G'Day

[G1yph]

Hi all,

Joined the forum in the hopes of finding a laser to suit some challenging specs, still debating and open to advice!

Needs to (order of importance):
Be safe for presentations indoors
Rugged enough to go camping with
Astro Point well
Cost ~$100

Possibly point at rock outcrop during daylight up to 10m away (but this may just not be possible).

I've looked at:
Sanwu - top powerful? Great build quality
Laserglow - not rugged enough? Ripoff for money? Forum seems split here
Dragon Lasers - way too expensive

So that's where I'm stuck.

Oh and I haven't updated my profile but the only laser I currently have is a Cameca SX100 Electron Microprobe (100nA)...if you count this

Thanks all looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

 

[dden4012]

The presentations req is going to null the rest.

 

[NightExplorer96]

DL actually isn't too expensive at all. Their lasers are all CNI, so that's actually not to bad for the power/price ratio.

-Alex

 

[G1yph]

The presentations req is going to null the rest.

This feels pessimistic to me. You must be able to either:

A) suggest a presentation laser pointer under $100 that isn't durable

Or

B) one over $100 that is

Assuming you can't combine the three. Yes I realize the outdoor pointing is a stretch but then again maybe the above isn't possible at all? I guess just in general what would you recommend instead of just saying I can't get a laser :O.

DL actually isn't too expensive at all. Their lasers are all CNI, so that's actually not to bad for the power/price ratio.

-Alex

Thanks for the heads up. Not sure what I was thinking, for some reason I thought they were all in the $175 range. Have you had experience with the 5mW green and can say how much of a beating it can take? Can it handle the outdoors?

Thanks all!

 

[Razako]

I'd actually give the laserglow Galileo some consideration. Rugged, unlimited duty cycle, and safe enough to use for presentations. Only problem is the daylight pointing requirement. You might need a higher power level for that. You could also ask Sanwu if they could build you a custom lower powered pocket series, but that might be a stretch.

 

[BobMc]

Welcome to the forum G1yph. Hope you find what your looking for. Be safe and enjoy.

 

[NightExplorer96]

Thanks for the heads up. Not sure what I was thinking, for some reason I thought they were all in the $175 range. Have you had experience with the 5mW green and can say how much of a beating it can take? Can it handle the outdoors?

Thanks all!

Of course. I've personally never owned their 5mW version, but if you take a look through the forums, there are plenty of reviews on their higher power "Viper" series. They're all the same pointers, just different power levels.

@Razako
He actually recommended another great option for you. The Galileo is pretty much as close as your going to get to a 100% handheld pointer.

-Alex

 

[BowtieGuy]

Welcome aboard G1yph, glad you've made your intro. thread! :beer:

As I mentioned previously, there are a lot of knowledgable members here who will help you find the best options for your needs.
I believe you would probably be best served by having a ~5mW pointer for indoor use, and going with another more suitable laser for your outdoor daylight pointing. Especially for longer distances like you mentioned in PM.

Remember, safety first, especially with any thing above 5mW; be sure and get appropriate safety glasses/goggles, a great place to find affordable, quality safety eye wear is at Survival Lasers.

Have fun, be safe, and enjoy your stay here!

Jeff

 

[lasersbee]

:wave: Welcome to the Forum...
I agree with BTG... 2 Lasers is what
you are looking for. You don't want to
use a Lamborghini to go grocery shopping.
A low powered (<5mW) Red or Green for
presentations and a higher powered
50-100mW Green for your other uses.
Two Lasers for <$100 is doable...

Enjoy your stay..

Jerry

 

[G1yph]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I have delved the review forums and bith Laserglow and Dragon Lasers pointers all seem to have solid reviews.

I think that the two pointers route is looking more and more like the case. A little more research and I think I'll have a solution. My only current concern in getting one is the button placement vs durability. I've noticed a lot of the pointers have rubber buttons which I know can't last forever.

 

[Accutronitis]

This feels pessimistic to me. You must be able to either:

A) suggest a presentation laser pointer under $100 that isn't durable

Or

B) one over $100 that is

Assuming you can't combine the three. Yes I realize the outdoor pointing is a stretch but then again maybe the above isn't possible at all? I guess just in general what would you recommend instead of just saying I can't get a laser :O.

