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ArcticMyst Security by Avery
Create a FAQ?
- Thread starter nikokapo
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It's a great idea, I will help with it as much as I can. In fact, we can post "rough draft" FAQs in this thread. Once we find the best one, we can either have C0ld sticky it, or maybe even have c0ld put it in HTML format and make a page like laserpointerforums.com/faq.htm or something like that. I'll get started on an FAQ that we can add to and make nice, I have nothing to do today so I'll write one for the heck of it 
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Edit: Chad, nikokapo, and I added some more, what else should we add?
Title: FAQ - Read before posting!
Message: Here is a list of frequently asked questions made by newer members of these forums. Please, before asking questions, read this list, and search the forum before posting. There is a 99% chance your question has already been answered before, so search around before asking questions.
Getting Started
What is a laser?
"Laser" is an acronym that stands for "Light Amplified by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation" For the technicals stuff regarding lasers, read Sam's Laser FAQ for a good idea of what lasers are and how they work. But don't worry, you don't need to know all of the technical info to get started in the laser hobby.
What do "mW" and "nm" mean?
mW stands for milliwatt, a measure of energy. nm stands for nanometer, a measure of length. In lasers, mW is used as a unit to describe the power of lasers. Basically the higher the power, the brighter the dot and beam will be. Also, with more power comes more burning capability. nm refers to the wavelength. Wavelength can basically be though of a specific color. Common wavelengths you will see here are 405nm (violet), 473nm (light blue), 532nm (green), 593.5nm (orange/yellow), and 650nm (red).
Your First Lasers
I want to buy my first laser, what one should I get?
Read over this topic, many of your questions regarding companies, the best cheap lasers, price, and power are answered there.
Okay, I just got a laser, what batteries should I use?
For pen style units that take AAAs, alkaline batteries are at the bottom of the best batteries list. The voltage of them sags after little use, and they die quickly in a high power consuming unit like a laser. Rechargeable AA's usually work the best, Eneloop AAAs by Sanyo are my personal favorite. For maximum performance from your laser, you also can buy expensive lithium AAA batteries, but after buying these for a while you will realize they do take a good chunk out of your laser budget!
DealExtreme? Is it reliable?
For a first laser, DealExtreme (DX for short) is a nice choice. They offer a lot of green lasers with different outputs, the 5mW is known to be good for presentations, nice and stable. But if you just want to see a bright beam at night, you should go with the 30mW one. The lasers at DX are not the best quality, but their great prices make up for this. There are some bad lasers sold at DX though, read around the forum to see which ones they sell are good and which ones are bad. And contrary to popular belief, the "true" series of their green lasers 50mW and under DO have IR filters.
But what's the deal with the "True" ones?
The "True" green laser pointers from DX are the ones which have a NewWish brand diode, which are known to be better than the generic ones used on the non-true laser pointers. If you want to be safe, you better go with the True Green 30mW. And contrary to popular belief, the "true" series of their green lasers 50mW and under DO have IR filters.
What about Kaidomain?
KD for short, it is a lot like DX, the 50mW CR2 green laser that they offer is known to be a good buy. Their 30mW option is said to be the same as the True 30mW from DX (although the first is cheaper).
DIY Laser Questions
How do I build a burning red laser?
You need to buy a laser diode and build a driver to power your diode. A great driver you can make at home is found here.\
I'm new to electronics, and that guide last me after the first sentence, can you help me?
A member here made a great video walk through on making a driver. It is easy to follow, check it out.
Where do I buy burning red laser diodes?
For burning red laser diodes, this is your best bet to start off with. Buy a couple of them, you will find yourself making mistakes that could kill your first diode, so it is always good to have backups. You can also get your laser diodes from DVD burners too. You can also buy a bunch of other parts you need to build laser with at that site, including DIY laser diode Driver kits, modules to heatsink and focus you laser diodes, and more.
I saw KipKay's laser flashlight hack, can I have some help?
DO NOT follow KipKay's laser flashlight hack. In that video, KipKay hooks the laser diode directly up to the batteries with no current regulation at all. One of the biggest "no-nos" in the DIY laser hobby is too hook a laser diode directly up to batteries. Doing this fries your laser diode because they can't take the full power of the batteries. I know you're thinking that it will still work because KipKay's laser lasted more than a few seconds, but here is the reasoning behind why you shouldn't. Laser diodes require a specific current to run properly, KipKay doesn't use any regulation whatsoever so all of the power of the batteries pours into the laser diode, melting out the tiny components inside. So don't do his mod. Really, don't!
