ebay impulse purchases - I should be ashamed

[kenrok1]

Hi folks,
been lurking here a few days and finally signed in... so here's a great first post

I recently made a few impulse buys on ebay and I'm wondering if anyone would be interested in helping me offset?
I haven't even received them yet, but here's what I did:

on 2/7 bought 50mw green laser pen from "linkbillion" for $66.17 shipped

oh wait that's not gonna be powerful enough

on 2/9 bout 100mw green laser pen from "winlans" for $153.84 shipped

ok I'm an idiot, cuz I really want something w/more power

today: 2/13 bought 150mw laser from "evisu_workshop" for $310.59 shipped

keeping the last one... does anyone want the 50mw or 100mw (or both)

I'll offer a reasonable discount for my stupidity ~ say 10% off ea and free shipping
Of course I wouldn't accept payment until I actually had them.

If interested PM or email or just reply here. Happy to provide the links if anyone wants to post them here also.

Thanks!
-Ken

 

[SenKat]

I have dealt with all those vendors - the 50mw MAY be IR shielded (all of mine from him were) but not the others. Evisu will take bloody FOREVER to get to you - and be careful of the lenses !!! the 120mw/340mw one I have posted is from Evisu - I cannot SEE an IR filter, and with the HUGE difference in output power, I can almost guarrantee that it has no IR filter Which - if you are PREPARED for that - is not neccesarily a bad thing ! If you do sell those guys, I would suggest either a Dragon Viper 125 (NICE unit) or the Lucent Envee (again, NICE unit).

 

[kenrok1]

thanks for the info SenKat

I know - I should of read more first... Dragon was in my price range for what I ended up spending on the last one (which I plan on keeping) just looking to sell the 50 and the 100

Both look the like they are Newwish, so I'm crossing my fingers and hoping all 3 are all IR filtered


I'll PM you the links if you want to check them out or post them here.

 

[SenKat]

Yeah - the two new-wish ones most likely are filtered, that is a different model for the Evisu than I am used to seeing - so I cannot vouch for that one - looks very attractive, though - post your results, and impressions when it arrives.  I would be more than happy to assist if you want them tested out, power checked, and IR monitored. Just let me iknow if you want to do this...

Also - a  word of warning - do NOT use the AAA batteries that come with the New Wishes....they get stuck inside the laser, and are almost impossible to remove, short of destroying the laser.  Just toss them out - and put new alkalines, or rechargeable NiMh, or even Lithiums in there - but not the "generic" batts that come with it !!!

 

[crailtap25]

careful with that 150mw from evisu_workshop... i bought a 120mwfrom him before... theres no IR filter... luckily i returned it.

 

[kenrok1]

OK folks... since SenKat has generously offered to test these I'm going to send them to him as soon as I get them (unless somebody jumps in and wants them first) then I'll post them for sale w/his findings

stay tuned

 

[kenrok1]

sent this to the sellers and below are their responses

Hi, could you please tell me if this laser has an IR filter? Thanks.

linkbillion - 50mw

yes.

winlans - 100mw

Hi, we tried to contact our supplier but we didn't get their response because Feb.14-Feb.25 are the Chinese New year. Thanks, WInlans

evisu_workshop - 150mw

Per factory information that the laser has IR filter

guess we'll see if SenKat's testing vaildates this

 

[stevetexas]

even if there is NO IR filter, you can get them cheaper than returning the laser. (http://www.optics-online.com/irc.asp - the IRC21 seems best...)

The trick is to KNOW that there is IR, then it doesn't matter because you can protect yourself.

 

[pseudonomen137]

even if there is NO IR filter, you can get them cheaper than returning the laser.  (http://www.optics-online.com/irc.asp - the IRC21 seems best...)

The trick is to KNOW that there is IR, then it doesn't matter because you can protect yourself.  

Sorry, but I'm going to have to disagree with you here. Companies not including an IR filter isn't a cost-cutting mechanism, and the main issue is not saftey IMO. They could add the filters for a few cents and avoid a lot of that trouble. Why they don't though is so they can fraudulently hype up the power ratings.

If you count the IR+532nm output of a laser, you can say it has a much greater output. Slap an IR filter on and suddenly you lose that fake edge. Along the same lines, one could get a true CNI or WL laser and remove the IR filter, getting, for a cheaper price, a far more powerful IR+532nm laser than these other places. Its just a big scam from the bottom up and adding your own IR filter will cut out most of the "power" of the laser.

That said, owning an IR filter comes in handy at times. The most accurate way to test for excess residual IR is to test a laser with and without an external filter (on the lasercheck preferably, unless you need to know how much IR, in which case you need a thermal sensor) and see the difference. Sure beats having to tear into every laser to try to find the filter yourself.

 

[stevetexas]

I see your point and it does have merit (100% accurate). BUT, in case he isn't able to return it for a refund, there is still a way to use it safely.

 

[kenrok1]

hey thanks guys - I appreciate the input, and as cheap as the IR filters are I think I will pick one up and send it along to SenKat also for testing with & without

Would it be a correct assumption to say that if the lasers are properly filtered there should be a nominal drop in power with the external filter ~ and a significant drop if they are not IR filtered?

 

[stevetexas]

yes, the IR filter can remove a lot of that "power".  I think that is what Pseudo was getting at, and he is 100% correct.  

If they are already filtered, they are giving you the power in 532 nM only. Then the filtering drop is due primarily to loss from the additional optic, not any significant loss of IR. Unfiltered lasers can lose alot of "power" but the visible change will be minimal (the dot and beam will look the same).

The total power is that from all wavelengths combined (UV/IR/Visible).  Most green lasers dont put out any significant UV.  The Diode releases 808 nM (IR) that is converted to 1064 nM (IR) then back to 532 nM (visible green).  (correct me if I'm wrong about any of this)

The problem is that these pointers market the total output, not just the green.  You could have more than half the TOTAL power in IR and never know it unless you tested it.

 

[windstrings]

I think the point is not so much whether it has an IR filter or not.... like it was said.. as along as you know you can protect yourself and enjoy the added power.

The real problem is what your paying for what you get.

When you shop around and see how much power you can get for a given amount of bucks... its cheating and not fair if they don't reveal ther is no IR filtered but yet charges you the 125mw "filtered" price (approx 300.00) when in reality its mostly IR.

the point is you are really buying about a 35mw "filtered" laser that has has the filter removed thus making it 125mw and your paying for the higher power.

If you buy a "filtered 125mw" and then was to remove the IR filter, you would get much more power for money.... but it would have allot of IR.

Its like buying a car rated at 190horsepower and you think your getting a good buy and its really a 130 horsepower car with all the smog controls removed to give it more power.

In an attempt to clear this up.. I probrably made it muddier, but when you buy a laser, its "assumed" they are "all" IR filtered... if someone sells without it, they should not be getting the "filtered price" at that power rating.

My Dragon 125mw may be close to 350mw or more if all the IR filtering was removed.... see my point?

One way to compare... if there is allot of invisible IR mixed in the beam, there won't be as brilliant of a green color as one of the same power thats filtered.