Here in California...

[Whyzee429]

I've always had a fascination with types of lighting....and am just now looking into the world of lasers. In typical fashion, living in California seems to make owning something more than a typical pointer (5mW?) a dream. I like the look of the green ones and want one with a visible beam...mostly for pointing a constellations. Do my laws prohibit this? :/


-Shawn---

 

[PersonGuyDude]

I have researched this topic somewhat, and I have yet to find a state law concerning lasers.
Obviously federal laws still apply. You are not supposed to import high powered lasers or sell them in the US according the CSPS (a federal agency, therefore their regulations only apply in cross-state transactions), though many still do this as the enforcement is lacking.
There are no federal laws that apply to a hobbyist building his on lasers (correct me if im wrong), because you are not entering into "commerce".
It must be said that pointing any laser at a vehicle or plane is a federal and likely state felony.

All that being said, I HIGHLY suggest buying a laser from the forums here, if not here then in one of the jetlasers group buys or from lazerer.com.
For a first laser I would suggest green (532nm, somewhere between 100-300mW) as it is the brightest color that can be cheaply obtained with a relatively low amount of danger. Notice the word relatively, a laser like the one I describe will still instantly blind anyone caught in the beam/reflection (you would be surprised on the amount of things lasers can reflect off of). Therefore, you must buy appropriate laser safety goggles and only operate your laser without them when you are outside and pointing in the sky (away from any reflections, and do not point it at anything within a reasonable distance, its bad for your peepers).
Also, it would be a good idea to read up on the properties of Green lasers, as there is alot of misleading that can be done with a website that sells green lasers in particular.
TBH when I use my lasers outside I sit and look at the stars for a good 3-5 minutes, all the while looking for planes in the sky.
Your laser would almost certainly not even be noticed by a commercial jetliner at a reasonable high, but I live near a small airport, so I can never be too careful.

Please take my advice with a grain of salt; the best way to learn is conduct ones own research. LPF is the best source for this information IMO

Whereasbouts are you in Cali if you don't mind me asking? No need to be specific, ill probably know the region you are talking about.

 

[Whyzee429]

I'm by Modesto.....home of Scott Peterson...woohoo :/

Now, when you say you'd pick a laser in the 100-300mW range, do you mean something that is 20x more powerful or brighter than a 5mW one?

You are absolutely right, there is a lot of misleading or conflicting information online. You can imagine the headache I went through when first venturing into marine reef keeping.

If I was to get a green laser in the 100-300mW range, what prices would I be looking at, and will those produce visible beams?

 

[PersonGuyDude]

Most green lasers are about $0.75-$1 per mW, keep in mind other wavelengths, such as blue, are much more powerful (read: more dangerous), but the visibility is much much less per mW than 532nm.
I like to use this nifty tool to calculator brightness differences between wavelengths:
http://laserpointerforums.com/f44/new-tool-calculate-relative-brightness-wavelengths-nm-61238.html

Check out this thread for group buy prices on reportedly really good quality greens that are almost always overspec (more mW than the stated output, usually its the opposite):
http://laserpointerforums.com/f55/jetlasers-gb-6-phase-two-make-your-choices-66576.html
Scroll down the PL-D and PL-C 532 prices
I am starting to save up money for the next GB, so I can hopefully get the 600mW version :evil:
Some users have had the 600mW version peak at 1.2W and average @ 1W
:gun:

I have yet to see 600-1000mW of green in real life, but based off the calculator, it would be about 6-10 times the brightness of my 445nm with much better divergence. I can't even begin to imagine that...

 

[Whyzee429]

This is like an information overload.... One website says 49.99 for a 250mW 532, while other websites have them priced in the couple hundred dollar range.

I just want to pop a balloon when not looking at stars haha, why must this all be so confusing with little to no consistency between websites.

 

[PersonGuyDude]

In short, because chinese companies simply don't give a f*ck.
I've talked to a few people who've visited China for business and they all said that most Chinese will do anything and everything to shrew you over.
One must do research on the specific laser you are wanting to get before ever buying it.
Alot of sellers will simply state the power output that the manufacturer gave them, which is almost always false if not optimistic.
Others will give the output of the IR diode in the laser, not the green coming out (read up on how DPSS lasers work for more info).
Most will just make up a number to sell a product.... It's the sad truth.
Off the top of my head, the only companies I can think of that actually measure the power of the lasers they sell are CNI lasers, lazerer, and jetlasers.
I have heard that rayfoss got an LPM, but I can't confirm that they measure anything at all.
In short, if its too good to be true, it probably is. The time and materials involved in making a green laser keep the price pretty consistent.
A good first laser might be the $19.50 one from swimmingsurfer, these are those cheapish newwish pen style lasers. They are labeled as 5mW by the manufacturer but they are actually more like 40-70 IIRC.
You will be able to 50 mW of green at night fairly easily, and it would probably be a good place to start. It won't burn anything or pop balloons.