I need a driver but I don't want to build my own. Where can I buy some?
The AMC7135 may be a good choice for you. It is small, cheap, and easy to use. Also, sometimes there are group buys for small drivers, so check out the Group Buys section for good drivers.
Safety Questions
Do I really need eye protection?
Yes, technically for anything over 5mW you need goggles for. Goggles usually run around $50 a pair, but you have to realize that your eyes are worth more than $50. One unlucky hit in the eye with a big laser and you will have a permanent blind spot. A saying you will hear around here is "You can only look into a high powered laser twice, once with each eye". This is because it only takes a tiny fraction of a second to blind yourself or severely damage your eyes.
Can I use sunglasses or Welding Goggles for at least some laser protection?
No. This is a common misconception. All sunglasses/welding masks will do is make your pupils dilate, which makes the potential for damage much greater. Need a demonstration? Watch this short clip.
Browsing the Forum
All of the abbreviations and terms are confusing me, what do they mean?
LD = Laser Diode
DDL's Curcuit = Daedal's Circuit, a great laser diode driver that Deadal, a member here, developed.
WL = Wicked Lasers, one of the first companies to sell high powered lasers in pen size. Does not have a good reputation around here because they are known to send out underspec units.
LG = LaserGlow, a company that sells a wide variety of lasers.
TL = Techlasers, a branch of Wicked Lasers.
SenKat Diode = A laser diode equivalent to the red laser diode found in 16x DVD burners, sold by a member that quit here. He still runs the shop that sells them, sales.stonetek.org.
DX = DealExtreme, a company based in China that sells many, many gadgets at cheap prices. They sell mediocre green lasers a great prices.
KD = Kaidomain, a company that sells a wide variety of products, including cheap green lasers.
Dilda-Lazor = A 200mW red pen-sized laser sold by the company DealExtreme. It got it's name because it resembles, well, you know :
This FAQ was written by styropyro, Chad, and nikokapo.
Title: FAQ - Read before posting!
Message: Here is a list of frequently asked questions made by newer members of these forums. Please, before asking questions, read this list, and search the forum before posting. There is a 99% chance your question has already been answered before, so search around before asking questions.
Getting Started
What is a laser?
"Laser" is an acronym that stands for "Light Amplified by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation" For the technicals stuff regarding lasers, read Sam's Laser FAQ for a good idea of what lasers are and how they work. But don't worry, you don't need to know all of the technical info to get started in the laser hobby.
What do "mW" and "nm" mean?
mW stands for milliwatt, a measure of energy. nm stands for nanometer, a measure of length. In lasers, mW is used as a unit to describe the power of lasers. Basically the higher the power, the brighter the dot and beam will be. Also, with more power comes more burning capability. nm refers to the wavelength. Wavelength can basically be though of a specific color. Common wavelengths you will see here are 405nm (violet), 473nm (light blue), 532nm (green), 593.5nm (orange/yellow), and 650nm (red).
Your First Lasers
I want to buy my first laser, what one should I get?
Read over this topic, many of your questions regarding companies, the best cheap lasers, price, and power are answered there.
Okay, I just got a laser, what batteries should I use?
For pen style units that take AAAs, alkaline batteries are at the bottom of the best batteries list. The voltage of them sags after little use, and they die quickly in a high power consuming unit like a laser. Rechargeable AA's usually work the best, Eneloop AAAs by Sanyo are my personal favorite. For maximum performance from your laser, you also can buy expensive lithium AAA batteries, but after buying these for a while you will realize they do take a good chunk out of your laser budget!
DealExtreme? Is it reliable?
For a first laser, DealExtreme (DX for short) is a nice choice. They offer a lot of green lasers with different outputs, the 5mW is known to be good for presentations, nice and stable. But if you just want to see a bright beam at night, you should go with the 30mW one. The lasers at DX are not the best quality, but their great prices make up for this. There are some bad lasers sold at DX though, read around the forum to see which ones they sell are good and which ones are bad. And contrary to popular belief, the "true" series of their green lasers 50mW and under DO have IR filters.
But what's the deal with the "True" ones?
The "True" green laser pointers from DX are the ones which have a NewWish brand diode, which are known to be better than the generic ones used on the non-true laser pointers. If you want to be safe, you better go with the True Green 30mW. And contrary to popular belief, the "true" series of their green lasers 50mW and under DO have IR filters.
What about Kaidomain?
