I'm sorry guys, but I see a blind insistence to skew data in favor of DL - without reason in fact. Hemlock Mike, how can you possibly say "Dragon Lasers treated me well with my green lasers and that both of my laser pens meet or exceed published ratings", when you say "I got a near new DL125 from this forum and it outputs 125 peak dropping to about 110.
AAA cells (e2) can hold for a few seconds then the sag hits.
"
A Viper 125mW according to DL is a laser that outputs 125mW+ over a 60 second average. If your Viper 125, using the best batteries there are, can only peak in at the 125mW mark, and (again, using the best batts) can only maintain ~110mW, how do you get off saying your laser is in spec?
It is pretty clear to me that your laser is at best 120mW over a 60 second average, and it seems more likely its in the 105-115mW range (this was a pretty accepted range to expect a 60 second average to fall in over a year ago when WL sold CNIs as 125mWs, but for some reason when DL came along we decided to abandon logic).
That is what I call being ripped off. What do you call paying for a laser, advertised as putting out 125mW avg over 60 seconds, that clearly does not? I hate to accuse you or blame you of anything, but it seems to me like you're trying to skew data that obviously incriminates DL, in their favor. Quite frankly, I don't understand why. Its absurd to me.
Why do I complain about DL? Well here's some of my reasoning:
http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1184973705/0#0
Think about it. Novalasers, a company that actually meters their lasers, cannot keep 125mW CNIs in stock. NL, by their relation to Laserglow, has more pull with CNI than DL. Dragonlasers, a company that doesn't give a damn about you (only your money), has never once been out of stock on their 125s, which are cheaper relatively. Its not hard evidence, but its some dang good food for thought if you ask me. Anyone care to explain how DL so prodigiously defies probability?
I've owned many of the 80mW lasers that DL sells as 125mWs. Personally, I've probably tested 30-50 of them. That is the same as buying 30-50 lasers from NL, and the same as buying 30-50 lasers from DL. Its not a huge sample, but its still enough to let me realize DL cannot possibly be selling that many 125s versus 95mW lasers. Again, its not solid evidence, but I daresay I have a decent idea of what I'm talking about.
It just bothers me because you pay a large premium to get a 125mW 60 second average laser, and it seems a pity to see that go to waste when a DL 95 and DL 125 are practically the same laser. At least when you buy NL, you know by the large out-of-stock periods that you're getting the truly special, rare picks from the lot, instead of some random CNI 80mW DL hopes will keep you satisfied.
PS: Even NL 125mWs won't necessarily meet a 125mW 60 second average. With the last order of high power CNIs I got, I ran the lot of data though a program I made (thanks to a tip by SenKat BTW!) and found that Nova's testing method tends to exaggerate their nominal ratings by ~0-2mW over the 60 seconds average. Its not a huge difference, but considering the lasers get exponentially more rare once you pass the 115mW mark, its further reason to approach DL with a "guilty until proven innocent" standpoint.
Okay all, flame me now. I know this forum has always had a like for DL. Afterall that is how it got started in the first place, so I guess I shouldn't be expecting much here. I just find the whole situation disappointing, and after a year of this, I'm tired of trying to be nice about it.