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archeometry's IR to Vis Converter

mfo

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Hello LPF. I was selected by archeometry to do a review of his IR to Visible light converter as seen here in this thread.

http://laserpointerforums.com/f37/ir-visible-laser-converter-49006.html

And here...

http://laserpointerforums.com/f37/new-ir-vis-converter-49020.html

And here...

http://laserpointerforums.com/f42/new-antistokes-material-ir-visible-converter-49047.html

First, a picture of the product.

DSCF0302.JPG


Looks interesting, right? It arrived in a ziplock style back, which was shipped inside of a bubble envelope via USPS. And now, the review.

I tested this product with a 980nm @ 5mW module. I'm not too crazy about this product. The vendor was very vague with it's operation, and it is just way too overpriced (Asking price = $75). As lasersbee pointed out, you can get an IR indicator that does the same exact thing for a fraction of the cost (Roughly $14). Also a drawback is the product seems fairly reflective. The vendor claims this product can withstand "W/cm2". Well, using W/cm2 seems like a good way to start a specular reflection fire. Also I had to use this product in the dark to the dot from my 980nm module. Please refer to the pictures below. I took these pics using my cell phone because my cell phone pics up IR. My digital camera does not pick up this wavelength, which made it good for taking a picture of the product in action.

First, a picture of my 473nm and the 980nm side by side. The blue color underneath the IR is just glare, please disregard.

0325001449.jpg


Here, I am showing how reflective this is with my 473nm.

0325001450.jpg


And now the reflection of the 980nm. I used the same box in the background as the previous pic, I just turned out the lights so my camera would pick up the IR better.

0325001452.jpg


And now, a picture of the product in action with the 980nm laser.

DSCF0301.JPG


Notice the faint large circle around the laser dot. This product actually glows in the dark (The only cool thing about it). I can only see the product work when the lights are out in my room, which I did not know until about 10 minutes before writing this review.

All in all, this thing is not worth anywhere near the money. It can't do anything that the cheap one can't. Don't purchase this thing unless you like wasting money. Product description was also very vague. I was under the impression I would also be receiving some sort of safety glasses with this as the vendor claims it's to be viewed through safety glasses and can handle multi-Watt lasers. I will now proceed to toss this in the waste can.
 





KiLLrB

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Thanks for the heads up. It would have needed to do something amazing for that much more money than a regular IR card. It didnt.
 
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It *might* react a bit better to higher-powered lasers if it's designed to handle multiple watts. I'm not saying that's the case, but a typical IR detector card would melt fairly easily under multiple watts of power. Perhaps that's the market for which this product is intended.. although you'd seemingly have a hard time getting such a clear answer from the manufacturer...
 

KiLLrB

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I wonder if it would work any better if you scuffed up the surface mfo. If you scuffed it up maybe it would be a little more absorbent and less reflective or maybe it would just scatter the light instead of reflecting it. Would you care to dig it out of the trash to see?
 
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Yeah... If it can handle the claimed Multi Watt Lasers and you need to see
the IR beam profile... then it is probably worth the $75.00...
But I think I would feel safer looking at a Multi Watt Laser's beam profile
using a Web Cam or other IR sensitive Camera... (for about the same money)
rather than that relfective surface..

The IR Indicator card I referred to and tested in the other Threads was tested
at 1 Watt without any damage to it..

Good Review mfo... I was hoping it was better than that for the price...
Can't understand why the surface has to be reflective... the IR Card I used
is not..


Jerry
 

mfo

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It *might* react a bit better to higher-powered lasers if it's designed to handle multiple watts. I'm not saying that's the case, but a typical IR detector card would melt fairly easily under multiple watts of power. Perhaps that's the market for which this product is intended.. although you'd seemingly have a hard time getting such a clear answer from the manufacturer...

He said it was good down to 1mW.

I wonder if it would work any better if you scuffed up the surface mfo. If you scuffed it up maybe it would be a little more absorbent and less reflective or maybe it would just scatter the light instead of reflecting it. Would you care to dig it out of the trash to see?