KD for short, it is a lot like DX, the 50mW CR2 green laser that they offer is known to be a good buy. Their 30mW option is said to be the same as the True 30mW from DX (although the first is cheaper).
DIY Laser Questions
How do I build a burning red laser?
You need to buy a laser diode and build a driver to power your diode. A great driver you can make at home is found here.\
I'm new to electronics, and that guide last me after the first sentence, can you help me?
A member here made a great video walk through on making a driver. It is easy to follow, check it out.
Where do I buy burning red laser diodes?
For burning red laser diodes, this is your best bet to start off with. Buy a couple of them, you will find yourself making mistakes that could kill your first diode, so it is always good to have backups. You can also get your laser diodes from DVD burners too. You can also buy a bunch of other parts you need to build laser with at that site, including DIY laser diode Driver kits, modules to heatsink and focus you laser diodes, and more.
I saw KipKay's laser flashlight hack, can I have some help?
DO NOT follow KipKay's laser flashlight hack. In that video, KipKay hooks the laser diode directly up to the batteries with no current regulation at all. One of the biggest "no-nos" in the DIY laser hobby is too hook a laser diode directly up to batteries. Doing this fries your laser diode because they can't take the full power of the batteries. I know you're thinking that it will still work because KipKay's laser lasted more than a few seconds, but here is the reasoning behind why you shouldn't. Laser diodes require a specific current to run properly, KipKay doesn't use any regulation whatsoever so all of the power of the batteries pours into the laser diode, melting out the tiny components inside. So don't do his mod. Really, don't!
I need a driver but I don't want to build my own. Where can I buy some?
The AMC7135 may be a good choice for you. It is small, cheap, and easy to use. Also, sometimes there are group buys for small drivers, so check out the Group Buys section for good drivers.
Safety Questions
Do I really need eye protection?
Yes, technically for anything over 5mW you need goggles for. Goggles usually run around $50 a pair, but you have to realize that your eyes are worth more than $50. One unlucky hit in the eye with a big laser and you will have a permanent blind spot. A saying you will hear around here is "You can only look into a high powered laser twice, once with each eye". This is because it only takes a tiny fraction of a second to blind yourself or severely damage your eyes.
Can I use sunglasses or Welding Goggles for at least some laser protection?
No. This is a common misconception. All sunglasses/welding masks will do is make your pupils dilate, which makes the potential for damage much greater. Need a demonstration? Watch this short clip.
Browsing the Forum
All of the abbreviations and terms are confusing me, what do they mean?
LD = Laser Diode
DDL's Curcuit = Daedal's Circuit, a great laser diode driver that Deadal, a member here, developed.
WL = Wicked Lasers, one of the first companies to sell high powered lasers in pen size. Does not have a good reputation around here because they are known to send out underspec units.
LG = LaserGlow, a company that sells a wide variety of lasers.
TL = Techlasers, a branch of Wicked Lasers.
SenKat Diode = A laser diode equivalent to the red laser diode found in 16x DVD burners, sold by a member that quit here. He still runs the shop that sells them, sales.stonetek.org.
DX = DealExtreme, a company based in China that sells many, many gadgets at cheap prices. They sell mediocre green lasers a great prices.
KD = Kaidomain, a company that sells a wide variety of products, including cheap green lasers.
Dilda-Lazor = A 200mW red pen-sized laser sold by the company DealExtreme. It got it's name because it resembles, well, you know :
This FAQ was written by styropyro, Chad, and nikokapo.
That's a good start, you should also include the link to the AMC7135 driver in case people don't want to make their own, also the link on how to build DDL's driver, how to test it. And Kenom's dorcy walkthrough.
- Joined
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- Points
- 83
Isn't that my personal text/quote? Or did I reinvent the wheel? ;D Anyhow, well done! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
thanks for the answers guys
styro: you are missing one ] in the [url*] at the end.
IMO we should start the FAQ with some common knowledge stuff like (but very brief so it is not too much info but just the right amount):
What is a L.A.S.E.R.?
-Wavelength
-Visible Spectrum
-Divergence and some other specifications (for further information for them when they want to buy, so they don't start asking "is this laser good?").
-More ;D
what i'm trying to say is that we need some theory first, aided by some nice pics of course
styro: you are missing one ] in the [url*] at the end.
IMO we should start the FAQ with some common knowledge stuff like (but very brief so it is not too much info but just the right amount):
What is a L.A.S.E.R.?
