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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Is there such a thing as 5mW bluray laser-diode?

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I want safe versions (5mW) of each wavelenth (red, yellow, green, blue, violet) , that I could use for demonstrations around people without fear of causing damage. And I also would like higher power versions, cause those are "cooler" devices, but would use those not in the presense of anyone else, because it could open up lawsuits due to being not legally operated with correct safeguards (should an accident happen and someone go blind I would be held LEGALLY responsible for the disaster because I would be using an illegal laser). THAT is why I want both high and low power versions of each wavelength.

High power: good for private experimenting, with my doors and windows closed and nobody else in the room

5mW power: good for public demonstrations of each wavelength, or when I want to experiment without having to close all my windows and doors
 





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Well.... your options have been exhaustively explored here. Please let us know what you end up buying.
 
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True 0.9mW (Class II) and 4mW (Class IIIa) 405nm violet laser diode modules (as in driver + laser + optics + cylindrical metal housing) like you'd think MIGHT be in the end of a violet laser pointer I have found at EdmundScientific's online optics catalog, but for a price. They are both OVER 2000 $$$$!!!!!! Violet Laser Diode Modules | Edmund Optics

They also have a 25mW (Class IIIb) violet laser diode on the same webpage I linked to.

The optional heatsink alone costs $50.
 
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Perfect! You're all set.

At that kinda price for a diode who's output is WEAKER than a cheap Chinese made unit? You gotta be KIDDING ME! Why does Edmunds sell it for WAY MORE EXPENSIVE than their Chinese competitors? I don't mean just like twice the price. I'm talking like HUNDREDS of times as expensive.
 
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Well, there you go, perfectly legal 5mW 405nm pointer, and only $239. Looks like you're all set.
 
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Following the laws and complyingvkind of conflict with our hobby.

Operating a laser in your home is perfectly legal as long as you are doing no harm or endangering others. This applies to lasers over >5mw however to legally obtain a laser over 5mw you would need to build it. Though there are probably safety procedures and all kinds of precautions that you'd have to take as well.

Then there's the issue of operation outside of your home. For example. Shining a laser even 5mw or less into the sky breaks FAA guidelines. Then if you operate your laser in a populated city then you promote a public safety hazard.

Really all in all if your trying to find a way to follow guidelines your best bet is to read up on the laws in your area. There is probably a book of guidelines and procedures you would need to follow to be in the "legal" zone.

Another thing is. If you follow ALL precautions and a cop stops you and tells you that you are doin something wrong. If you argue with him it only makes you look more guilty and causes problems. And that's another story.
 
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Operating a laser in your home is perfectly legal as long as you are doing no harm or endangering others. This applies to lasers over >5mw however to legally obtain a laser over 5mw you would need to build it. Though there are probably safety procedures and all kinds of precautions that you'd have to take as well.
It's legal to buy what amounts to a fully operational Class IIIb laser product, as long as it isn't advertised at the place you purchase it as a laser product, and instead is advertised as a laser component. This way it fits under the section of the law for parts that will be assembled into a finished product. In order to further this claim that it's merely a component, such lasers are sold without proper interlock, so that it will have to have an interlock added by the end user when creating the "product". As such, these components can then be legally sold by the seller, and legally purchased by the buyer, as the FDA doesn't have to approve each laser component that's made, just each finished product. And this means I can buy it legally, and use it in my own home (so that I'm not potentially endangering others) perfectly legally, and since I won't be making product made from it (certainly nothing that I plan on selling, I don't have to go about adding a keyswitch/interlock if I don't want to.


Then there's the issue of operation outside of your home. For example. Shining a laser even 5mw or less into the sky breaks FAA guidelines. Then if you operate your laser in a populated city then you promote a public safety hazard.
Actually it's legal as long as you don't point it near a plane. In fact, most astronomy websites condone the use of using green laser pointers to point at stars, and also warn of the danger of pointing at a plane. The mere act of pointing it into the sky isn't illegal.
 
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You said "Here at Laserglow we..."

So you work for them? Are they a Chinese company or US?

Yes, I work at Laserglow. I'm the guy who checks over your laser three times before it gets shipped to you. We are in Toronto, Canada. If you ask around (or use the search bar) you will find that Laserglow is one of the most reputable laser suppliers in the world.
 
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Yes, I work at Laserglow. I'm the guy who checks over your laser three times before it gets shipped to you. We are in Toronto, Canada. If you ask around (or use the search bar) you will find that Laserglow is one of the most reputable laser suppliers in the world.

And they meet US regulations, even though they aren't in the US?
 
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Yes. All our products are FDA compliant. We ship to the USA all the time.

Do you also sell raw laser diodes? I would be interested in purchasing raw diodes in any of the available wavelengths that a laser diode can produce without using DPSS technology (405, 447, 635, 650, 808, 1064nm). Also I'd be interested in perchasing a colimation optics sled (I think that's what they call it) that the diode can be mounted in (put in the diode, screw the back plate on, and the diode is held in place). I can make my own if I have to, and am willing to make my own driver (and I have the electronic components to do so). Unfortunately your site only appears to sell fully assembled laser modules, not raw diodes. If your company doesn't sell raw diodes, do you know a company that does? I'm interested in "collecting" all the wavelength diode lasers that work without using DPSS (405, 447, 635, 650, 808, 1064nm), and since modules are expensive, I'd settle for just the raw diodes (and built the rest of the laser system myself).
 
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We don't sell bare diodes or optical mounting equipment. I'm not entirely sure where to get that sort of thing, though there are forum guys here who I am sure could hook you up.

Also, 1064 nm is not a diode wavelength.
 
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We don't sell bare diodes or optical mounting equipment. I'm not entirely sure where to get that sort of thing, though there are forum guys here who I am sure could hook you up.

Also, 1064 nm is not a diode wavelength.

Is there a 780nm diode I think? Also, what makes the 1064nm IR beam in a green laser pointer, prior to it being frequency doubled to 532nm? I thought that there was a 1064nm laser diode behind the KTP crystal?


I took apart a green laser pointer once, and the optical components I found were (in this order) :
near-IR laser diode, crystal, focusing optics. That's it.
 
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