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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Cold temperature laser

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Jun 9, 2013
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I have green laser pointer attached and aligned with my telescope, which is a great help in locating objects.

It is rated for use at temperatures above +10C and works fine until temperatures drop.

I am currently building a heater using Nichrome wire around the pointer, but would like to know if I can buy a laser pointer that is designed to work in the cold preferably below freezing.

Any links would be helpful.
 





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Thanks for your reply, but I know nothing about lasers and don't have a clue what DPSS means.

Could you provide further details and links to where I can purchase one please.
 

Laik

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Pilgor

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As suggested, a 520nm diode will be your best option. Low power, good visibility.
 
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You're recommending a complex $300 project to a guy that admits he doesn't know anything about lasers? Seriously?

Get a blue pointer, op. Something like this.
 

norbyx

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Well maybe not a DIY project on a 520nm laser, but a factory build 520 could be an option. There is actually a Group Buy going on at the momet for skylasers products, they have a nice 520 and the price is quite good.
 
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I have green laser pointer attached and aligned with my telescope, which is a great help in locating objects.

It is rated for use at temperatures above +10C and works fine until temperatures drop.

I am currently building a heater using Nichrome wire around the pointer, but would like to know if I can buy a laser pointer that is designed to work in the cold preferably below freezing.

Any links would be helpful.

To be honest, I'll recommend something other than Green.

As you intend to use the laser for astronomy.
I'll say you'll be in a very low light environment.
Your vision will be under Scotopic vision, suddenly blasting green light into the skybox may shock your eyes into Mesopic vision. Then it'll be several seconds if not half a minute before your eyes adapt to pre-laser condition.

Maybe a 405nm (purple) or a 650nm (red) laser would be better for such usage.. since your eyes aren't as sensitive to those spectrum....
Purple will be good if you have good eyes , 650nm will be a better choice for one ,its VERY stable, for two its still quite visible in the night.

There is actually a post by eHow the optimal laser wavelength for astronomy.
http://www.ehow.com/info_8676890_purple-vs-green-lasers-astronomy.html
 
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Purple is rather "blurry," and red isn't reflected by the atmosphere (ie no beam).
 

Blord

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I would recommend a red laser for the telescope. Red light doesn't ruin your nightvision.
If your eyes are dark adapted then the red beam is quite visible. If you want more visibility then take the 638nm red instead of the 660nm red.
And these diodes are working good in a cold environment.
 
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I would recommend a red laser for the telescope. Red light doesn't ruin your nightvision.
If your eyes are dark adapted then the red beam is quite visible. If you want more visibility then take the 638nm red instead of the 660nm red.
And these diodes are working good in a cold environment.

YAH! For Blord Agrees!
MAI LASER IS NOW MODE LOCKED!!!

I just thought of something.
While red maybe the best color when we take into account of both visual acuity and solid state diode stability.

It kinda depends on the actual skybox color.
If he lives in the outback of Australia ....
He probably wants a green one :crackup:
article-0-0CFD540000000578-376_964x659.jpg


if he's going to use it in the suburbs , a red one , even a blue one will do fine.

He probably wants a single mode tho , cos I'll think he probably want one that has a low divergence so he won't end up pointing at a cluster when he wants to point at a single star
 
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Thanks very much for all your interest.

I am happy with the brightness of my current low priced <5mw green laser, the beam is not bright enough to affect my night vision (provided I don't look directly into it :eek: ), but is initially nicely visible and gets dimmer as it cools until it is eventually invisible. I use lithium AAA batteries which are supposed to perform better in the cold. The beam is also very tight up to its maximum height (maybe half a mile or more), which is effectively infinity since the parallax effect is virtually non existent at that height.

I only switch the laser on for several seconds every few minutes, when I want to locate a new object. I don't leave it permanently switched on due to possible problems with aircraft, and it is also visible in the telescope eyepiece degrading or obscuring the view of the faint objects I observe.

Previously I have tried red lasers at night, but the beam is not visible, which defeats the object, although a dot could be seen on distant buildings. The low power red lasers I have tried cannot be used for locating objects in the night sky.

Really, I would just like to find a reasonably priced green laser, that is specified to work at substantially lower temperatures than +10C. Maybe someone in this forum has actually tested one out that does actually continue to work after its temperature has dropped.

Regards,
Pete.
 

tonyt

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Hi, as I have just said in another thread...

Buy a $4 ebay 650nm. It will say it is only <5mW but in reality it will be closer to and of not more than 50mW and will be perfect for your application. Any more power than that and even though it is red you will still loose part of your night vision. Or, go for a 561nm, 589nm or 593.5nm. They will cost you more but I actually find the "yellow" much easier to see against the black sky. Thanks is what I use for astronomy.
 
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Green lasers are notorious for its unstable output , its particularly sensitive to mode hopping due to temperature change.

Its best to operate lasers at a temperature around 20C+.
If you want to operate one at cold temperature,red solid state lasers are your best bet.
 
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