Increase in Number of Classification Intervals

[Benm]

This may shock some of you here, but I have "burned" things with a 6 mW hene laser. Its all in the quality of your optics and initial beam quality. Granted the target was mounted on a high grade insulator, and was a dark metal film, but a burn is a burn. Power density matters.

Take that in perspective when you think what class IV is.

Surely you can burn things with class 3 lasers, even 5 mW could do it if you take enough effort as you describe. The class 3 vs class 4 transition is the point where it becomes a problem in practical use. It is still an arbirary point as it does depend on power density, but given beams of a few mm diameter, it does become likely that you could -accidentily- set something on fire.

 

[Cyparagon]

A 3mm beam creates a smaller spot size with the same focal length. As long as both beams aren't clipped by the aperture of your eyes the beamsize matters for the spot size.

Yes, but the calculated power density right before the eye is ~90% less than a 1mm beam of the same power. My point is that power density isn't fool-proof either.

 

[rhd]

A 501 mW laser is a class IV laser. A 10 TW research laser, strictly speaking, is also a class IV laser

No matter how you slice it, there's something inherently wrong with this carrying the same classification rating as this

 

[chipdouglas]

No matter how you slice it, there's something inherently wrong with this carrying the same classification rating as this

i'm just being argumentitive but i do have a point....


why is it wrong? no noob is going to be controling that plane. if anything it is safer if you think about who is actually doing the controlling right.

like we will ever have anything even within a fraction in a hand held of what that planes laser system can do. the energy and materials that make up that laser literally take up all the free space inside of that plane.

michael.

 

[Benm]

No matter how you slice it, there's something inherently wrong with this carrying the same classification rating as this

There is also something common to both: You need to know what the heck you are doing before operating either laser. And they can both light a match

 

[rhd]

Yes, but only one of them can be purchased by any idiot with a credit card

 

[Bionic-Badger]

I think the designations are perfectly fine. However, I'd rather see an entire integer class designation between Class 3r and 3b. The difference between Class 3b and Class 4 is spot on: class 3b = dangerous if it hits you; class 4 = the laser is a hazard even if it does not directly hit you. Whether you're talking about a WL Arctic or a MIRACL laser is splitting hairs in my mind, because while I'd definitely rather be hit by the Arctic than the MIRACL, they're both extremely dangerous and the former should be given the same level of caution as the latter.

 

[Bluefan]

I introduce you to class 5:

Anything in class 4 is dangerous to anything it hits and scattered radiation is significant. Also goes for a terawatt system. Doesn't go for death star size, thus class 5.
(they forgot the label though, the FDA will be pissed)

 

[chipdouglas]

well a death star sized laser might be out of the FDA's reach of jurisdiction LOL...