

Well... Keep in mind that IR diode lasers produce IR also. But among the visible light lasers, 532 green and 473 blue can potentially leak IR. As you say, any DPSS may leak IR.

Good ones are IR filtered.

I have the o-like 500mW crown and I'm pretty sure it isn't filtered. I'm betting it has around 40-50mW of IR.

Thank you for your kind workds Encap on safety, but I do want to see the beam outside and all... so... yeah... I know being cautious is not enough but that is what I will do. I use glasses inside and if I'm pointing it at anything remotely close or setting it down on a surface where the laser could move.

I don't know how old you are, but if you are an adult then you take responsibility for your own actions. There are plenty of folks on here that take educated and reasoned out risks.

Lasers aren't any fun if you can't see them.

The point is to educate yourself to the point where you can intelligently decide which risks to take and have the safety equipment to protect yourself when it is the prudent thing to do. It is also nice to have that safety equipment available for any guests you want to show your lasers to when they are visiting.


Here is a really good resource on laser safety.

SONY LASER GUIDE


Guidelines of Measures for Prevention of Injury by Laser Light Purpose

The guidelines are aimed at eliminating the possibility of injury to the workers who engage in laser device handling or services in which they might be exposed to laser light.

Laser equipment classification....based on the degrees of the effects the laser

Class 1 : Laser equipment with a low output (approximately 0.39μw or less) which does not cause any injury to the human body.

Class 2 : Laser equipment with an output of such level of visible light (400 to 700nm in wavelength) that enables the defensive reaction of the human body to avert injury (approximately 1mW).

Class 3A : Laser equipment with an output which makes direct observation of the beam by optical means dangerous and which is less than five times the output of class 2 (approximately 5mW or less).

Class 3B : Laser equipment with an output that can cause eye injury if exposed to directly but which does not cause eye injury if exposed to diffused reflected (approximately 500mW or less).

Class 4 : Laser equipment with an output which can cause eye injury even if exposed to diffused and reflected beam (approximately more than 500mW)

If any part of the human body is exposed to laser light, degeneration of protein due to thermal action, optochemical reactions with the cellular tissue, and breakdown of the tissue by impact waves (plasma current and consequent pressure waves) occur.

Such effects on the living body vary with laser light wavelength, output, output waveform (continuous or pulsed waves), etc. Generally, however, the eyes suffer heavier injury than the skin, and irreversible changes occur more readily.

It is necessary to pay attention not only to the direct and primary action of laser light but also to secondary injury that may be caused by diffusion of toxic substances resulting from irradiation of the object being aimed or other objects around the device with laser light.



You seem to have a good attitude, so I'm sure you will learn fast! :yh:

 

[bobhaha]

Does anyone think logically here?

Think about it..

Lets say 1 in every 50 packages get scanned and checked. Having all 8 lasers in one package will give you a 1 in 50 (2%) chance of it getting searched. Now if you have them separated into 8 different packages that's a 8 in 50 (16%) chance of getting caught. The only work around is if you send the packages one at a time (send one, once received, send the next), but you still end up with a 1 in 50 (2%) chance for each package. But granted you will only loose one laser if that happens. Not to mention, your mail would probably be screened after they caught you the first time.

-Adrian

 

[hakzaw1]

Your Spartan, if its 445, has no IR filter as its not a diode pumped laser. If your Spartan were a 532 it would have an IR filter i have a Spartan 100mW 532 and the ir filter is near perfect. Its brand new extremely stable and well made and I want to sell it. $185.. It has a very good divergance and the meter graph once at peaked of 130mW is FLAT and after 3 min did not get even warm to the touch.

 

[WhyHaveALife]

Your Spartan, if its 445, has no IR filter as its not a diode pumped laser. If your Spartan were a 532 it would have an IR filter i have a Spartan 100mW 532 and the ir filter is near perfect. Its brand new extremely stable and well made and I want to sell it. $185.. It has a very good divergance and the meter graph once at peaked of 130mW is FLAT and after 3 min did not get even warm to the touch.

All right, I now know only DPSS lasers and IR lasers produce IR. Thanks. Good luck selling your laser though.

 

[jakeGT]

If it gets caught. They all get caught. Not a good idea unless you wanna lose all 8 in one go.

Personal opinion, I would much rather lose 1 than all 8.

 

[tsteele93]

So I bought a total of 8 lasers :wtf: at once ranging from 30mW-400mW from Lazerer for a total of ~$750... is there any chance this would be more of a problem at customs than a 1 laser shipment? Like would they open it up and be suspicious? :thinking:Realized this after I bought all 8. I should have probably done them separately because it's free shipping.

Live in USA by the way.

Probably can't do anything by now but if anyone has some good news to ease my tensions that would be great :thanks:

Don't worry until it is time to worry. I know someone who ordered $450 worth of lasers from o-like using EMS with no problems at all! I know another person who ordered ~$100 worth of LED flashlights via Fed Ex and had their package held up (in Alaska interestingly enough) until they filled out a ton of forms and paid $14 in customs fees.

It is relatively random.

I think the savvy sellers in China use a variety of return addresses and storefronts to mail from in order to dodge being on lists.

That is my take.