Laser n00b here

[srinag]

Hello all, as the subject says, I'm new to handheld lasers... I've always been interested but refrained from buying due to the high prices.

Anyway, I noticed yesterday that the prices on these things seem to have dropped a lot(I'm still wondering why?? :huh

So, I went ahead and bought a,
O-link new cute pocket green laser 50mw/adjustable
&
O-link cute high power 250mw red laser torch/focusable

Well, I was wondering what the beam divergence and diameter are on these two models(o-like dosen't mention it on their site) and how does this affect their burning power???

I bought the green just for a solid and strong dot+beam(day and night) and the red for burning, do you guys think they are good enough for my purposes or have I just flushed my money down the drain??

Any advice will be appreciated, thnx!!

 

[Gsquared18]

First off, welcome. Now on to business. I don't own these but I'm pretty sure the 50 ain't gonna burn nuttin. The 250mW even if it under spec'd should burn considering it's focusable. A YouTube search of the model(s) may help with the answer and lastly, there is no such thing as flushing away money when it comes to lasers.

 

[srinag]

First off, welcome. Now on to business. I don't own these but I'm pretty sure the 50 ain't gonna burn nuttin. The 250mW even if it under spec'd should burn considering it's focusable. A YouTube search of the model(s) may help with the answer and lastly, there is no such thing as flushing away money when it comes to lasers.

I just spent 2hr+ watching videos on youtube

Couldn't find anything specific to my models, but quite a few interesting videos nonetheless. About the 50mw, I saw many videos with 50mw greens easily burning through shit.....

Thnx mate!!!
Still waiting for someone with the actual thing to answer the rest of my questions......

 

[Eudaimonium]

Green you purchased, along with any other DPSS system you'll purchase, has a very thin beam at aperture compared to red laser.

Green should have around 1-1.2 mm wide beam at aperture, but unfortunately, 50mW dead on is not enough to effectively burn stuff. Might ignite a match if focused properly to pinpoint with external lens.

Red should have around 4.5 mm wide beam at aperture exit, and it's too wide to burn even at 5x the power of the green one. However, red lasers tend to be focusable (you than thread the lens in and out of the main module) and allow you to manipulate the beam, also focusing the beam to a pinpoint where you want it. Beam will burn the strongest in the focal point.

Hope it clears some stuff up for you

P.S. Don't forget some laser safety goggles. You DO need them. Period.

 

[srinag]

Thanks a lot man :yh:

But let me get this straight, narrower the beam width, the better it is at burning??
I guess, this way the energy can be concentrated onto a smaller area.

So, for the green to burn @ 50mw the width < 1mm
OR
to burn @ 1.2mm it should be >50mw

Am I right??

Also, how long can I keep these lasers on before risking a burn out??

 

[Eudaimonium]

50mW should be no "boundary" for you.

Basically, green lasers tend to show the burning potential at around 80-100mW.
Red lasrs of 200mW and above are most usually focusable and always burn very nicely.

However, I have to disappoint you right now, burning is the kind of thing that'll hold ya for about 2 days. Then, you'll care about the visibility and overall beauty of the lasers, burning is just a side effect

Duty cycle is on the O-like's website. It's expressed in number of seconds of ON time to number of seconds of OFF time.

Good choice too. O-like is good company to buy from.

 

[IsaacT]

He is right, I thought everybody here was just a little strange when I joined and the burning thing seemed unimportant to most of them here, or atleast a biproduct, while I was wanting burning most....thus my usernmae, Wannaburnstuff. Now however, burning has become something to do when you are bored or showing lasers to someone who hasn't seen higher powered ones yet. Something you will want to pick up soon is a fog machine....it is really great for making the beams super visible. I got mine at Wallmart at the start of Halloween season for 20 bucks. (Just keep an eye out for deals when you decide to get one)

Anyway, welcome to LPF and enjoy your stay!
-Isaac

 

[Eudaimonium]

Thanks Isaac.

Though you may want to change your avatar, during my 1 year of active membership here, I have seen 4 members , plus you, using exact same picture.

Get creative!
:na:

 

[IsaacT]

Hey Eudamonium, thanks for the advice! I made an avatar myself(took forever). Is this better? Be careful what you say, Voldemort can haz trigger finger

 

[Eudaimonium]

Much better

Voldemort can haz trigger finger, but we haz 445nm lasers.
His arguement is invalid.

 

[CDHDC]

Welcome! I'm sure those lasers will be plenty enjoyable. After the newness wears off and you've still got the itch for more, I suggest you do some searching around on the forum and look into building your own. I don't care what it is. After successfully assembling your components, holding your breathe, closing your eyes, there's nothing more gratifying than seeing that beam of light you made possible. Sorry if I'm rambling and not makin' much sense. I've had a couple pre turkey day tasties. Good luck with your new found addiction.

 

[srinag]

Welcome! I'm sure those lasers will be plenty enjoyable. After the newness wears off and you've still got the itch for more, I suggest you do some searching around on the forum and look into building your own. I don't care what it is. After successfully assembling your components, holding your breathe, closing your eyes, there's nothing more gratifying than seeing that beam of light you made possible. Sorry if I'm rambling and not makin' much sense. I've had a couple pre turkey day tasties. Good luck with your new found addiction.

Thank you, I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I'm looking for a good 1w+ laser diode and am researching the design and construction of a complete laser. It really is fascinating...... and ur rite, it is addictive!!

 

[srinag]

Hello again....
I just received the 2 lasers after much delay from both O-like and DHL.

Opened the package to notice that they have not supplied any battery or charger which is mentioned as included in the product page.
Still, I went out and bought the CR123A Duracell battery for them(which is crazy expensive!!).

All excited I popped the battery in the 250mw red, pulled a couple of match sticks and switched on the laser. No matter how much I focused the laser, the match did not light!!!

I tried my best to focus the laser into a small dot and pointed it at the match stick, no matter how close or far the match was, it just did not light, at any distance from the laser.
Am I doing something wrong here?? Or have I just received the wrong laser.....
And how can confirm the power output on the lasers??

It seems that O-like is falling short of its online reputation....