What he is saying is any laser that would be safe for presentation will have a barely visible beam pointing out stars no matter how much you spend, I have a 80mW green laser and the beam is not very visible indoors but the dot is very bright for presentations but even at 80mW the beam isn't very visible pointing at stars.

It's just the nature of the beast i'm sorry to say.......

 

[BowtieGuy]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I have delved the review forums and bith Laserglow and Dragon Lasers pointers all seem to have solid reviews.

I think that the two pointers route is looking more and more like the case. A little more research and I think I'll have a solution. My only current concern in getting one is the button placement vs durability. I've noticed a lot of the pointers have rubber buttons which I know can't last forever.

Most all of the tail switch rubber covers, are easily replacable, and inexpensive also.
They are also pretty durable; I can't remember ever wearing one out.

 

[paul1598419]

Welcome the the LPF, G1yph. Like BowtieGuy already said there are many knowledgeable folks here willing to help in any way they can. Enjoy your stay and be safe.

 

[RB astro]

I have a 80mW green laser and the beam is not very visible indoors but the dot is very bright for presentations but even at 80mW the beam isn't very visible pointing at stars.

It's just the nature of the beast i'm sorry to say.......

I'm sorry but this statement is not an informed opinion.
Yes, an 80mW green laser's beam may not be highly visible indoors.
Yes, the dot would be very bright for presentations.
No, experienced astronomer/observer don't want a green beam that is so bright that it ruins their night vision of the stars.
You're saying that an 80mW greenie is not very visible for pointing at stars???
I have experienced astronomy associates that I go observing/imaging with every other month and we use green lasers of between 5mW and 20mW to point stars and constellations out to crowds when we host star party events.
You don't need anything more that say 50mW and if by chance someone does use one that's brighter, they receive complaints from other astronomers.

You might think you like to see a mega beam when pointing out stars but that's just a noob mistake.
No one wants/needs more than a 50mW greenie for astro purposes.

To the OP, I have a rated 20mW green (532nm) pen laser that takes 2 AA's.
This is how I actually got into lasers, from astronomy.
It is perfect for indoor use, pointing out things to people.
It's perfect for pointing things out 10m away in daylight like rock outcrops.
And of course it's perfect for using as a star pointer that preserves your night vision of the stars once your eyes have adjusted to night adaptation.
You certainly don't want the beam to ruin your dark adaptation making it impossible to view the faint objects of the sky you're trying to point out and observe.

If it's good enough for a rig like this (sitting on top of a guide scope), it's perfect for handheld pointing out of stars in general.

 

[dden4012]

This feels pessimistic to me. You must be able to either:

A) suggest a presentation laser pointer under $100 that isn't durable

Or

B) one over $100 that is

Assuming you can't combine the three. Yes I realize the outdoor pointing is a stretch but then again maybe the above isn't possible at all? I guess just in general what would you recommend instead of just saying I can't get a laser :O.



Thanks for the heads up. Not sure what I was thinking, for some reason I thought they were all in the $175 range. Have you had experience with the 5mW green and can say how much of a beating it can take? Can it handle the outdoors?

Thanks all!

Generally the concesus is that 5mw is the safe zone for a presentation setting just based on the limited info in your request. I wouldn't use a 200mw greenie in a office sized presentation room. But a 200mw greenie would be a good starting point for daytime use per your example situation. Maybe the presentation pointer could be used in astronomy idk not my thing. As far as rugged I can't weigh in on that either I treat my lasers similar to my guns.
But back to presentation pointers. I would splurge and get a 589nm. Learn about them and be the smartest sounding person in the meeting. And who would forget about a golden laser from a meeting? I little upfront cost but its a good angle.

 

[RB astro]

Just for G1yph's reference and consideration.
Here's some more pics of my 20mW that I use, sorry for the quick pics, I was in a hurry.
Takes 2 AA's.

Here's some indoor shot I did in my office to show what it's cable of indoors under those lighting conditions.

Outdoor conditions in full sunlight.

You can see the dot at over 10m away on the right limb, it's better in real life, camera's not picking it up properly.
This is under very sunny conditions.

And again at over 10m distance under sunny conditions with mixed shade, basically what you'd encounter in real life.

For astro, like I said, it's perfect for pointing stars out without affecting your dark adaptation, trust me.
Hope that helps you a little.

RB

:yh: