Need help

[Pegasus_11]

Hey everyone

Thank you for responding to my question

I apologize for not adding any detail it’s my first time using a forum

I’ve asked Google many questions about laser pointer but I keep getting a variety of answers

 

[Pegasus_11]

1mW vs 5mW

I’m assuming the higher the number the better the laser pointer?

Also the higher the number the more dangerous the Burning capability?

But does the higher number also mean The longer distance that the receiving end would see the laser pointer?

For example : if I turn on a laser pointer and point straight up to the sky will it travels 10 miles 30 miles 50 miles before the laser beam gets distorted

 

[julianthedragon]

1mW vs 5mW

I’m assuming the higher the number the better the laser pointer?

Also the higher the number the more dangerous the Burning capability?

But does the higher number also mean The longer distance that the receiving end would see the laser pointer?

For example : if I turn on a laser pointer and point straight up to the sky will it travels 10 miles 30 miles 50 miles before the laser beam gets distorted

Welcome to the forum!

Your intuition is partly correct. Higher output power (mw) does typically mean more burning capability but what really matters is power density (being able to focus down the beam to a tiny dot, like the sun with a magnifying glass). However you have to move into the 50mw+ range and ultimately much higher before you see any meaningful burning capabilities. Here are some nice charts showing what certain lasers can do at different mw: https://www.htpow.com/blog/bid-10.html
The only difference between 1mw and 5mw would be visibility and eye safety (less power = less visible and more safe). 5mw is the legal limit to sell lasers in most jurisdictions for a reason, if you go higher than that you should invest in some good safety glasses to protect your eyes.

Higher power output does not make a laser better or worse even though it can make the laser more expensive. There are many factors that go into how "good" a laser is including build quality, beam quality, duty cycle. There are also subjective things like if the laser has the features you want, is the right size, and how much you like the wavelength (color).

As for your last question, the thing with lasers is all of them have a degree of divergence and that has a lot more to do with the optics inside the laser than the power level. The reason higher powered lasers "go for longer" is because they are still visible even after getting diffused a little bit. They also get distorted by the atmosphere and there's not much you can do about that. If I wanted a laser that could span very far distances, I would look for a green laser with low divergence and a good amount of power (30mw+) and possibly a beam expander if it's offered by the seller.

I hope some of this info was helpful to you, if you want to do more research I suggest googling:
• laser safety
• difference between single mode and multimode lasers
• difference between DPSS and diode lasers
• laser divergence
• laser wavelength/power

 

[icecruncher]

But does the higher number also mean The longer distance that the receiving end would see the laser pointer?

For example : if I turn on a laser pointer and point straight up to the sky will it travels 10 miles 30 miles 50 miles before the laser beam gets distorted

Your eye is more sensitive to certain colors, which make them more visible at a longer distance from same power. Green is near the peak of our sensitivity. Red is toward the end of least sensitive.

Also, visibility of the dot is different from visibility of the beam.

 

[Pegasus_11]

Thank you so much for that information. It is very helpful

 

[Sowee7]

Thank you so much for that information. It is very helpful

typically a green laser would be visible the most. if you want to shine the laser far away and still be able to see the dot fairly well, try to get a low beam divergence laser that is under 0.5mrad divergence. power can also make a difference. you can see a 5mw dot better than a 1mw dot. having a 5mw green laser with a divergence less than 0.5mrad would be a very nice, fairly eye safe laser that can reach long distances and can still be visable

hope this helps!

 

[danielcrawfo30]

Thank you guys for sharing this info. It was helpful for me too!