Hello LPF! Better late than never!

[drvox1800]

Hello everyone! I should of made this post back when I joined in 2014, but hey, better late than never right?

My name is Matthew, I live in Minnesota, and I'm 19 years old. Lasers have been an interest of mine since I was in the 5th grade. I got into the hobby with some cheap, over advertised lasers when I was 15. Really didn't have the money for it, so i took I hiatus from this hobby until now. I'm so excited to back to lasing!

I finally ordered a new laser and glasses to get back in! I got a 100mw 405nm Prome 301 from LPS. I already received it, however I'm waiting for my 18650s and charger to come in. (I love how China DHL is faster than my domestic shipping! :/) I'll make sure to do a review of the unit once I've got it up and running!

Anyways, thank you so much everyone! Reading through the posts on this forum has revived my interest in this hobby! I can't wait to get a real laser collection going! My next unit will probably be a 488nm laser, since diodes for that wavelength are a thing now. :drool:

Stay safe, and happy lasing everyone!

 

[lasersbee]

:wave: Welcome to the Forum..... finally.. :crackup:
I see you have already enjoyed your stay for
4 years.

Jerry

 

[Alaskan]

Welcome to the forum, long time to be so silent Yep, 488 is awesome, strange to see the color of that beam, it's unreal.

 

[Gazen]

Welcome :beer:

Stay safe and enjoy yourself

 

[NightExplorer96]

Good to see you posting again! Enjoy all the new wavelengths that we have available to us!

-Alex

 

[paul1598419]

A Belated welcome to the LPF. We have had 488nm lasers for some time in argons, but these new single mode direct diode 488nm diodes are great as they are now in pointers.

 

[Encap]

Welcome back---enjoy the forum

 

[Mattronium]

Welcome to the forum Matthew. Or at least officially.
A 488nm diode laser pointer sounds like a great (re)start.

 

[Alaskan]

488 reminds me of a peacock shade of blue, it's magic.

 

[hakzaw1]

be extra careful w/ ANY--405--its much more power (& danger) than it appears.

worst 'color' to allow kids or unaware adults 'play' with..

hak

 

[drvox1800]

be extra careful w/ ANY--405--its much more power (& danger) than it appears.

worst 'color' to allow kids or unaware adults 'play' with..

hak

Oh absolutely, it scares me to think little kids are getting those “5mw” eBay 405nm pointers that are commonly 80mw+ and thinking they’re just pointer toys and getting hit in the eye.

 

[paul1598419]

I have a 700 mW 405nm laser that has the typical dim dot. Get your hand or any part of you in front of it and the ability to burn is immediately revealed to you.

 

[drvox1800]

I have a 700 mW 405nm laser that has the typical dim dot. Get your hand or any part of you in front of it and the ability to burn is immediately revealed to you.

It’s strange to me that people always describe 405nm lasers as super dim. I don’t know why, but for some reason I am able to see that wavelength very well, the dot on a 40mw 405nm appears very bright to me, and I can easily see the beam in a LIT room most of the time. Is it because of my age maybe?

 

[paul1598419]

Few people can see 405nm brightly. If you look at any comparison of the relative brightness of different wavelengths compared to one another you would see this immediately. I know you are very young and your ability to see into UV or IR will decrease if you live to be old enough. Most people do not see the beam from a 40 mW 405nm laser at all unless it is in fog, and even then, only very dimly.

 

[hakzaw1]

I used to add free 3$ R/G/V pointers that were not very powerful than others--one buyer wrote that hiS stuff arrived and.. since it looked -like very low battery or power he give it to his kiddos to 'play' with... like guns--always considered loaded and cocked-
HOWEVER BULLETS do not bounce off mirrors and back into your eyes.

just saying'