First laser, what cheap goggles will protect me?

[Wikwoo]

So, I cancelled the order. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right. I'm probably going to end up buying a 100mW or something from SciFi lasers.

 

[Apocalypse]

So, I cancelled the order. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right. I'm probably going to end up buying a 100mW or something from SciFi lasers.

Why not build one from a module and a host? It may not be cheaper but you learn a lot by building one about how laser pointers work and it's a lot of fun. You can always ask the forum for help in the process.

 

[Pi R Squared]

Why not build one from a module and a host? It may not be cheaper but you learn a lot by building one about how laser pointers work and it's a lot of fun. You can always ask the forum for help in the process.

That's also good advice for people from certain countries including Canada, it will almost eliminate any chance of losing it to customs.

Alan

 

[Wikwoo]

I tried doing that once but it seemed really complicated, I had a diode already but I didn't really know what to do with it lol

 

[Benm]

Building one yourself from components surely is fun, but only if you enjoy that sort of thing. I can understand why people would not want to bother with it.

Then again, when getting your first laser i would not recommend getting anything really powerful. Stick with something that is realiable and has much lowre power rating.

Here on LPF we often discuss lasers that pack a serious punch, often class-IV things that go up to several watts. These lasers are obviously great, but buying something like that is a bit like trying to drive a car for the first time in a lambo - with a good chance of injury.

Getting an affordable but reliable 5 mW laser as a first really is a good thing to do. You will get knowledgeable about the risks from reflections and such wihtout putting your eyesight into serious harm. Get a feel for what it does and how light can bounce.

If you jump in with a 500 mW laser a dangerous mistake is easily made - the reflection from a common house window using a laser like that will cause eye damage before you can blink, literally.