Looking for a high quality 5mw green laser

[CrazedMonkey56]

Hello everyone,

I am really new to the forums and dont know how everything works but i really meed some help. I have been doing my research and want to get a 5mw green laser. lol, i know that sounds like someone who dosent know anything about lasers, but i want a low powered lasers that i can bring with me to hangout with friends and not need glasses. I want a laser that is focusable(i should be able to pop balloons and light matches). Another important detail is the housing, i dont want the "pointer" slim housing. I want this laser to look like a high power 1w but be low powered. I also would like a continuous on switch. Just picture an average 1w green laser housing and body but it only be 5mw. I found one that has the right housing "look" to it but its from hong kong and is mass produced. I would prefer not buying this as i have bought from ebayers similar and received junk. Any links would be appraised. There really is no budget, but it being only a 5mw green laser i would prefer not to pay over 100.

Thanks

 

[NightExplorer96]

You won't be lighting matches with a 5mW 532nm laser, even focusable. Might pop a balloon but not sure, so will let someone else answer that. LaserGlow has some nice focusable true 5mW pointers but you aren't looking for that so......

-Alex

 

[CrazedMonkey56]

Military Zoom Focus 5 MW Underwater Green Beam Laser Pen Pointer BTY Chgr | eBay

this is basically what im looking for, i dont want to buy this from hong kong due to lack of quality, mass production, lack of communication.

I have personally poped a balloon and lit a match with a 5mw focusable before it breaking. i dont have any videos but there are plenty if you look.

 

[NightExplorer96]

I have personally poped a balloon and lit a match with a 5mw focusable before it breaking. i dont have any videos but there are plenty if you look.

Most likely was an over-powered green then(for the match burning part). Do you have a link which resembles the "5mW" you lit a match with?

-Alex

 

[CrazedMonkey56]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGjFDUUrl3I

this is similar

 

[NightExplorer96]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGjFDUUrl3I

this is similar

Mhm, that is far from being a TRUE 5mW 532nm laser. Most eBay lasers that are labeled as 5mW actually output waaaay more and have no IR filter so that is also being outputted.

-Alex

 

[xirrious]

5mW wont light a match no matter how you focus it. Your looking for 300mW range..

And you will spend roughly 50-75 cents per mW up to 400mW or so where 532s become more like a dollar per mW..

laserbtb.com..

edit: Greenlander is correct. eBay pens are overspec and not IR filtered. 532 are DPSS lasers meaning a 808nm IR diode pumps a gain medium and then frequency doubling crystals to achieve the desired 532nm output. Without IR filters though alot of the energy emitted from the aperture is going to be in that invisible IR range rather then the visible 532 green range. This can be dangerous, however I personally do not mind unfiltered DPSS 532s, being aware of the fact that the IR radiation is emitted only means you have more power there that is invisible, just be aware that apparent brightness does NOT correlate to power the same way it would with a filtered laser. From my experience your going to need several hundred mW to light a match, if you focus it I'd bet 100-150mW would do the trick given enough time. Popping a balloon would take a focused 50mW or unfocused 150mW roughly. Keep in mind these are not exact numbers, just use them for your reference.

edit again: popping balloons has EVERYTHING to do with the color of the balloon too. Also matches, a green tipped match wont be lit by a green laser nearly as well as a red tipped match for what I hope to you are obvious reflection issues...