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ConsumerPla.net 10 page review of 5mW laser pointers

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KasualObserver

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ConsumerPla.net recently published a long review of low power laser pointers. Much of the information came from this forum:-)

Let us know what you think - in particular if you have other/ better picks, if you disagree with our picks, or if you find incorrect information - we'd love to get some expert users to validate the review!
 
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Seems like an extensive piece of writing!

I suppose LPF isn't a place with many users looking for <5 mW lasers, but a fair word of warning would be that pointers rated as 5 mW devices can have substantially more or less power than advertised. I think your picks are mostly good in that regard though, but people should be warned that getting '5 mW' lasers from dealextreme and such can be good value, but also overpowered more dangerous devices.

Also, the articles jumble between green and red pointers, while those are entirely different beasts in almost all regards. Recommending a 5 mW 635 nm over a 650 nm is a good idea in terms of brightness/safety concerns. Red lasers are much more stable in power generally compared to greens, and also lack any danger of IR. Perhaps that should be clarified somewhat in the article.
 
BenM - great feedback - thanks so much! We rev'ed the review and incorporated your input across multiple pages.
 
hey kasual.... i read "what makes a good laser pointer".. its an ok write up. it's always good to put out more info to give consumers another leg up. but you shouldn't knock on the chinese companies... the ones mentioned through out LPF are actually pretty good with great warranties, and good customer service, and super cheap pricing. and under "power safety" you might want to change the part about unregulated lasers... see all laser diodes HAVE to be regulated... the LD will take in all current and destroy its self if un regulated


michael
 
  • Filter safety: in some wavelengths, in particular green, the best pointers also have an infrared (IR) filter for better eye protection. Even though the output power we are looking for is 5 mW, the actual diodes (or other devices) generating the original beam use much higher power, such as, for instance, 250 mW. In some cases (green is one) there can be significant leakage in the IR wavelengths, meaning that, unless there is an IR filter on the pointer, the damage to eyes or materials can be equivalent to a device many times more powerful than 5mW.Red lasers do not leak in the IR range and do not need a filter.
I also think you should mention (for the extreme noob) that what makes IR so dangerous, is that you cannot see the beam, or damage till its to late.
 
Chip Douglas - thanks so much for feedback - we modded the review to clarify APC, and also removed the sentence about the Chinese made lasers- Thanks!
 
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Tech Junkie - you are totally right - I am really glad you picked that up - we rev'ed the review - I am afraid we practically stole the words you used:-) Thanks so much!
 
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