-Wavelength
-Visible Spectrum
-Divergence and some other specifications (for further information for them when they want to buy, so they don't start asking "is this laser good?").
-More ;D
what i'm trying to say is that we need some theory first, aided by some nice pics of course
My contribution to Styro's. I think it's better to just say what needs to be said in a somewhat condensed form, rather than linking all over the place. And, not including links to everything encourages people to look around for it... It's served its purpose before, usually weeding out the "z0mg teh l4z0r is kewl omfg weres can i gets one of dem for $2?!?1/?!" kinda people out of the crowd.
I'll add more later... I'm tired lol.
Title: FAQ - Read before posting!
Message: Here is a list of FAQ's commonly made by newer members of these forums. Please, before asking questions, read this list, and search the forum before posting. It is extremely likely that your question has been asked before - You just need to look for it.
General Questions
I want to buy my first laser... What should I get?
This is a difficult question. It depends on YOUR wants and needs, and chances are that we don't have a clue what those are. Basically, there are 4 well-known companies that are extremely reliable, and will never dissapoint: Nova Lasers (www.novalasers.com), Optotronics (www.optotronics.com), Laserglow (www.laserglow.com), and Blaze Lasers. (www.blazelasers.com). Between those 4, you should be able to find what you need for a relatively low price.
Keep in mind, though, that there are many more companies that can't be trusted to give you anywhere near what you pay for. The most common company is Wicked Lasers. They are infamous for selling overpriced, underspec lasers. They market to people who have no experience with lasers, and that tactic is what's kept them alive for so long. There's also Techlasers, Dragon Lasers, and a huge amount of no-name places who sell under-spec CNI's, Newwish/Spymodex's and knockoffs of WL's and Optotronics' products.
In closing, there's also www.dealextreme.com. However praised among the forum, they still aren't reputable, and you won't get a satisfactory laser. They still manage to beat out WL, however.
DIY Laser Questions
How do I build a burning red laser?
You need to buy a laser diode and build a driver to power your diode. A great driver you can make at home is found here.
Where do I buy burning red laser diodes?
You can buy 16x DVD diodes, Aixiz modules, driver board parts, and lots more here: www.stonetek.org/shop
I saw KipKay's laser flashlight hack, can I have some help?
DO NOT follow KipKay's laser flashlight hack. He is, with all due respect, an idiot. If you feel like killing some of those spare diodes that you have lying around, then by all means do it. Otherwise, hecks no. Why is it so bad, you ask? Diodes require a specific amount of voltage and current to operate properly. Kip's hack doesn't regulate anything, and the batteries are free to run rampant with all their little quirks and spikes. Driver boards regulate voltage and current, and ensure that your laser will last longer than 10 minutes.
Safety Questions
Do I really need eye protection?
Yes. Technically, you need them for any laser over 10mWs. They can be expensive, but your eyes are worth much more. It only takes a tiny fraction of a second to blind yourself, or severely damage your eyes. After all, you only ever get 2, and in this case it's better to be safe than sorry.
Can I use sunglasses or Welding Goggles for at least some laser protection?
No. This is a common misconception. All sunglasses/welding masks will do is make your pupils dilate, which makes the potential for damage much greater. Need a demonstration? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTVQzc75YiQ
I'll add more later... I'm tired lol.
Title: FAQ - Read before posting!
Message: Here is a list of FAQ's commonly made by newer members of these forums. Please, before asking questions, read this list, and search the forum before posting. It is extremely likely that your question has been asked before - You just need to look for it.
General Questions
I want to buy my first laser... What should I get?
This is a difficult question. It depends on YOUR wants and needs, and chances are that we don't have a clue what those are. Basically, there are 4 well-known companies that are extremely reliable, and will never dissapoint: Nova Lasers (www.novalasers.com), Optotronics (www.optotronics.com), Laserglow (www.laserglow.com), and Blaze Lasers. (www.blazelasers.com). Between those 4, you should be able to find what you need for a relatively low price.
Keep in mind, though, that there are many more companies that can't be trusted to give you anywhere near what you pay for. The most common company is Wicked Lasers. They are infamous for selling overpriced, underspec lasers. They market to people who have no experience with lasers, and that tactic is what's kept them alive for so long. There's also Techlasers, Dragon Lasers, and a huge amount of no-name places who sell under-spec CNI's, Newwish/Spymodex's and knockoffs of WL's and Optotronics' products.
In closing, there's also www.dealextreme.com. However praised among the forum, they still aren't reputable, and you won't get a satisfactory laser. They still manage to beat out WL, however.
