Hello from Earth!

[squoibymox]

I am not, and have not been, a laser enthusiast but after perusing this board that might be about to change! I am a relatively new telescope user, and recently purchased a green laser sight and bracket for my first telescope - acquired this past summer.

I will avoid going into the telescope reasons (but will happily answer any questions asked) of why I chose to have a reflex sight AND a mounted laser finder (and yes, I am extremely observant and careful about aircraft), but I will say a green laser is so convenient to aim at a planet and not have to "squint through the finderscope".

The laser I'm using is "from" the telescope manufacturer, l attempted to post a link and that didn't work. It's an Orion branded green laser with mounting bracket.

It's rated at 3 to 5 mw. It does the job just fine, EXCEPT for times when Jupiter (and eventually Venus) are in a twilight sky. So I'm looking for something brighter...

I'm tentatively guessing I should pose the question in the green laser forum, but I clearly see this place runs a pretty tight ship.....

I'm also afraid I'm going to get hooked on another hobby here!

 

[squoibymox]

I could imagine from that picture of my telescope I'm looking like some idiot who's more into "tacticool" than actual usage. In my own opinion it kind of looks like that. I'll pose my question in the green laser subforum at a later date. I hope I didn't somehow mislead anyone into offense...

 

[RedCowboy]

The dpss greens can have good beam specs but can also be temp. sensitive and mode hop, I like them but also appreciate the single mode directs such as the osram 520nm and when projecting a dot far field I find it's just as good, for sighting down the beam or target marking it's a good choice.

 

[Lifetime17]

Hi,
If you can't find the size laser you can have one made by custom machining to fit the telescope sight ring. And have a Osram 520 put in like RedCowboy said , with focus. This wouldn't be a problem for me if you need to go that way.

Rich

 

[paul1598419]

I've had remarkably good luck with the #303 532nm laser pointers on eBay. All of the ones I've received are no less than 50 mW and most are ~80 mW which is a good visible beam at night and can be bought for $5.00 with free shipping. I also have several single mode direct diode greens too. They were much more expensive to get at equivalent powers. If you allow the 532nm lasers to get too cold, they will mode hop and the output will suffer, but that is fairly cold with mine.

 

[squoibymox]

I'm getting sucked in! As in lasers. For my telescope I'm restricted to AAA or AA cells - with the current Dobsonian altazimuth mount I'm already running into weight/balance issues post upgrade. I "had" to actually resort to buying lithium AAA's for the laser to help that out (in place of the Eneloops I'd been using),

To support anything using an 18650 I'd need a proper tripod - which would defeat the entire design of this "grab and go" telescope.

But now you all have me thinking about lasers rather than the telescope!

Thank you who replied - it's a great starting point for wherever I'm going to go with this...

 

[hakzaw1]

hello-- would you mind if I asked a favor?? please add more info into your profile.. we knida need to know whereabouts you are in order to NOT give bad advice.. what is OK here may be illegal elsewhere.

Since I cannot, in most cases, give you advice until you have joined... IMHO putting your
'place' in your welcome thread title like: 'HELLO Earth from Houston'

ATM we have 6 or more members here near Houston..MOST own LPMs and it is a LPF tradition that we meter anyone's lasers any time and , of course at no charge.

This new forum we have now is diff as our location no longer appears under our usernames EVERY time we post BOOOO

which sucks--

just telling us in a post is NO GOOD.. You are welcome to make another '2nd intro' with your hometown or state IN THE TITLE= you can put in it that Hak said it was OKay to make another thread.. normally its one thread per member per subject. dont 'necro' or double post-- is it frowned upon.

Been that wat before me.. I joined in April 2009 (< something that is very important to know- never argue w/ a Vet..

if you do make another ... I promise you will get 'greets' for members that could live down the street.. that HAS happened.. I have met all 6 or more members from here and a dozen for other cities in Tx-- best friends ever!
More that 100 forum members and their friends and families ( that come free to attend SELEM as a guests)
One thing you would miss out on are our 'meets' called LEMs... quite a few every year -- two or more in Orlando.
and the BEST U.S. LEM--is by far SELEM--google and see the Ytube vids..eye candy & Laser porn.. next year will be #13!! lasts almost 5 days and most there say they wish it lasted even longer.. or like me.. 'SELEM was a game changer' so we (Houston/DFW) drive 17 hours (each way)for 5 years w/ no regrets..needs to be everyone's bucket list ..

best wishes .. see you at SELEM ? mid Aug in Newton N.C. .. plans are underway already for SELEM 2020.

 

[squoibymox]

You guys are too tough. Feel free to delete my "account". I made a good faith effort, I've been using internet forums for 20 years, and this is just stupid.

 

[hakzaw1]

Oh man-- I sorry..I only ask what we have have had to answer,, some say they are new to lasers ,, many are also new to forums OR at least this one. It was like this when I joined.. I got m share of 'schooling/scolding etc got banned by admin.. twice.. I often felt like you are .. left on my own choice for a while- but missed it a lot.
Did not mean to 'harsh' you.. I doubled posted. had to edit--no big deal- that was 8 years ago. it happens to me mostly by error which is worse cuz its a double of the same post duh! too many clicks.
AND I respect your right of privacy and my violation of it by asking too much.. my bad again.
LPF is a great forum but we always will need new members. so.. hope you stay..hk