If I would have paid $75 for this, why should I have to?
 

mfo

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Yeah... If it can handle the claimed Multi Watt Lasers and you need to see
the IR beam profile... then it is probably worth the $75.00...

But I think I would feel safer looking at a Multi Watt Laser's beam profile
using a Web Cam or other IR sensitive Camera... (for about the same money)
rather than that relfective surface..

The IR Indicator card I referred to and tested in the other Threads was tested
at 1 Watt without any damage to it..

Good Review mfo... I was hoping it was better than that for the price...
Can't understand why the surface has to be reflective... the IR Card I used
is not..

Jerry


Nah, he said the multi Watt model needs to be fused with ceramic which means more.
 
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Before you throw it into the trash... send it to me and I'll do some tests
at a higher IR power rating to see if it is better at those powers..:cool:

PM me for specifics if interested...

[EDIT]
I wonder if it would work any better if you scuffed up the surface mfo. If you scuffed it up maybe it would be a little more absorbent and less reflective or maybe it would just scatter the light instead of reflecting it. Would you care to dig it out of the trash to see?

Since we don't know the process he used... the conversion reaction could
take effect on the surface coating and scuffing it up might render it useless...

BTW... I see the seller hasn't been here since Mar 12....:thinking:


Jerry
 
Last edited:

mfo

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Yeah, I'll send it on Monday. After all I do have two of them. I've just been busy and not wanting to wait on line @ the post office. I already have your info Jerry.

Before you throw it into the trash... send it to me and I'll do some tests
at a higher IR power rating to see if it is better at those powers..:cool:

PM me for specifics if interested...

[EDIT]


Since we don't know the process he used... the conversion reaction could
take effect on the surface coating and scuffing it up might render it useless...

BTW... I see the seller hasn't been here since Mar 12....:thinking:


Jerry
 
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The device was designed for 785nm for high power density 5Kw/cm2 or better and Raman laser systems. Also there is a plastic coating over the matrix that can be removed and because you see reflection at 473nm doesn't mean reflection in the IR. Hence mirrors made out of polished silicon for IR and other materials for different wavelengths. Cost of 785nm Raman system is $25K so 75 bucks is cheapo in respect. Germany sells a device for $400 and Japan $350, but didn't see any rating at 785nm. You can see the beam wearing the safety glasses! A scientist was blinded at Los Alamos when they tested a 1064nm LIBS unit on a microsecond pulse...it bounced around the room and hit the guy in one eye and fried his retina. Alot of cheapo high powered 532nm lasers cause people eye damage from the 1064nm bleedthru the glasses...dw
 

mfo

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The device was designed for 785nm for high power density 5Kw/cm2 or better and Raman laser systems. Also there is a plastic coating over the matrix that can be removed and because you see reflection at 473nm doesn't mean reflection in the IR. Hence mirrors made out of polished silicon for IR and other materials for different wavelengths. Cost of 785nm Raman system is $25K so 75 bucks is cheapo in respect. Germany sells a device for $400 and Japan $350, but didn't see any rating at 785nm. You can see the beam wearing the safety glasses! A scientist was blinded at Los Alamos when they tested a 1064nm LIBS unit on a microsecond pulse...it bounced around the room and hit the guy in one eye and fried his retina. Alot of cheapo high powered 532nm lasers cause people eye damage from the 1064nm bleedthru the glasses...dw

If you look at the fourth picture in the post, you can clearly see that the IR dot also reflects, not just the 473nm.
 

Benm

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Seems like a very dangerous little thing without good eye protection.

I wonder if laserbee will be able to get nice pictures with it - perhaps running a watt or more of NIR into it will make it shine brightly. I'm not sure if the upconversion process is linear - perhaps it gets better with power density, like frequency doubling using crystals.
 
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From the photo based on intensity of the dots 10-20% reflection...take piece of sandpaper and sand off the plastic coating...and see what happens..
 




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