DIY Laser Questions
How do I build a burning red laser?
You need to buy a laser diode and build a driver to power your diode. A great driver you can make at home is found here.
Where do I buy burning red laser diodes?
You can buy 16x DVD diodes, Aixiz modules, driver board parts, and lots more here: www.stonetek.org/shop
I saw KipKay's laser flashlight hack, can I have some help?
DO NOT follow KipKay's laser flashlight hack. He is, with all due respect, an idiot. If you feel like killing some of those spare diodes that you have lying around, then by all means do it. Otherwise, hecks no. Why is it so bad, you ask? Diodes require a specific amount of voltage and current to operate properly. Kip's hack doesn't regulate anything, and the batteries are free to run rampant with all their little quirks and spikes. Driver boards regulate voltage and current, and ensure that your laser will last longer than 10 minutes.
Safety Questions
Do I really need eye protection?
Yes. Technically, you need them for any laser over 10mWs. They can be expensive, but your eyes are worth much more. It only takes a tiny fraction of a second to blind yourself, or severely damage your eyes. After all, you only ever get 2, and in this case it's better to be safe than sorry.
Can I use sunglasses or Welding Goggles for at least some laser protection?
No. This is a common misconception. All sunglasses/welding masks will do is make your pupils dilate, which makes the potential for damage much greater. Need a demonstration? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTVQzc75YiQ
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2007
- Messages
- 5,410
- Points
- 113
I used some of Chad's additions and I added some more to the FAQ guide myself, is there anything else we should add?
DealExtreme? Is it reliable?
For a first laser, DealExtreme (DX for short) is a nice choice. They offer a lot of green lasers with different outputs, the 5mW is known to be good for presentations, nice and stable. But if you just want to see a bright beam at night, you should go with the 30mW one.
But what's the deal with the "True" ones?
Okay, the "True" green laser pointers from DX are the ones which have a newwish diode, which are known to be better than the generic ones used on the non-true laser pointers. If you want to be safe, better go with the True Green 30mW.
By the way, DX is a gamble, sometimes you get a good sturdy laser; but be warned, you can get one which mode hops and you will have to RMA (Return Merchandise authorization) it.
What about Kaidomain?
KD for short, it's almost the same as DX, the 50mW CR2 green laser has been known to be good. And the 30mW option is said to be the same as the True 30mW from DX (although the first is cheaper).
For a first laser, DealExtreme (DX for short) is a nice choice. They offer a lot of green lasers with different outputs, the 5mW is known to be good for presentations, nice and stable. But if you just want to see a bright beam at night, you should go with the 30mW one.
But what's the deal with the "True" ones?
Okay, the "True" green laser pointers from DX are the ones which have a newwish diode, which are known to be better than the generic ones used on the non-true laser pointers. If you want to be safe, better go with the True Green 30mW.
By the way, DX is a gamble, sometimes you get a good sturdy laser; but be warned, you can get one which mode hops and you will have to RMA (Return Merchandise authorization) it.
What about Kaidomain?
KD for short, it's almost the same as DX, the 50mW CR2 green laser has been known to be good. And the 30mW option is said to be the same as the True 30mW from DX (although the first is cheaper).
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2007
- Messages
- 5,410
- Points
- 113
I added nikokapo's stuff, and added a little extra onto what he said.
Another edit by me, mostly just spelling and grammar fixes. A few rewordings and additional stuff as well.
Title: Basic FAQ - Read before posting!
Here is a list of frequently asked questions made by newer members of these forums. Please, before asking questions, read this list, and search the forum before posting. There is a 99% chance your question has already been answered before, so search around before asking questions.
Getting Started
What is a laser?
"Laser" is an acronym that stands for "Light Amplified by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation" For the technicals stuff regarding lasers, read Sam's Laser FAQ for a good idea of what lasers are and how they work. Don't worry, you don't need to know all of the technical info to get started in the laser hobby.
What do "mW" and "nm" mean?
mW stands for milliwatt, a measure of energy. nm stands for nanometer, a measure of length. In lasers, mW is used as a unit to describe the power of lasers. Basically the higher the power, the brighter the dot and beam will be. Also, with more power comes more burning capability. nm refers to the wavelength. Wavelength can basically be though of a specific color. Common wavelengths you will see here are 405nm (violet), 473nm (blue), 532nm (green), 593.5nm (orange/yellow), and 650-670nm (red). This is a good illustration of the visible spectrum.
