New From Italy!

[davidkoleda]

Hello, this is my first post!
Just the other day this idea of the laser popped in my brain and in these few days I read a lot on the topic. The only laser I own is a 10 years old red laser bought under the tour eiffel when i was a child on holiday, but it does still work!
Now i would really like to have a good laser pointer, better 532nm but I have lots of doubts on power and the IRs. A 5mW laser could be easily purchased but a more powerful laser, such as 50mW would be better, but then all problems related to safety come out.
The problem here in EU are the customs, since most of you, and famous laser production companies are located in the US or Asia. But I read of some senior european members who could help me.
I'm not also sure if buying the laser form a company or form this forum.

Hope you will help me!

 

[Tw15t3r]

Welcome to the forums. It's good that you have started off by browsing around and reading to gather more info. (People here don't like to be asked the same things over and over again )

Now i would really like to have a good laser pointer, better 532nm but I have lots of doubts on power and the IRs. A 5mW laser could be easily purchased but a more powerful laser, such as 50mW would be better, but then all problems related to safety come out.

Ok, so first, we need to know what exactly you're looking for. A good laser doesn't really say much. But you did say you want a 532nm (green) laser, so we'll work from there.

At 532nm, the eye is most sensitive to light, and hence it will appear to be the brightest compared to other colours. If you're wanting a nice clear dot for pointing, 5mW looks nice, and is quite safe. If you want to see the beam, you'll need at least 50mW depending on your location. Here in Singapore, the air quality isn't very good, so we have enough dust particles in the air to see 50mW greens easily. More so when the haze comes in from Indonesia.

As for safety issues, anything above 5mW should be cautioned, and ideally, goggles should be used. It may seem overkill to spend alot on goggles for a say, 10mW pointer, but hey, that's why we go big if we are intending to go above 5mW.

IR wise, it's not as though the IR in the beam goes somewhere else. It follows the dot and is mixed in with the green. If the green hits you, the IR does too, and vice versa. There's nothing to really fear about that. Only thing to bear in mind is to ensure that your safety goggles also covers the IR section.

Import issues, I'm afraid you'll have to settle it based on your own knowledge. Or PM a member who's from the same country to see what they do (Don't discuss these issues openly. There are usually 10,000 other people viewing this forum at the same time)

 

[Moistenator]

Welcome to the forums, The post above waters it down for you and should help you pick out the ideal laser your after, Should you have anymore questions feel free to PM me. Be sure to read all the stickies/rules and use the search button as much as possible!

Enjoy your stay.

 

[davidkoleda]

Thanks for the replies,
With a "good laser" I mean a solid build and overall quality, just not a cheap laser that will explode in my hands.
A friend of mine just bought a laser pointer in France and in a while I will check it and thank about buying it, I'll let you know how it is and maybe ask you for suggestions!

 

[lasersbee]

to the Forum....davidkoleda

39 Reasons NOT to Buy From Wicked Lasers

Enjoy your stay...


Jerry

 

[elbelle]

Hi

Im within UE too (France), i bought 3 lasers from Blord and 1 from DJNY (Belgium and Austria). French customs dont check goods from UE : i'll never buy from chinese website or US because of that, this is too risky !! forget it...

You can buy nice lasers from Blord here : http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/sale-new-1w-2w-445nm-501b-lasers-110-a-78452.html ; fast shipping and fair price

You can check lasers i bought within UE here : High power lasers - YouTube

Good luck and welcome !

 

[catman]

Welcome!

I'm from the EU too, infact our countries are neighbours. Which part of Italy are you from?

Regarding customs.... well a few years ago I ordered some forbidden lasers from dealextreme. Got through customs just fine (they were less then the amount you pay customs/tax and were marked as led lights).

Anyway in the end I got rid of both of them because you really can't do much without them without endangering someone, breaking the law or both. Maybe you'll burn a few things, look at the beam at night, but then what?

If I were you I'd get a couple of actual 5mW ones, much safer and more useful.