Well, so let's all agree on this so we can end the discussion.
"Although the risk exists, it's so low that under this conditions and assuming no lame things are going to be done with it I wouldn't buy goggles for this"
NO, I'm not going to agree..
CAUTION< RANT MODE IS ARMED< AND ACTIVE. FOX ONE! RANT MODE...
Here is the issue. Retinal burns seem to be a Badge of Honor on this board. To quote one of my friends, being critical of this thread, "OH, I took Eleventy billion Milliwatts in the eye and I cant see any damage so it must be safe...". That friend worked on submarine nuclear reactors, his sole job was to sample the whole sub every day, looking for exposure leaks. On a daily basis, he "interfaced" with the primary coolant loop, ie THE HOT SIDE of the reactor.. Interfaced means somehow 'tap into" the coolant loop. I think he knows what he's talking about when it comes time to "DO SAFETY".
THE CORRECT PATH IS A ZERO SOCIAL TOLERANCE FOR ANY EYE DAMAGE AND ANY POSSIBLE CAUSE OF EYE DAMAGE.
For USAians, familiar with the public service ads on TV, Here is the new version: "ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT RETINA FIRES".
No one here has looked at cumulative damage. No one here admits that you can have damage and not know about it.
NO ONE HERE MENTIONS IRRADIANCE, ITS ALWAYS POWER. WELL,,,,, POWER IS ONLY HALF OF IT! POWER PER UNIT AREA IS THE CRITICAL FACTOR..
You most possibly would not know if you had damage in the peripheral vision, until the truck hits you, and God tells you at your Judgement Day!!!...
REP and saving ones rep from mistakes seems more important then bothering to look up the safety issues. Your culture chases away those who do try to help you....
Many people here assume because someone, some place, in the world can do something (audience scanning) you can make simple assumptions and go out and do it with no gear, no precautions, and no training. Your so interested in "freedom" to play with dangerous things that the majority of you do NOT do your homework... You allow guesses and mis-statements of fact to flourish... In this system, in a analogy, 95% of you here would defend some one's so called "RIGHT" to attempt to fly a 747 New York to London, with PAX, having never had flight training... Wake UP, Freedom is NOT FREE, You have to earn it.
EARNING IT means doing the math and taking the time to do it right, and spend the money, if needed , to do it safely. (ref: Home made safety glasses threads) Earning it means starting small and working your way up. In the 1980s and early 90s, high power for a hobbyist was 5 mW of hene. 100 mW was 3000$. It was easier then to educate potential buyers of hazards. Now, 200 mW is a first buy. The regulations and societies rules have NOT coped with the technological change!
LASER POINTER FORUMS NEEDS TO DEVELOP A "CULTURE OF LASER SAFETY" ON THIS BOARD!
YOU NEED TO CENSOR AND SANCTION THOSE WHO STATE THINGS WITH REGARDS TO SAFETY, WHEN THOSE STATEMENTS ARE WRONG!
I could easily give you the means for MPE determination, but I'd very scared people here do NOT have the discipline to use it to learn from, but would try viewing laser light.
FROM NOW ON HERE, THE CORRECT ANSWER ON HOW MUCH DIRECT LASER LIGHT CAN ENTER THE EYE SAFELY IS ZERO!
THE CORRECT ANSWER ON HOW MUCH INDIRECT REFLECTION IS SAFE, IS "IT MUST BE MEASURED, IT DEPENDS ON MANY VARIABLES"
The late A. C. Clark's 3rd LAW said " Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
The problem is, the hazardous magic "wand" is now available for less then 100$. BUT ALMOST NO ONE HERE GOES TO HOGWARTS BEFORE THEY GET THE WAND!
PLEASE WORK TO END THE IDLE< ILL INFORMED< MERE SPECULATION< THAT OCCURS ON SAFETY HERE!
TIME, POWER, AREA, IRRADIANCE, CUMULATIVE EXPOSURE, WAVELENGTH, DIVERGENCE, BEAM QUALITY, SECONDARY HAZARDS,
REPETITION RATE, PULSE LENGTH, DISTANCE, BEAM PATH, OPTICALLY AIDED VIEWING, MENTAL STATE, THEY ALL MATTER!!!
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO TRY, THANK YOU!! FOR THE REST OF YOU, JFC!, PLEASE MAKE A SERIOUS, PEER REVIEWED, FACT CHECKED, SAFETY STICKY!!
END RANT....
Steve