Your First Lasers
I want to buy my first laser, what one should I get?
This is a difficult question. It depends on YOUR wants and needs, and chances are that we don't have a clue what those are. Basically, there are 4 well-known companies that are extremely reliable, and will never disappoint: Nova Lasers (www.novalasers.com ), Optotronics (www.optotronics.com ), Laserglow (www.laserglow.com ), and Blaze Lasers. (www.blazelasers.com ). Between those 4, you should be able to find what you need for a relatively low price.
Keep in mind, though, that there are many more companies that can't be trusted to give you anywhere near what you pay for. The most common company is Wicked Lasers. They are infamous for selling overpriced, underspec lasers. They market to people who have no experience with lasers, and that tactic is what's kept them alive for so long.
In addition, read over this topic. Many other questions are answered there.
Okay, I just got a laser, what batteries should I use?
For pen style units that take AAAs, alkaline batteries are at the bottom of the best batteries list. The voltage of them sags after little use, and they die quickly in a high power consuming unit like a laser. Rechargeable batteries usually work the best, Eneloop AAAs by Sanyo are arguably the best ones. For maximum performance from your laser, you also can buy expensive lithium AAA batteries, but after buying these for a while you will realize they do take a good chunk out of your laser budget!
DealExtreme?
For a first laser, DealExtreme (DX for short) is a nice choice. They offer a lot of lasers with different outputs, the 5mW is known to be good for presentations, nice and stable. If you just want to see a bright beam at night, you should go with the 30mW one. The lasers at DX are not the best quality, but their great prices make up for this. There are some bad lasers sold at DX though, read around the forum to see which ones they sell are good and which ones are bad.
But what's the deal with the "True" ones?
The "True" green laser pointers from DX are the ones which have a NewWish brand diode, which are known to be more reliable than the generic ones used on the non-true laser pointers. If you want to be safe, go with the True Green 30mW. And contrary to popular belief, the "true" series of their green lasers 50mW and under DO have IR filters.
What about Kaidomain?
KD for short, it is a lot like DX, the 50mW CR2 green laser that they offer is known to be a good buy. Their 30mW option is said to be the same as the True 30mW from DX (although the first is cheaper).
DIY Laser Questions
DIY Lasers are a common interest around here, and there are many things you need to know before endeavoring to build one.
How do I build a burning red laser?
You need to buy a laser diode and build a driver to power your diode. A great driver you can make at home is found here.
Once you buy a diode and make a driver, this is a very good tutorial for slapping it all together.
I'm new to electronics, and I don't know how to make a driver. Help?
A member here made a great video walk through on making a driver. check it out.
Where do I buy burning red laser diodes?
For burning red laser diodes, this is your best bet to start off with. Buy a couple of them, as you will find yourself making mistakes that could kill your first diode. It's always good to have backups. You can also buy a bunch of other parts you need to build laser with at that site, including DIY laser diode Driver kits, modules to heatsink and focus your laser diodes, and more.
You can also buy DVD burners, and salvage the diode from them. This option, although more expensive, is a good way to get more powerful diodes than the ones offered in the store above.
I saw KipKay's laser flashlight hack, can I have some help?
DO NOT follow KipKay's laser flashlight hack. In that video, KipKay hooks the laser diode directly up to the batteries with no current regulation at all. One of the biggest "no-nos" in the DIY laser hobby is too hook a laser diode directly up to batteries. Diodes require a specific amount of voltage and current to run properly. Batteries usually don't come close to providing the correct amount of current, and as you can imagine, this will screw with the diode and kill it. Another common danger in batteries is voltage spikes, which will also immediately kill your diode. In short, driver boards prevent these from happening.
I need a driver but I don't want to build my own. Where can I buy some?
The AMC7135 may be a good choice for you. It's small, cheap, and easy to use. Also, sometimes there are group buys for small drivers, so check out the Group Buys section for good drivers.
Safety Questions
Do I really need eye protection?
Yes, technically for anything over 5mW you need goggles for. Goggles usually run around $50 a pair, but you have to realize that your eyes are worth more than whatever you pay for goggles. One unlucky hit in the eye with almost any laser and you will have a permanent blind spot. A saying you will hear around here is "You can only look into a high powered laser twice, once with each eye". This is because it only takes a tiny fraction of a second to blind yourself or severely damage your eyes.
Can I use sunglasses or Welding Goggles for at least some laser protection?
