If You've Actually Received Your Spyder III Arctic - Post Here

[jayrob]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

I never believed it...

Never ordered it...

That's why I'm not upset about it...

But I can see why everybody is so on edge about this whole thing. It has been irritating to put it mildly... with the entire forum being bombarded with all the 'hype' and constant non stop chatting about what has now proved to be nothing more than what we build ourselves...

In fact, we can build much better 445 lasers... All those fancy lights and stuff don't impress me. Keep all that stuff and send at least a good battery with it... (or don't send a battery - but if you do send one, send a good one)

 

[ReNNo]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

What the hell are you guys expecting for the price? Even the Dragon 1 watt say it has not correction optics and is a retanglar beam also? yet seems their 400 mw has a round beam. Corrected optics with a 1 watt blue laser would cost a fortune, comeon your only paying $200 what do you expect?

even if it is 700 mw's the Arctic is still great value, look around at ready made greens, or reds and won't get a 700mw anywhere as cheap as the Arctic, looking forward to mine.

Lots of moaning going on here. Waiting moaning we are waiting (even me) and moan when the G1 is available. Seems no one is happy and a lot of hostility towards WL and the Arctic.

Even if it was the best would people be happy, no, they would still rubbish it.

It has no corrected Optics so expect the beam to not be good, As long as it burns thats fine. Corrected optics, I have read somewhere rob a lot of power and many DIY of this power don't use correctec optics, you don't need them for burning. I would imagine the more lenses you had the more power loss.

Thanks Dave, good review and pictures, the info makes me glad I am still getting mine. I cannot see any good reviews at all as to many are so hostile that there will no be honest reviews of this laser, yours maybe the best and only honest review we will see. Pity people's hostily will cloud their judment. Many on this forum will always hate the Arctic no matter what so no honest reviews, only hostile ones.

I didn't expect because I know that WL cannot be serious company.

They advertised Arctic as laser with 1.5mRad divergence and 1.5mm beam at aperture, and TEM00 beam..... where are all these promises?

Not everyone use their 445nm lasers for burning only.... I prefer tight and visible beam at long distances.
That is why I wanted to see correction optics in Arctic.

I can make my own 445nm laser for almost half price (110USD with batteries and charger) and to be more powerful than Arctic. I did right choice , I don't see Arctic in my hands.

@daguin
It's not off topic to talk about WL promises.

 

[sportcoupe]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

Daguin,

Any chances you will expand on your review and disassemble the unit completely? I am interested if we can adjust or upgrade the driver and add focus ability to the host. It could be called the SS model (Super Spyder). LOL.

 

[denodan]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

I didn't expect because I know that WL cannot be serious company.

They advertised Arctic as laser with 1.5mRad divergence and 1.5mm beam at aperture, and TEM00 beam..... where are all these promises?

Not everyone use their 445nm lasers for burning only.... I prefer tight and visible beam at long distances.
That is why I wanted to see correction optics in Arctic.

I can make my own 445nm laser for almost half price (110USD with batteries and charger) and to be more powerful than Arctic. I did right choice , I don't see Arctic in my hands.

@daguin
It's not off topic to talk about WL promises.

To get corrected optics in these laser would cost a fortune, your asking to much, and I did read somewhere, most homemade 1 watt blues don't use corrected optics also. Even the Dragon Spatan 1 watt does not use corrected optics, but .400 watt one puts out a round beam, but the dragon like the Arctic is retangle beam, so even that won't have a tight beam your after.

 

[Pontiacg5]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

Thanks for posting that serial number Dave, that is not a handwritten CNI style serial number like someone else said they are.


denodan, a 1W with corrective optics is possible, and the optics are only like 40 bucks. But that is not the point, the point is Wicked blatantly lied about this things specs on their website. There is a difference between stretching the truth and full out lying, and wicked crossed that line.

 

[oic0]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

That lens looks focusable to me if its not glued in place.

Does suck that their cosmetic end lens eats so much power.

 

[brtaman]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

Good job Dave, and thanks for verifying what many of us had suspected...

In fact, Chuck from AixiZ told me the Steve got a bunch of lenses from them... (after we did the testing and stuff)

I am not too sure it is the exact same lens.

In my case it is a two element optical assembly, from what I have read the Aixiz utilizes three?

Check here, http://laserpointerforums.com/f65/arctic-forming-rectangular-shape-53740-2.html, I posted pictures of the disassembled assembly.

Otherwise, good review indeed. :beer:


Best Regards,
brtaman

 

[TTerbo]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

YOU can do it for MUCH less by building it yourself

Peace,
dave

if your names TTerbo than apparently not ........
for the price i payed for my "full 445 build" i could have got this and i would have a wroking laser.
hmmmmmmmmmmmm oh well shit happens (too often for my liking)

 

[oic0]

The included "goggles" do NOT fit over regular glasses. The curvature makes it pretty much impossible. In fact you're better off trying to put your glasses over the goggles. If you are a glasses wearer and bought this counting on using the glasses, better go ahead and order a different pair.

 

[soju]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

The OUTSIDE of the piece holding the lens in mine is threaded. That "beauty piece", could easily just screw onto he threaded piece in mine to "block" the view of the module parts under the lens

Peace,
dave

My Arctic is also missing that black piece and looks exactly like yours. His laser reported lower mW ratings than yours... perhaps that black piece restricts power?

 

[daguin]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

My Arctic is also missing that black piece and looks exactly like yours. His laser reported lower mW ratings than yours... perhaps that black piece restricts power?

It is possible. I would have to have the piece to test it. However, it is more likely that it is simply diode-to-diode and laser-to-laser variation.

Peace,
dave

 

[jayrob]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

I am not too sure it is the exact same lens.

In my case it is a two element optical assembly, from what I have read the Aixiz utilizes three?

Check here, http://laserpointerforums.com/f65/arctic-forming-rectangular-shape-53740-2.html, I posted pictures of the disassembled assembly.

Otherwise, good review indeed. :beer:


Best Regards,
brtaman

Yeah actually Steve just e-mailed me and told me that they have a different lens than AixiZ. And that it is better. So I asked him if I could check some out and how much they are...

Hasn't gotten back to me yet, but I would like to compare it's power and beam profile...

 

[Kenom]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

well, I purchased this laser from Dave and will be totally tearing it down to see if the driver can be adjusted/replaced. I don't feel that getting an advertised 1W laser that is less than 1W is cool, so I'll be trying to fix that. I will post pictures of all the guts.

 

[jayrob]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

That would be interesting Ken...

Did you see what laser_freak did with an older Spyder?
http://laserpointerforums.com/f48/1-2w-diy-445nm-spyder-ii-host-53696.html

One of his videos shows that it is stable near 1200mA's for 3 minutes! Impressive... It has a massive heatsink that he sent me a drawing to have me make it for his modification...

 

[Pontiacg5]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

My lenses I just got from aixiz look exactly the same as that one, spanner lens retaining nut and all. The lens retaining nut was even loose, just like they are on some of the arctics.

Just my 0.02. I think the lens is the same as the aixiz one.

 

[brtaman]

Re: Arctic: Spyder III: Review

My lenses I just got from aixiz look exactly the same as that one, spanner lens retaining nut and all. The lens retaining nut was even loose, just like they are on some of the arctics.

Just my 0.02. I think the lens is the same as the aixiz one.

The Arctics optical assembly contains two lenses, from what I have heard (not first hand experience) the aixiz 445nm lens is a triple element assembly. So, while similar in construction, they are not the same.

Can anyone confirm whether the Aixiz is a triple element assembly?