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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Did I ruin my laser

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Hello, I had a great red laser that was super bright. I pointed it into the mirror and reflected it right back into itself and now it isn't as bright. Why is this? Is there a way to fix it? Thanks.
 





Ears and Eggs

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Hello, I had a great red laser that was super bright. I pointed it into the mirror and reflected it right back into itself and now it isn't as bright. Why is this? Is there a way to fix it? Thanks.



Doing this can damaged the diode in certain cases. Depends on what power and type of laser. Can you post some more details about your laser? Power, model, etc.
 
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Your terminated your laser, since laser can not terminate it self, it must be over 300+mW i think for the laser to get terminated in a mirror !!!:can:
 
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It's a 650nm 5mw red laser. It's a usb charging laser. The light it omits now is very weak. It's like it has a concentrated centre point with a line running through it. I was about 1 metre + from the mirror
 
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It's a 650nm 5mw red laser. It's a usb charging laser. The light it omits now is very weak. It's like it has a concentrated centre point with a line running through it. I was about 1 metre + from the mirror

Well 5mW's of 650nm is pretty dim to start with. What kind of laser is it? Where did you buy it from? Have you charged the laser?

-Alex
 
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I bought it from banggood website. Yea I've charged it and left on a charge for a while and still the same. I've had other red lasers and this one was by far the brightest. I was using it as a flash light sometimes but now it's really weak. How did that even happen? Can the diode fry if it shines back on itself?
 
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the laser has something called a laser diode, which emits the light from a very small point, however the light does not come out perfectly straight, it diverges and makes a large circle, so the laser has a lens to collimate it into a nice, straight beam. when the beam goes back in (becuase you pointed it at a miror) the lens then focuses the beam right back onto the diode, breaking the laser diode. this is definitely what happened to your laser.
 

Gabe

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Was probably a garbage overdriven laser that had to be advertised as 5mW to be put in the website, banghard or whatever you said it was. Something probably crapped out in there, and the mirror pointing was coincidental. Too far away and too weak for the laser to come back and damage its own lens/diode.
 
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Was probably a garbage overdriven laser that had to be advertised as 5mW to be put in the website, banghard or whatever you said it was. Something probably crapped out in there, and the mirror pointing was coincidental. Too far away and too weak for the laser to come back and damage its own lens/diode.

nah, i did the same thing with a laser 303 from across a room with a poor, scratched up stainless steel mirror/plate thing. the beam in collimated into a spot the size of the emitter back onto the diode, so it doesn't take much power to kill it.
 
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Was probably a garbage overdriven laser that had to be advertised as 5mW to be put in the website, banghard or whatever you said it was. Something probably crapped out in there, and the mirror pointing was coincidental. Too far away and too weak for the laser to come back and damage its own lens/diode.


I Have To Agree,i think the laser was overdriven and just brook in the perfect timing when you pointed it on the mirror / and i do have a lot of YL laser's and some other 303 lasers (( I Use For Testing Purposes ))
i will do the test ! Ok So i did the test laser's work fine. :pop:
 

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so you guys are just ignoring what i'm saying? this happened to me before and its kinda obvious what happened...
 
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Gabe

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so you guys are just ignoring what i'm saying? this happened to me before and its kinda obvious what happened...

Yep, yer right ;)
Sometimes you gotta touch the paint to check if it's still wet.
:crackup:
 
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Wow, thanks for all the replies. I wasn't expecting videos and pictures. Really appreciate it. All the responses has definitely gotten me more interested in the laser hobby. Thanks all.

So it looks like i did ruin my laser by shining it into the mirror. Sorry to hear you ruined your laser too Gabe. Hopefully no one else will try this experiment and we won't have any more ruined lasers. Thanks for the pictures Alien Laser, be careful doing it, you don't want to ruin your lasers too.

Looks like i'll be getting a new laser so. I'm thinking i'll get a green one this time.
 

GSS

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Forteanman, you were just helped by the smartest and youngest (still cant get over their knowledge) that one day will be the oldest vets here. Anyway thanks for a lesson of teaching me with what not to do with a laser. Ive never seen another posted but im sure its here, but sorry it cost you a laser:)
 
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Thanks, not to worry, it was my first laser, so will be getting a better spec one now.

Ive posted a few pics of my ruined laser to show you.
 

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