No. This is a common misconception. All sunglasses/welding masks will do is make your pupils dilate, which makes the potential for damage much greater. Need a demonstration? Watch this short clip.
Browsing the Forum
All of the abbreviations and terms are confusing me, what do they mean?
LD = Laser Diode
DDL's Circuit = Daedal's Circuit, a great laser diode driver that Daedal, a member here, developed.
WL = Wicked Lasers, one of the first companies to sell high powered lasers in pen size. Does not have a good reputation around here because they are known to send out underspec units.
LG = LaserGlow, a company that sells a wide variety of lasers.
TL = Techlasers, a branch of Wicked Lasers.
SenKat Diode, or SenDiode = A laser diode equivalent to the red laser diode found in 16x DVD burners, sold by a member that left here. He still runs the shop that sells them, Here.
DX = DealExtreme, a company based in China that sells many, many gadgets at cheap prices. They sell mediocre green lasers at great prices.
KD = Kaidomain, a company that sells a wide variety of products, including cheap green lasers.
Dilda-Lazor = A 200mW red pen-sized laser sold by the company DealExtreme. It got it's name because it resembles, well, you know. :
This FAQ was written by styropyro, Chad, and nikokapo.
Title: Basic FAQ - Read before posting!
Here is a list of frequently asked questions made by newer members of these forums. Please, before asking questions, read this list, and search the forum before posting. There is a 99% chance your question has already been answered before, so search around before asking questions.
Getting Started
What is a laser?
"Laser" is an acronym that stands for "Light Amplified by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation" For the technicals stuff regarding lasers, read Sam's Laser FAQ for a good idea of what lasers are and how they work. Don't worry, you don't need to know all of the technical info to get started in the laser hobby.
What do "mW" and "nm" mean?
mW stands for milliwatt, a measure of energy. nm stands for nanometer, a measure of length. In lasers, mW is used as a unit to describe the power of lasers. Basically the higher the power, the brighter the dot and beam will be. Also, with more power comes more burning capability. nm refers to the wavelength. Wavelength can basically be though of a specific color. Common wavelengths you will see here are 405nm (violet), 473nm (blue), 532nm (green), 593.5nm (orange/yellow), and 650-670nm (red). This is a good illustration of the visible spectrum.
Your First Lasers
I want to buy my first laser, what one should I get?
This is a difficult question. It depends on YOUR wants and needs, and chances are that we don't have a clue what those are. Basically, there are 4 well-known companies that are extremely reliable, and will never disappoint: Nova Lasers (www.novalasers.com ), Optotronics (www.optotronics.com ), Laserglow (www.laserglow.com ), and Blaze Lasers. (www.blazelasers.com ). Between those 4, you should be able to find what you need for a relatively low price.
Keep in mind, though, that there are many more companies that can't be trusted to give you anywhere near what you pay for. The most common company is Wicked Lasers. They are infamous for selling overpriced, underspec lasers. They market to people who have no experience with lasers, and that tactic is what's kept them alive for so long.
In addition, read over this topic. Many other questions are answered there.
Okay, I just got a laser, what batteries should I use?
For pen style units that take AAAs, alkaline batteries are at the bottom of the best batteries list. The voltage of them sags after little use, and they die quickly in a high power consuming unit like a laser. Rechargeable batteries usually work the best, Eneloop AAAs by Sanyo are arguably the best ones. For maximum performance from your laser, you also can buy expensive lithium AAA batteries, but after buying these for a while you will realize they do take a good chunk out of your laser budget!
DealExtreme?
For a first laser, DealExtreme (DX for short) is a nice choice. They offer a lot of lasers with different outputs, the 5mW is known to be good for presentations, nice and stable. If you just want to see a bright beam at night, you should go with the 30mW one. The lasers at DX are not the best quality, but their great prices make up for this. There are some bad lasers sold at DX though, read around the forum to see which ones they sell are good and which ones are bad.
But what's the deal with the "True" ones?
The "True" green laser pointers from DX are the ones which have a NewWish brand diode, which are known to be more reliable than the generic ones used on the non-true laser pointers. If you want to be safe, go with the True Green 30mW. And contrary to popular belief, the "true" series of their green lasers 50mW and under DO have IR filters.
What about Kaidomain?
KD for short, it is a lot like DX, the 50mW CR2 green laser that they offer is known to be a good buy. Their 30mW option is said to be the same as the True 30mW from DX (although the first is cheaper).
DIY Laser Questions
DIY Lasers are a common interest around here, and there are many things you need to know before endeavoring to build one.
