New member looking for info!

[Chrisbee]

On ebay, you don't. It's a crapshoot.

 

[VapeLife]

So it's cheap but not shitty cheap right? Haha

 

[Sta]

This is the laser I purposely brought as a cheap green laser pointer alternative.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/High-Quality-Promotion-303-Laser-Pointer-5000mW-Power-Green-Laser-Pointer-Pen-Lazer-Battery-18650-Burning/32687346586.html?spm=2114.40010208.4.73.PhQvjT

It takes a 18650 and should output around 100-150mW. I am not sure whether or not it has a IR filter.

Take out the battery and look into the aperture. Do you see anything blue or green? If so, it has an IR filter.

 

[Chrisbee]

So it's cheap but not shitty cheap right? Haha

Those are about as cheap as you go.
They could last a month or years.

 

[CurtisOliver]

Take out the battery and look into the aperture. Do you see anything blue or green? If so, it has an IR filter.

I haven't used this laser for a long time, so can't remember if it did or not.


Yes, this laser is as cheap as you can get for a medium power 532nm. Shame about LaserBTB as they would have lasted longer.

 

[dden4012]

1w of 532 green starts at $500 at least. Typically 532nm has great beam spec for long distance pointing but has a very thin beam in the el cheepo price range.
Take a look at XPL for rather cheap lasers. Be ready for fasttech slow shipping.

 

[GSS]

So it's cheap but not shitty cheap right? Haha

Members seem to agree to buy 2 of these ebay cheapies as that it always seems 1 is way more powerful than the other and has the potential to last.
At less than $10 each and combined shipping its worth it.

 

[paul1598419]

The amount of IR radiation that is colimated from the DPSS 532nm green lasers has been highly over-hyped. It is a small fraction of the overall power and is not collimated, so it disperses as the distance from the laser increases. An IR filter is nice, but in powers of 100 mW, unnecessary.

 

[diachi]

The amount of IR radiation that is colimated from the DPSS 532nm green lasers has been highly over-hyped. It is a small fraction of the overall power and is not collimated, so it disperses as the distance from the laser increases. An IR filter is nice, but in powers of 100 mW, unnecessary.

The IR fear goes in cycles, I've seen it several times. We flip from "IR IS BAD GET AN IR FILTER AND GREEN/IR GOGGLES!!" to "Don't worry about it!" every couple of years. Doesn't hurt to have a filter of course but I wouldn't worry about not having one.

I'll need to pick up a reflect green dichro/green notch filter and a camera with no IR filter to do some testing and hopefully dispel the myths once and for all.

 

[VapeLife]

I do but then the price goes up too. For quality and reliability, you have to expect to pay a bit more. I could happily show you a cheap Chinese "5000mW" :crackup: pointer that puts out 100mW+, but the quality is nothing like what you will get from a professional company.

So I bought the laser you recommended and it is exactly what I'm looking for it is awesome I love it the only thing is that it will be super bright at first and even after the recommended duty cycle and letting it cool down it becomes not as bright almost like the batteries are dead after like 10 min if that is this normal? Any advice would help I'm just not sure the batteries should be dying even with the laser output being what it is

 

[diachi]

So I bought the laser you recommended and it is exactly what I'm looking for it is awesome I love it the only thing is that it will be super bright at first and even after the recommended duty cycle and letting it cool down it becomes not as bright almost like the batteries are dead after like 10 min if that is this normal? Any advice would help I'm just not sure the batteries should be dying even with the laser output being what it is

What one did you buy? This one? https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hig...2687346586.html?spm=2114.40010208.4.73.PhQvjT

 

[VapeLife]

What one did you buy? This one? https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hig...2687346586.html?spm=2114.40010208.4.73.PhQvjT

It's 532nm 50mw with IR filter from laserbtb.com takes 2AAA batteries

http://www.laserbtb.com/productshow.asp?id=83

 

[paul1598419]

Are you using good alkaline batteries? It could be that if you are using carbon batteries they might be discharging after this amount of time.

 

[94Z28]

50mW and 2 AAA yes about 10 minutes in my experience and it's much dimmer than a fresh set.

 

[VapeLife]

Are you using good alkaline batteries? It could be that if you are using carbon batteries they might be discharging after this amount of time.

I'm using the heavy duty barriers from harbor freight

 

[paul1598419]

Still, I didn't realize you were using it for 10 minutes. A 50 mW 532nm DPSSL needs ~250 mW of 808nm pump diode power to produce that small amount of green light. Even the best AAAs don't supply a lot of current for a long period of time. If you have a DMM to test the batteries after this time, you might find they are only outputting 1.1 VDC.