My "Phraug Phusion Physics Lighting Module" arrived Monday, and of course I was at work, so I picked it up yesterday. Here's my take:
It's a little bigger than a Mini-Maglite, and the fit and finish is as nice as I have seen on any "flashlight"type device. The plastic power button does have some extra rattle room but is functional. The eight-sided area at the front of the casing works very well to prevent the laser from rolling when set down - a nice touch.
Beam quality of this unit is good. The laser puts out a TEM00 beam, without artifacts. The beam exits the case at a slight angle which is not noticeable unless you are sighting down the laser body.
Using Pseudonomen's divergence calculator, 2mm beam at aperture and 20mm spot at 11.1 meters, I get a
1.6 mRad divergence figure - way out of spec according to the page at the Phraug.com site.
I tested three different kinds of batteries in it. Duracell NiMHs, Duracell Alkalines, and Energizer E2 Lithiums. Each test was done form a "cold start" - that is, the laser was allowed to reach ambient temperature (80 degrees) before each reading. Beam power was measured with an Andover Holography laser power meter. The results for the tests were nearly identical for
initial peak power output in all cases -
102mW, give or take a mW. The power begins to fall seconds after turn-on, and
after one minute of "on" time showed a little more variation:
NiMH -
66-68mW
Alkaline -
65-67mW
E2 Lithium -
67-71mW
As far as burning or melting anything, it will melt a hole in a red Solo drinking cup in a few seconds or less at a distance of two inches. It smokes, but does not penetrate, black electrical tape. I've not tried balloons or matches.
I am somewhat disappointed in the failure of many of these lasers to hit the published divergence and output power specs, even at the initial peak, much less continuously. Most CW laser specifications published by industry are at a guaranteed
minimum output power level, and the seller should keep this in mind so as not to disappoint buyers. Personally I would rate this particular unit as a 65mW laser.
Despite all that, I still think it is a good deal for the price and a fine product for the amount of power that it is making along with the quality of the beam, and the niceness of the case (your mileage and brightness may vary). Overall, I am quite pleased with it and look forward to using it!
I need to send you the insurance info, and the delivery conf number - uh, I did not send your 50mw back yet....I have not had time to muck with the lense yet, I was busy with the Fusion
