Just got my Arctic S3, have some questions.

[ElectroMagneticFreak]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that the laser goggles sold by Wicked lasers are known to possibly be inadequate for blocking / absorbing all of the light. If you can see any blue at all through the goggles that would let you know that they aren't absorbing what they should. You should see a whitish orange colored dot which is just what it looks like through the goggles when the light hits it and it fluroesces. While it may absorb enough for when you are looking at the dot on the wall it might not be enough to protect from a direct reflection. You really do not want to see any blue at all through the goggles so if you do you need new goggles.

You should really look at this safety goggles photo comparison of laser light absorbtion which shows that the wicked laser goggles that were tested are not up to par. You can see what I mean by it letting the blue light through.


http://laserpointerforums.com/f52/saftey-goggles-comparison-54927.html


Also, here is a post about someone that hurt their eyes even though though they were wearing the wicked laser glasses with the arctic.

http://laserpointerforums.com/f53/has-anyone-here-ever-hurt-their-eyes-56225.html



Here are some better goggles...

http://www.survivallaser.com/Eagle_Pair__190-540nm_Slip_Over_Laser_Safety_Goggles/p556088_3346945.aspx

 

[BLuFeNiX]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that the laser goggles sold by Wicked lasers are known to possibly be inadequate for blocking / absorbing all of the light. If you can see any blue at all through the goggles that would let you know that they aren't absorbing what they should. You should see a whitish orange colored dot which is just what it looks like through the goggles when the light hits it and it fluroesces. While it may absorb enough for when you are looking at the dot on the wall it might not be enough to protect from a direct reflection. You really do not want to see any blue at all through the goggles so if you do you need new goggles.

You should really look at this safety goggles photo comparison of laser light absorbtion which shows that the wicked laser goggles that were tested are not up to par. You can see what I mean by it letting the blue light through.


http://laserpointerforums.com/f52/saftey-goggles-comparison-54927.html


Also, here is a post about someone that hurt their eyes even though though they were wearing the wicked laser glasses with the arctic.

http://laserpointerforums.com/f53/has-anyone-here-ever-hurt-their-eyes-56225.html



Here are some better goggles...

Eagle Pair® 190-540nm Slip Over Laser Safety Goggles

Thanks. I can confirm not being able to see any blue light through the laser shades, but I will consider buying the Eagle Pair goggles.

One thing I was wondering about: Should I worry about diffused light shinning on my cheeks? Sometimes when I point the laser at something white (like paper or a wax candle) it will light up the room and I can see blue light coming in under the glasses, bouncing off of my shirt or cheeks. I try to block the light by putting the glasses as close as possible to my face, or putting my free-hand in the way. Is this something I should worry about?

 

[Wolfman29]

If it's a diffuse reflection coming from a diffuse reflection, you should be perfectly safe And disregard the first guy who answered this post. As long as you use common sense and don't point it at anything remotely reflective, even 2W is safe for viewing indoors without shades (from a reasonable distance - at least a few meters) if your eyes don't hurt from looking at it! Point is, diffuse reflections, while they can be really bright, typically cannot hurt your eyes - they are diffuse, after all. That means that they dissipate that power is ALL directions, so it's VERY diffuse. I mean, lasers are purely light - what else are they good for besides seeing them? ^_^

Once again though, laser safety is all about common sense. Don't point it near anything that could fall and reflect in your eyes.

 

[BLuFeNiX]

If it's a diffuse reflection coming from a diffuse reflection, you should be perfectly safe And disregard the first guy who answered this post. As long as you use common sense and don't point it at anything remotely reflective, even 2W is safe for viewing indoors without shades (from a reasonable distance - at least a few meters) if your eyes don't hurt from looking at it! Point is, diffuse reflections, while they can be really bright, typically cannot hurt your eyes - they are diffuse, after all. That means that they dissipate that power is ALL directions, so it's VERY diffuse. I mean, lasers are purely light - what else are they good for besides seeing them? ^_^

Once again though, laser safety is all about common sense. Don't point it near anything that could fall and reflect in your eyes.

Thanks a lot, Wolfman29.

 

[midias]

Thanks for all of your input, everyone.



I read somewhere that the low power mode of the arctic brings it down to about 20% of its max (from about 1000mW to between 150-200mW).

15-20% of an arctic max is about 105-140mw as they are not usually at 1w and more often around 700mw.