How do I build a burning red laser?
You need to buy a laser diode and build a driver to power your diode. A great driver you can make at home is found here.
Once you buy a diode and make a driver, this is a very good tutorial for slapping it all together.
I'm new to electronics, and I don't know how to make a driver. Help?
A member here made a great video walk through on making a driver. check it out.
Where do I buy burning red laser diodes?
For burning red laser diodes, this is your best bet to start off with. Buy a couple of them, as you will find yourself making mistakes that could kill your first diode. It's always good to have backups. You can also buy a bunch of other parts you need to build laser with at that site, including DIY laser diode Driver kits, modules to heatsink and focus your laser diodes, and more.
You can also buy DVD burners, and salvage the diode from them. This option, although more expensive, is a good way to get more powerful diodes than the ones offered in the store above.
I saw KipKay's laser flashlight hack, can I have some help?
DO NOT follow KipKay's laser flashlight hack. In that video, KipKay hooks the laser diode directly up to the batteries with no current regulation at all. One of the biggest "no-nos" in the DIY laser hobby is too hook a laser diode directly up to batteries. Diodes require a specific amount of voltage and current to run properly. Batteries usually don't come close to providing the correct amount of current, and as you can imagine, this will screw with the diode and kill it. Another common danger in batteries is voltage spikes, which will also immediately kill your diode. In short, driver boards prevent these from happening.
I need a driver but I don't want to build my own. Where can I buy some?
The AMC7135 may be a good choice for you. It's small, cheap, and easy to use. Also, sometimes there are group buys for small drivers, so check out the Group Buys section for good drivers.
Safety Questions
Do I really need eye protection?
Yes, technically for anything over 5mW you need goggles for. Goggles usually run around $50 a pair, but you have to realize that your eyes are worth more than whatever you pay for goggles. One unlucky hit in the eye with almost any laser and you will have a permanent blind spot. A saying you will hear around here is "You can only look into a high powered laser twice, once with each eye". This is because it only takes a tiny fraction of a second to blind yourself or severely damage your eyes.
Can I use sunglasses or Welding Goggles for at least some laser protection?
No. This is a common misconception. All sunglasses/welding masks will do is make your pupils dilate, which makes the potential for damage much greater. Need a demonstration? Watch this short clip.
Browsing the Forum
All of the abbreviations and terms are confusing me, what do they mean?
LD = Laser Diode
DDL's Circuit = Daedal's Circuit, a great laser diode driver that Daedal, a member here, developed.
WL = Wicked Lasers, one of the first companies to sell high powered lasers in pen size. Does not have a good reputation around here because they are known to send out underspec units.
LG = LaserGlow, a company that sells a wide variety of lasers.
TL = Techlasers, a branch of Wicked Lasers.
SenKat Diode, or SenDiode = A laser diode equivalent to the red laser diode found in 16x DVD burners, sold by a member that left here. He still runs the shop that sells them, Here.
DX = DealExtreme, a company based in China that sells many, many gadgets at cheap prices. They sell mediocre green lasers at great prices.
KD = Kaidomain, a company that sells a wide variety of products, including cheap green lasers.
Dilda-Lazor = A 200mW red pen-sized laser sold by the company DealExtreme. It got it's name because it resembles, well, you know. :
This FAQ was written by styropyro, Chad, and nikokapo.
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Nice edit Chad, but I want to add a little thing under "I want to buy my first laser, what one should I get? " I think we should leave out the companies part because it is covered in the topic I linked to. Also, I'm a little reluctant to put Blaze in the top companies list, this is because there are no reviews on products from them. I'm sure they are a great company, and nothing against BlueFusion or Spyrorocks, but we can't give them the best company status if there are barely any reviews about them. When it comes to companies here at LPF usually it is "Guilty until proven innocent", so it wouldn't be fair to switch for one company.
Also, I didn't make it clear enough on voltage spikes in my last edit so I'll go fix it. Voltage spikes itself don't kill laser diodes, you can run a laser diode at 100 volts if you really wanted to as long as you kept the current at a good level, but with voltage spikes also comes higher current because of Ohm's Law, and the higher current is what kills laser diodes..
Also, I didn't make it clear enough on voltage spikes in my last edit so I'll go fix it. Voltage spikes itself don't kill laser diodes, you can run a laser diode at 100 volts if you really wanted to as long as you kept the current at a good level, but with voltage spikes also comes higher current because of Ohm's Law, and the higher current is what kills laser diodes..
