Ok, here's what I got so far...

[jwoulf]

Infrared, no collimating lens yet.

 

[Greyfox]

Not bad for a start. Do you have any specs on this laser? I have had some good luck with 140mW 780nm CD burner lasers, and am interested to see what others have built up.

 

[Zarniwoop]

That's what the camera sees - what's it look like in person (i.e. can you see anything at all)?

 

[jwoulf]

That's what the camera sees - what's it look like in person (i.e. can you see anything at all)?

Can see a very dim red glow when the lights are out, mostly invisible though. I have an IR camera, which is how I got that photo.

 

[jwoulf]

Not bad for a start. Do you have any specs on this laser? I have had some good luck with 140mW 780nm CD burner lasers, and am interested to see what others have built up.

No specs, got it out of a defective burner I snagged from craigslist.

 

[Greyfox]

If it was a 32-48x burner, you probably have up to 140mW output power to play with on that. I've seen a few hit as much as 200mW, but those are much more rare.

As fun as it will be, please do be careful, especially when it has been collimated with a proper lens. Although it appears dim to the eye, it's still powerful enough to permanently ruin your vision, and that of many cameras, too. Have fun, and good luck!