Any violet or blue Laser Pointers under $30

[Pyramid]

Gatling lasers are among the cheapest money can buy and I'm not talking about their price. They are much smaller than they look online and though they have hollow aluminum rods, the actual heat sink is very small. I don't recommend them, but to each his own.

Thanks, I'll avoid Gatling lasers. Do you own all of those lasers listed below your comment?

 

[paul1598419]

Yep. I actually own many more than are listed in my signature. More than twice that number.

 

[Pyramid]

That's impressive. You have thousands and thousands of dollars into lasers, and Im tryna get a $30 laser, I'm jealous, Lol.

 

[Encap]

Since you are confused about what lasers are and do because you are not aware of the physical parameters involved --you really should study up on what lasers do and don't do --what they are and what their characteristics are.
Lasers do not function in the real world as your imaginings seem to make you think.they do.
See my response in your other thread for additional information . Post # 10 here: https://laserpointerforums.com/threads/what-all-colors-do-lasers-come-in.106481/

In the real world/not imagination about an imagined world, 405nm is the least visible laser additionally most people have a very hard some even getting their eyes to focus on a 405nm wavelength --like trying to focus on a "black light light bub or florescent tube makes eyesight go buggy.
To get a 405nm as bright as even a 30mW 532nm green laser beam you would need 2000mW.

There are no lasers in your price range that perform as your imagine they might. If you want visual brightness for under $30 then low end low quality mass produced 532nm green is your only choice.

 

[GSS]

Gatling lasers are among the cheapest money can buy and I'm not talking about their price. They are much smaller than they look online and though they have hollow aluminum rods, the actual heat sink is very small. I don't recommend them, but to each his own.

Paul it's time for you to shut the heck up or not say anything as you continue to under mind me and everyone...
You don't even have a Gattling in hand to know. All you just did "again" is to knock me and my "old" post when I measured a gattling for some one and I was shocked to see just how big it is and "also" compared it to the online pics. More than 1/2 a pound of aluminum for only a fricken $40..
I felt for you at first with your being what? 75, 80 years old and all the surgery and pain but it's beyond that now. Your a cheap petty tight ass who counts his forum posts. OMG!! are you that petty about having the most post's on a hobby forum.. you cried and whined when Avery did upgrades and you lost 10 stupid posts You never even bother to read members questions and give answers that make no sense to what was asked.. Its all about that post count isn't it
A member posts he can't get the focus knob on tight to turn the lens,,,,,,,and your answer is to put a paper tube over it so it tames the box reflection?????????????????
Your a Democrat because if one is voted in you get more free shit..
It's funny how you always knocked the Thor lasers so hard till you got one for FREE and now you love the Thors's but not the Gattlings but other than the hosts they have the same guts.. Lets not forget to all the whining when Lifetime17 forgot to put a 5 cent hex key in a build he did for you for wicked cheap. He ended up over night shipping you a hex key because your cheap ass wouldn't go to the store and what waste gas?? Even the local convieniant stores sell them. Yet you even still post on his sales thread that he charges to much and others sales threads too.. Who has all these lasers and doesn't have a hex keys anyways??
Oh man I can go on so bring it because I want to say so much more..bring it Paul I dare you.. because I know the head games your playing with me that other members don't know.


Pyramid, as long as the Gattling comes with a glass lens it has the potential to last a good time and is a good starter laser.
It's 1.6 inches wide and hefty.. The heatsink is brass but is about 1 inch wide. Look at a measurment thread I did for a member "Crackula"..
He's had the Gattling lasers going on 3 years. Its all about watching a duty cycle..

 

[hwang21]

I won't comment on GSS's post, but I will advise against anything even close to 1W of laser power for the OP. He/she seems to be new to the laser hobby, and 1W is simply too much for a beginner laser imo. The safety risks are too great for any mistakes that are commonplace for new laser hobbyists

 

[paul1598419]

That was quite the rant, Peter. I hope it made you feel better. No one should rant like that against someone else without at least feeling some sense of retribution.

 

[GSS]

That was quite the rant, Peter. I hope it made you feel better. No one should rant like that against someone else without at least feeling some sense of retribution.

You can say or do what ever you want Paul.
The thing is I know and admit when i'm wrong and don't always call it a "senior" moment or say I read it wrong.

 

[paul1598419]

My comments had nothing to do with any review you did of a Gatling. I don't remember ever saying anything about the Thor's prior to getting one, but if you say I did, please refresh my memory. I do remember when Avery deleted several threads. When I logged on that day I couldn't find several threads and was mainly asking what had happened. I believe I mentioned that my post count seemed to go down as I couldn't explain the missing threads in a better way, but that hardly means I know what my post counts are or care about them. There are many times I don't post because I have nothing to add to what has already been posted. I don't treat this place as a social environment where I make small talk. My politics have nothing to do with this place and I only post politics to the thread where that is relevant.

