First burning laser

[mrmike41325]

This is my first time buying a burning laser, and I don't think I know enough about them yet to make a good choice on which laser to get (wavelength, mW's, etc...) or where to get it from.

Can anyone help me decide? I want a laser that is easy to see in daylight, and can burn pretty easily, but I don't want to spend more than ~$150/$175 total including two pairs of safety glasses.

I did a little research and found a 200mW "bluray" laser at O-like for $105 and then the glasses are $19 each. Here's the link: www.o-like.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=25

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Kulhu]

This is my first time buying a burning laser, and I don't think I know enough about them yet to make a good choice on which laser to get (wavelength, mW's, etc...) or where to get it from.

Can anyone help me decide? I want a laser that is easy to see in daylight, and can burn pretty easily, but I don't want to spend more than ~$150/$175 total including two pairs of safety glasses.

I did a little research and found a 200mW "bluray" laser at O-like for $105 and then the glasses are $19 each. Here's the link: www.o-like.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=25

Thanks in advance for your help!

Violasers are nice but you would want a green laser more.

Look around at rayfoss.com , you wont regret it.

 

[Folder]

novalasers, dragonlasers, optontronics, etc, all sell good lasers but they're expensive. If laser pointers are legal in your country, just buy a 100mw 'true' from DX (and they're pretty close to 100mw) and two pairs of $6 OD5+ safety glases from focalprice

 

[mrmike41325]

I'm in the US, so DX (I'm assuming you mean DealExtreme) won't ship anything higher than 5mW.

I have another question, any green 100mW+ will burn right? And would it be worth it to spend a little more for a 200mW, or would I not notice the difference?

 

[Folder]

If you want a 200mw, that actually achieves 200mw, you will pay A LOT more than you will for a 100mw that actually achieves 100mw. A 100mw laser will pop balloons, light matches and smoke various black objects, and go as far as you need it do. I'd probably just buy a 100mw.

 

[mrmike41325]

Okay, 100mW it is. I took at look at Rayfoss, and there appear to be a bunch of 100mW green lasers. How do I choose? Or is it just whichever one I think looks coolest?

 

[qumefox]

Try to go with one that states it's IR filtered.

 

[mrmike41325]

Okay thanks. This is hopefully my last question, but what are the chances that a laser from Rayfoss will get caught in customs? And if the chances are high, is there a way to lower them (special ordering option maybe?)

 

[qumefox]

There is always a chance, but most stuff gets through. 99% of the made in china stuff has <5mw stickers on it anyway regardless of power. The only way customs would know is if you were unlucky enough to actually have your package picked as one they were actually going to open and measure.

 

[mrmike41325]

I read in a few places on these forums that Rayfoss will replace the warning label with a <5mW label if you ask, would that help?

Also, I forgot to ask this earlier, but what exactly is the "ir filter" for?

 

[qumefox]

Filters out the infrared. 532nm is a DPSS laser. Which means it's not just a laser diode.

What's happening is that an 808nm pump diode is pumping a ND:YVO4 crystal, which converts it to 1064nm. Then a KTP crystal frequency doubles that into 532nm. Unfiltered, it puts out both 532nm and 1064nm beams. The latter of which is bad because it usually diverges a bit more than the 532nm beam, so you end up with a halo of invisible IR around your green dot, which is usually of enough power to cause eye damage even though you can't even tell it's there. You could catch a IR reflection back into the eye and not even know it until it was too late.

 

[mrmike41325]

How do you know if it has an IR filter?
Here's the one I'm looking at: www.rayfoss.com

 

[qumefox]

That one isn't filtered. You'll notice if you look on the list, the ones that are filtered are advertised as such. If you have much mechanical ability, adding a filter isn't that big of an issue, or expensive. $5 plus a little epoxy.

 

[mrmike41325]

None of the 100mW green lasers say IR filtered.... I have epoxy, so that's not an issue, but where do I get a filter?

As an alternative, I've seen a lot of posts about building a laser instead of buying one, and I'd be interested in trying that if it's not too hard or expensive to make one. (I have some soldering experience.) I would have no idea where to start though....

 

[qumefox]

One piece IR Filter - eBay (item 140442209584 end time Sep-17-10 07:39:15 PDT)

 

[Toke]

There is a good link to red starters kits in my sig. (Remember to buy batteries)
The site have stuff to assemple a green laser too.

If you look around a bit you may find kits in the US as well.