laserbee, do you wear safety glasses at rated blocking laser frequency and see results with radio shack device, or are you bare eyed?..answer this, because you know IR does retinal damage...post some pics of the Radio Shack card viewed through IR blocking goggles from your CCD camera...ok archeometry
To answer your question...
I always wear appropriate Safety Goggles when using Lasers in the Shop.
I would be an Idiot to even think of using Lasers in the Watt range
without Proper Laser Safety Goggles...
I performed a few test this morning (all the while wearing my IR Laser
Safety Goggles) and found that my 6 mega pixel Sony Cybershot camera
doesn't do justice to the bright Orange beam profile reflected off my
"ancient" IR Indicator Card as seen directly through the IR Googles.
The Beam profile is a much brighter Orange seen directly through the
IR Goggles.
It is probably the IR that is drowning out the actual Orange color of
the Beam profile on the IR Indicator Card seen by the camera...
Yes I know... the IR Card is in a reflective Clear Plastic Case (it has
been in that case for years to protect it from being touched by grimy
little fingers). It works just fine though the plastic case.
I was alone in the shop and wearing my Laser Safety Goggles at all time
during the tests... (I think I mentioned that....)
This Pic shows the IR Beam profile as seen directly by the Camera...
This Pic shows the same IR Beam profile with IR Goggles between the IR
Indicator Card and the Camera.. (yes... I have more than 1 pair of IR Goggles)
The actual image seen through Goggles with your eyes is much
brighter and Orange...
I then set up a simple reflective test... I tried it with the IR Indicator
Card in and out of the Plastic Case and basically the same amount of IR was
reflected.. don't forget that the IR beam is diverging slightly and the active
area of the LaserBee I is 8mm X 8mm.
this Pic shows the reflected reading on the LaserBee I....
and this Pic shows the actual Testing power of the IR Laser Beam going straight
to our NewPort Thermopile Sensor... with only the IR Indicator Card removed
from the path of the beam... notice the LaserBee I still shows the Max reading
on the LCD Display..
Yes... the tests were done at 1 Watt of IR... and our IR indicator card had
no damage to it and can even detect the beam of a low powered IR LED...
like in a TV remote..
I still stand by what I posted....
Your $75.00 IR indicator may be newer technology... but I can do the same
thing for under $13.00.... I'll stick with what works for us..
Jerry