 

[sopark4000]

Those companies advertising 100mW + laser for $50 are scams and you'll be lucky to get 40mW. If you want a well built, reliable and UP TO SPEC laser I would recommend the following companies (for 542nm green lasers)

LAZERER :: Trustful Asian Laser Source - Power Certificate for all Laser Pointer | Red Green Blue Laser Module|

Green Lasers, Laser Beam Optics, Lab Laser Equipments :: Dragon Lasers For there higher power greens I wouldn't recommend buying anything higher than 200mW. It seems above that there greens beam specs kind of crap out.

Laserglow Technologies - Handheld Lasers, Alignment Lasers and Lab / OEM Lasers

There are a few others. If you take a look in the companies section you can find more

 

[Whyzee429]

I skipped on the green for now and went red. Lazerer has a 200mW red for 30 bucks. At least I'm getting my feet wet. Thanks guys for your help. As a noob, it is awesome to have people like you to steer me in the right direction.

 

[Whyzee429]

If this transaction with Lazerer goes well (i used PayPal, and got a transaction receipt) then I'll probably buy from them again. Do they make their own lasers or are they from other brands?

 

[RA_pierce]

If this transaction with Lazerer goes well (i used PayPal, and got a transaction receipt) then I'll probably buy from them again. Do they make their own lasers or are they from other brands?

FYI, red is not the best choice for a visible star pointer.
Green (532nm) is by far the brightest wavelength (color) available.

Sites like Lazerer, Rayfoss, and O-like, are the most commonly recommended around here. They all sell the same stuff (junk, in my opinion) from "generic" brand Chinese manufacturers.

A good rule of thumb in the world of lasers (especially green) is that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
For a high quality green laser, try NovaLasers or DragonLasers. The price is higher than the aforementioned sites, but you get what you pay for.
If you want a visible star pointer, 35mW-50mW will be good enough. If you want a VISIBLE star pointer, 100-200mW will blow you away. If you want the attention of your whole neighborhood, 200mW+ is what you are looking for.


Welcome.

 

[Whyzee429]

I know red isn't the best choice for viewing a beam, but I decided to get it. Ultimately, I'm going to be getting a 532nm though.

I also understand that you get what you pay for, but for the price can you go wrong with buying something from a company like Lazerer? Not everyone can justify spending the extra money for something better quality laser. Gotta start somewhere, right?

 

[Whyzee429]

Also, what makes a company like dragonlasers (china) better than another company based in China? Just curious. Boy, do I have a lot to learn.

 

[sopark4000]

FYI, red is not the best choice for a visible star pointer.
Green (532nm) is by far the brightest wavelength (color) available.

Sites like Lazerer, Rayfoss, and O-like, are the most commonly recommended around here. They all sell the same stuff (junk, in my opinion) from "generic" brand Chinese manufacturers.

A good rule of thumb in the world of lasers (especially green) is that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
For a high quality green laser, try NovaLasers or DragonLasers. The price is higher than the aforementioned sites, but you get what you pay for.
If you want a visible star pointer, 35mW-50mW will be good enough. If you want a VISIBLE star pointer, 100-200mW will blow you away. If you want the attention of your whole neighborhood, 200mW+ is what you are looking for.


Welcome.

I wouldn't exactly call what lazerer sells "junk". When it comes to the quality of the companies we deal with lazerer and the companies you mentioned are rated in the middle ( although in my opinion rayfoss is lower and o-like is also slipping). They aren't top of the line but they sell decent products. I do agree that if you really want quality than companies like dragon lasers, laserglow, CNI and nova are the way to go but as I said the products lazerer sells are by no means junk.

 

[RA_pierce]

I know red isn't the best choice for viewing a beam, but I decided to get it. Ultimately, I'm going to be getting a 532nm though.

I also understand that you get what you pay for, but for the price can you go wrong with buying something from a company like Lazerer? Not everyone can justify spending the extra money for something better quality laser. Gotta start somewhere, right?

Right.
Unlike most of the newer laser "enthusiasts" I started in this hobby with a 5mW from LaserGlow, then an X100 from Nova, and then a 400mW CNI unit instead of starting with a few cheapies. So when I stepped down and got something from one of the generic vendors it was a great disappointment. I know I don't represent the majority, but I'd rather spend my money on the best I can afford than settle for a "good deal."

I'm sure with the sites listed above you should be satisfied especially if it is your first purchase.
Actually, I reviewed one of O-like's 400mW green lasers recently and it turned out better than I expected. On the other hand, some others received lasers that were unacceptable. I can't speak for their current products but assuming they are continuing to deliver mostly "on-spec" products, I think you will be ok.
The places I would advise staying away from at all costs (for anything more than 50mW) would be Dealextreme, Dinodirect, and a few others I can't think of right now.

@sopark:
I am speaking from my personal experience. I've received some pretty lame stuff in the past from the "middle quality" sites. And like I said, my opinion is biased from a first experience with the high-end products.

 

[sopark4000]

Also, what makes a company like dragonlasers (china) better than another company based in China? Just curious. Boy, do I have a lot to learn.

Dragon lasers gets all of there lasers from CNI which is basically the best lasers you can buy from a chinese company.