Help with choosing a visible light beam / lower risk laser

[leave_u]

Hi all,

I want to buy a laser from Sanwu, but I really need some advice. Now I have a cheap laser 303, green, the label says below 100mW, but I don't know the real power. Now I want a better quality product with a better visibility.
My aim is to have the most visible laser beam on long distance, with minimum hazard risk.
I am not interested in burning, so I don't think about blue or violet lasers.

From what I understand my best choice would be green or red. I know that the green ones are more visible at the same power, but also I know the red ones are safer for the eyesight.

For example I am looking at Striker series RED (635nm) - 1W laser. Also, there is 520 and 525 green lasers at 1.2W.

I am curious, in terms of visibility of Striker RED (635nm) - 1W laser, to which green laser power does it compare? Around 200mW? In terms of safety for the eyes, which one of two equally visible red and green laser would be safer?
Also, for the color visibility, which is better, GREEN 520 or 525.

In the end, which Sanwu laser you recommend for me?

I intend to use the laser only outdoors and I am concerned of accidental long distance flashing in people or animal. Or specular reflection for myself.
Really would welcome your advice.

 

[brendon7358]

The danger is determined by the power, not the color (until you get into the IR range) . Any 1W+ laser is extremely dangerous. Green is the brightest. If you want a safe bright laser a 5mW 532nm is the only option. If you are pointing it miles away and concerned for people in the mountains or something miles away a 50-100mW should be fine. Anything higher than that should never be pointed at anything where there might be people. You really shouldn't point a laser anywhere where there might be people but I could understand mountains with hiking trails or something like that.

Also consider that a 532nm laser has a smaller beam diameter so the beam will look brighter at lower powers than a 520nm.

Here are some options

Laserglow Anser 5mW 532nm, the only laser that is 100% eye safe as long as you don't point it directly at your face

Browse All Products | Laserglow

Browse Our Full Range Of Scientic Lasers, Industrial Lasers and Laser Pointers. | Laserglow

www.laserglow.com

Sanwu Pocket 50mW 505nm is fairly safe, and at nighttime, the brightest wavelength you could get. In daytime the 520nm will look brighter though.

Pocket series

The Pocket series offers the world's smallest handheld laser devices, featuring near 1W 445nm, exotic wavelengths, 488nm cyan laser, 593.5nm golden laser, and 561nm yellow laser. These compact lasers are designed for precision and portability, making them ideal for a wide range of applications...

www.sanwulasers.com

If you want something with better heatsinking this will work, they also make a 532nm ple mini but it is minimum 200mW which is too much to be considered safe unless you are only pointing it at the sky.

PL-E mini 520nm Green Laser

PL-E mini 520nm Green Laser

www.jetlasers.org

 

[GSS]

Hi leave-U,
A red 635 isn't a good choice regardless of power for long distant as it has a real bad expansion rate.
Jetlaser's 532's sounds good to me because over a good distance the spot will widen alot.

On Brandon's Avatar above, click on the "Relative Perceived Brightness Calculator" he show's and it will give you a idea of WL comparisons of brightness..

 

[leave_u]

Hi leave-U,
A red 635 isn't a good choice regardless of power for long distant as it has a real bad expansion rate.
Jetlaser's 532's sounds good to me because over a good distance the spot will widen alot.

On Brandon's Avatar above, click on the "Relative Perceived Brightness Calculator" he show's and it will give you a idea of WL comparisons of brightness..

Hi, thanks for your reply and thanks for pointing out the "Relative Perceived Brightness Calculator" from Brandon's signature. But can you explain the beam toggle for me? As it changes the results.

When you say 635 has a bad expansion rate, you mean that it will stay tighter focused on longer distances, meaning the beam is more concentrated and hazardous?

 

[GSS]

No the 635's have the opposite, the beam spreads out really wide over distance. It's probably the biggest dislike from people who have them.
I'm not sure where you saw the beam toggle remark, I don't understand that part?

 

[leave_u]

The danger is determined by the power, not the color (until you get into the IR range) . Any 1W+ laser is extremely dangerous. Green is the brightest. If you want a safe bright laser a 5mW 532nm is the only option. If you are pointing it miles away and concerned for people in the mountains or something miles away a 50-100mW should be fine. Anything higher than that should never be pointed at anything where there might be people. You really shouldn't point a laser anywhere where there might be people but I could understand mountains with hiking trails or something like that.

Thanks for the detailed reply!

I am a little confused that you recommend 505nm over 520nm for night time, in the calculator in your signature the 520 appear significantly brighter, also on sanwu website, the pocked lasers page there is a night time picture with some lasers shining and 505 appears dimmer. Or you consider it much safer than 520?

 

[leave_u]

No the 635's have the opposite, the beam spreads out really wide over distance. It's probably the biggest dislike from people who have them.
I'm not sure where you saw the beam toggle remark, I don't understand that part?

I understand about 635 now..

Please check the screen below for beam brightness (highlightes in yelow):

 

[Encap]

What Brandon and GSS have said +

Nothing you want to do is safe per se. That you think it can be so is just imagining/imaginary and lack of education.

Since you don't seem to know or comprehend much about lasers or laser safety and have misconceptions/misperceptions about same : study this excellent web site to learn about same : https://www.laserpointersafety.com/

As mentioned above there is nothing safe or low risk about a 1W laser of any wavelength. 532nm green is about 8X brighter than 635nm red.
As mentioned nothing over 5mW is considered eyesafe--even 1mW or 5mW can cause eye damage under certain circumstances see: https://www.lasersafetyfacts.com/

The visibility of a 100mW 532green is about the same as an 800mW 635nm red---the lower mW output is safer--but not eyesafe.
You should have and wear laser glasses/goggles for any of what you are talking about to be safe. You can get a good Eagle pair here: https://www.survivallaserusa.com/Safety_Goggles/cat1667093_1527285.aspx

For a look at the damage that resulted to one members eye for a less than 1 second exposure to a 1W laser see: https://laserpointerforums.com/threads/hit-in-eye-with-1000mw-445nm-blue-laser.69469/

Don't be an accident looking for a place to happen. Use a laser at your own risk --don't expose other people or animals to same.

There are real reasons in the real world that the maximum output power of a laser pointer under US FDA Law, rules and regulations is 5mW.
"21 CFR 1040.11(b) and 1040.11(c), limit surveying, leveling, and alignment, and demonstration laser products to Class IIIa. This means that pointers are limited to 5 milliwatts output power in the visible wavelength range from 400 to 710 nanometers. "
See:https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitt...rtant-information-laser-pointer-manufacturers

Have a look at this laser hazard chart for a quick education/overview of laser hazards: https://www.lasersafetyfacts.com/resources/FAA---visible-laser-hazard-calcs-for-LSF-v02.png

 

[brendon7358]

Thanks for the detailed reply!

I am a little confused that you recommend 505nm over 520nm for night time, in the calculator in your signature the 520 appear significantly brighter, also on sanwu website, the pocked lasers page there is a night time picture with some lasers shining and 505 appears dimmer. Or you consider it much safer than 520?

Cameras percieve colors a lot different than the human eye, a good example of this is 445nm which to us looks indigo but on a camera looks purplish usually. Also on their website they may have been showing the 150mW version of the 520nm.

Brightness to the human eye depends on if it's in a bright or dark environment. The calculator in my signature assumes a bright environment but you are probably more concerned with a dark environment. It is called scotopic and photopic vision. See the chart below.