help me understand the infrared desire

[JohnD]

Before I make myself sound like a n00b - I'm 22+ years not a n00b Back in my day... Ok, enough of that. Anyway, help me understand the desire to have an infrared pointer (or any other type for that matter). I can see the fun factor in setting up a lab laser and playing with crystals, but what else would you do with an invisible beam? This should be interesting... /ducks

 

[Asherz]

Nothing more than cheap price to power ratio, you get more laser for your money. There's not really many members interested in it although I know Billg does a lot of work with IR lasers.

Basically it tends to be nothing more than burning.

 

[aryntha]

780 and 808 aren't really QUITE invisible. So for that, yes, you get a good power to price ratio with at least some indication of what's going on. "The brightness lies", but you can at least see a deep red spot.

980 and 1064 can be a bit perilous IMO; I tend to not use mine unless using a CCD to view it.

 

[Arayan]

a laser at 808 nm can also be used for the night vision

 

[HaloBlu]

Now that 980 has come up, can most cameras see it alright? Is there any difference in using cmos?
Would you happen to have measured the mrad for your O-Like 980nm?
"Vivien" from o-like said "less than 5mrad,the dot size is 3*4cm at 10 feet" focus adjustable. :thinking:

 

[Meatball]

My friends are impressed when they see a dim square of 808 punch through a candle. So that's one reason for me, it looks like a toy until it does something unexpected! This property is also why they're so dangerous!

 

[Prototype]

That's personally why I like IR...that and without IR we wouldn't have had green available cheaply to us as hobbyists.

 

[NoBama]

this can be inherently be more dangerous in the wrong hands.

 

[kingdave2357]

I like 780 and especially 808nm, mainly just to burn stuff with a really dim dot, and to use with cameras and night vision, and if your a collector its nice to have the wavelength, I have wavelengths that span the visible spectrum...

 

[styropyro]

IR beams look sweet on an IR camera.

 

[HaloBlu]

What wavelength & power is that? I love IR beamshots.
What kind of divergence do you have on that? Looks sweet.

 

[styropyro]

That's an old pic so I don't remember too much. I think it was one of those $20 100mW 780nm modules from Aixiz.