Hi, I'm an educator looking for a handheld laser that can be slid/screwed into a mount for aiming with some kind of remote trigger so the angle won't be altered by pushing a button on the housing to turn it on.
The setup I'm looking for is for physics class demonstrations (lighting a match, popping a balloon, scorching wood, etc) I'd prefer a handheld laser so I can keep it on my person when it's not being used for safety reasons (not to mention the risk of sticky fingers if you know what I mean), but can be slid into a mount and has a battery cap or similar power connection that has a wire leading down to a button/key/etc so I can set it up ahead of time and just push the button/turn the key to fire it.
Most of the lasers I've looked at with a remote trigger have to be mounted "permanently," which is less than ideal when dealing with students. (While a key system would *work* I'd feel a LOT safer if I could put it in my pocket or lock it in my desk drawer --- which simply does not have the room for storing a large setup --- and even locking it up in the lounge between classes... well even adults can make stupid choices when they aren't familiar with laser safety and are curious.)
Power/color is not a huge concern as long as it's powerful enough for demonstration purposes (I'm thinking ~200mw should be adequate) though I'd prefer visible spectrum (invisible IR just doesn't have the same "effect" on viewers). The thing that's so hard to find is the battery-cap with a remote trigger (it seems like a simple modification from a lock-in-cap setup, but nothing I've seen has this option)
Also, just to put minds at ease, I already have secured reliable laser-protection eyewear for all the students, including several extra pairs (just waiting to see what wavelength I end up with before finalizing the order)
The budget for this is $500 for the laser equipment (though I can probably push it a little higher if needed for safety reasons.) Would like to be able to receive it within 6 weeks
The setup I'm looking for is for physics class demonstrations (lighting a match, popping a balloon, scorching wood, etc) I'd prefer a handheld laser so I can keep it on my person when it's not being used for safety reasons (not to mention the risk of sticky fingers if you know what I mean), but can be slid into a mount and has a battery cap or similar power connection that has a wire leading down to a button/key/etc so I can set it up ahead of time and just push the button/turn the key to fire it.
Most of the lasers I've looked at with a remote trigger have to be mounted "permanently," which is less than ideal when dealing with students. (While a key system would *work* I'd feel a LOT safer if I could put it in my pocket or lock it in my desk drawer --- which simply does not have the room for storing a large setup --- and even locking it up in the lounge between classes... well even adults can make stupid choices when they aren't familiar with laser safety and are curious.)
Power/color is not a huge concern as long as it's powerful enough for demonstration purposes (I'm thinking ~200mw should be adequate) though I'd prefer visible spectrum (invisible IR just doesn't have the same "effect" on viewers). The thing that's so hard to find is the battery-cap with a remote trigger (it seems like a simple modification from a lock-in-cap setup, but nothing I've seen has this option)
Also, just to put minds at ease, I already have secured reliable laser-protection eyewear for all the students, including several extra pairs (just waiting to see what wavelength I end up with before finalizing the order)
The budget for this is $500 for the laser equipment (though I can probably push it a little higher if needed for safety reasons.) Would like to be able to receive it within 6 weeks
