focusing a Sanwu 445nm, 3000mw

[Alien Laser]

The plywood was a payed actor

 

[paul1598419]

If your CR123s are new batteries they should be able to supply enough current to pop a balloon as long as it is of a different color than the laser. I have used them with 1.8 amp buck drivers without any power differences over the Li-ion ones. Back when I was popping balloons I used black ones. They absorb laser light the best. You need to focus your laser to infinity, the smallest dot you can get at 20 feet. Leave it there and try to pop a balloon at 6 feet.

 

[Frank T]

If your CR123s are new batteries they should be able to supply enough current to pop a balloon as long as it is of a different color than the laser. I have used them with 1.8 amp buck drivers without any power differences over the Li-ion ones. Back when I was popping balloons I used black ones. They absorb laser light the best. You need to focus your laser to infinity, the smallest dot you can get at 20 feet. Leave it there and try to pop a balloon at 6 feet.

Well, the correct, 16340s will be delivered by this Saturday. I tried a few days ago with a black balloon and nothing!....then I used my 200mw 532nm green and it popped almost instantaneously....I will try again with the correct batteries and focus it as you suggest...then see where I go from there....

 

[Encap]

Return it for a refund or replacement, if 16340 batteries do not resolve the low output power issue.

 

[Frank T]

thats my plan....

 

[Alaskan]

As a laser pointer forum we ought to come up with a way to cheaply measure the power output of a laser by measuring the temperature rise of a common object (mass), read this for some ideas:

Thermal measurement of laser power

 

[GSS]

How about a set of something like 10 different blocks of wax or any substance and each block starts to melt in intervals of 10mw, 100mw, 1W, 2W, etc..