As far as the missing hex wrench from Lifetime17, it happened at a time when I had just got out of the hospital after being there for a month. I have many Allen wrenches and loose hex wrenches, but didn't have one that fit that particular host. I suppose I could have taken the host around town trying out hex wrenches, but it seemed simpler to ask Rich about it. He sent me two loose wrenches as he wasn't sure which one it was. How is that so far out of the normal course of the way things are done here that you deserve to talk $hit about me concerning that? I hope you get over this as I had thought of you as a friend. If not, then I guess you are what you are.

 

[Snecho]

About Gatling...

Am I the only one who wouldn't be caught dead with that ugly looking thing just on principle? There's nothing wrong with it per say, it's just soooo...I mean there's a reason you can pass that thing off as bomb for a movie prop A Thor M2 is the same price, same guts, same great option as a first 1W+ laser, same potential to last practically forever, but actually looks like presentable piece of hardware. Sorry for the rant, it just irks me people are willing to buy something so ugly when a Thor is literally right there for the same price.

To the OP: You're not gonna get anything worthwhile for $30 really. For $240 you can get a 1.4W 405nm Sanwu Guardian that would look plenty bright in the dark, similar to your green. Or for a blue laser, you can get a Thor M2 1.6W 445nm for $50 from laserpointerstore.com that would be very visible. Assuming you have the knowledge to handle higher powered lasers. That is the closest answer I can give you to what you originally wanted

I’m going to throw in that the brightest wavelength is actually 507nm as it is the scotopic peak. 507nm at night is 1700lm/W whereas 555nm is the photopic peak at ~683lm/W. Therefore any wavelength between these two peaks will remain bright under all lighting conditions. That’s why 532 is bright all the time.

Yup, spectral sensitivity for the win.

 

[Pyramid]

And since I'm in a rant-it-all mood, to the OP: You're not gonna get anything worthwhile for $30 period.

I have purchased a Handheld 532nm laser for around $20 - $25 and have had it for 4+ years, ofc I also had to purchase Batteries + charger so I spent about 15 extra on that. I'm looking for different wavelengths anyways now. I know I won't get a visible 405nm with $30. I had to learn a lot more about wavelengths and lasers in general, and thanks to the mods and others on here, I'm still learning so much every day from the links/websites they referred me to. So I need to learn a bit more before I start making choices on what to buy and how much to spend.
(*EDIT*) Also, I know I have to bump my price up, I wasn't sure if $30 could get me a good laser or not, I am not looking to spend $500 on one laser, but I'm willing to put down some money for a few nice ones.

 

[hwang21]

Glad to hear you are learning - we all started somewhere after all

I think the "sweet spot" of quality vs. price for a handheld laser is higher than $30, but likely less than $500 unless you are talking about something extreme/unique. I think browsing jetlasers.org or sanwulasers.com will give you a good idea of the price ranges you can expect for a decent laser from a solid company. Yes, the sheer "bang for the buck" factor will likely be lower than the eBay lasers you can pick up for $ - $$, but there is a reason many people on here are willing to fork over the extra cash for something nicer. It's like buying a $500 runs and drives car off of Craigslist vs. a $10,000 gently used one-owner car from a dealer. Just a different league imo, even if the $500 car will get you from point A to point B just like the $10,000 car would

If you plan on sticking around in the laser hobby, I highly suggest getting a higher quality battery+charger than $15. An unprotected battery exploding due to a poorly-designed charger does happen, and it is not pretty - think high-temperature chemical fire + battery shrapnel all in one spot, indoors. Not worth the $ saved, imo. A few google searches on laser forums as well as flashlight forums (like candlepowerforums) or even vaping forums will give you an idea of what is good and what to avoid

For a few quick suggestions: check out a NiteCore i2 for the battery charger, and your choice of Panasonic, Samsung, Sanyo, or Sony for the batteries. Note that there are a lot of knock-offs for batteries - where you buy your batteries can and will make a difference. Also, battery brands like TrustFire and UltraFire - very common on eBay - are dangerously bad. Seriously, avoid them

 

[adalah]

This is the laser I've been looking for!!!

 

[Snecho]

Yes, glad you are learning as well. It is a ridiculously fun hobby and learning things you would have never imagined is just one of the perks.

One of the best places you can buy batteries in my opinion is liionwholesale.com

They test every single battery before they ship it to you and they are all 100% genuine and certified. They also carry every top charger you could want. I definitely think a NIteCore i4 or D4 is the best solid all around charger you can get that will still serve your purposes for years. But do your own research; they all have different strengths and weaknesses depending what one needs them for.

 

[BOOJO]

Anyone have a Thor H2? Opinion? Thinking of adding this to my collection. Currently have a green form Wicked. Want to give blue a try.

 

[hakzaw1]

WICKED????
Most here that own WL will never put it in their sig--

I would rather get poked in my eye with a pointy stick that buy anything from WL... you had to be here then to understand why...

hak