Playing with a 1.5w Blue laser and my eye hurts

[EpicHam]

I did not understand you entirely.
With a 50-80 mW laser I cannot look at the spot (the blue dot in the wall)?
Direct reflection and direct beam I understand.

YOu should not look at the dot of a laser 10mW and up within a range of 10m
You should not look at the dot generated by a 700mW laser hitting a matte surface within 50m

so As long as you keep the laser dot out of your peripheral vision and all you can see is the illumination caused by the laser hitting the rough surface and the the light ray scattering giving you a diffused reflection. It'll be fine

2 parts of a laser you have to be wary off and NEVER LOOK INTO.
The beam (don't look into the beam)
The spot (don't let it hit reflective surfaces unintentionally and don't look at the dot as according to the surface and ppwer

 

[thunderdome]

YOu should not look at the dot of a laser 10mW and up within a range of 10m
You should not look at the dot generated by a 700mW laser hitting a matte surface within 50m

so As long as you keep the laser dot out of your peripheral vision and all you can see is the illumination caused by the laser hitting the rough surface and the the light ray scattering giving you a diffused reflection. It'll be fine

2 parts of a laser you have to be wary off and NEVER LOOK INTO.
The beam (don't look into the beam)
The spot (don't let it hit reflective surfaces unintentionally and don't look at the dot as according to the surface and ppwer

So basically playing indoor with this laser is dangerous? Because of the dot itself?

 

[EpicHam]

So basically playing indoor with this laser is dangerous? Because of the dot itself?

1.5W isn't meant for indoor other than burning.

 

[thunderdome]

1.5W isn't meant for indoor other than burning.

I am referring to a 50-80 mW 450 nm blue laser. not 1.5 W

 

[EpicHam]

I am referring to a 50-80 mW 450 nm blue laser. not 1.5 W

Indoor use , stick with 5mW -10mW for fun without glasses

 

[Laik]

Stick to <5mW for indoors and having fun with close up because anything over 5mW does permanent damage to your eye because it can't blink fast enough to protect itself.

 

[hwang21]

Well if you are careful enough, even 100mW should be fine for dot viewing. Any laser over 5mW will cause eye damage if you look into the beam, or if the beam reflects into your eyes... but dot viewing is fine, up until like 300mW+

 

[Livinloud]

I dont get the whole trend of "if yoir careful enough" have you guys not read all the threads posted by VETS who were using lasers inside and obviously know of all the laser sfaety and dangers yet still caught the laser in the eye!?!?!?!? There is no such thong as if you are careful enough you can use a 100mW or whatever. ANYTHING OVER 5 mW SHOULD NOT BE USED INDOORS WITHOUT GLASSES. Anything else you are HIGHLY risking damaging your eyes NO MATTER how careful you are, end of discussion

 

[EpicHam]

I dont get the whole trend of "if yoir careful enough" have you guys not read all the threads posted by VETS who were using lasers inside and obviously know of all the laser sfaety and dangers yet still caught the laser in the eye!?!?!?!? There is no such thong as if you are careful enough you can use a 100mW or whatever. ANYTHING OVER 5 mW SHOULD NOT BE USED INDOORS WITHOUT GLASSES. Anything else you are HIGHLY risking damaging your eyes NO MATTER how careful you are, end of discussion

Kinda like using a size 12 mallet or a really powerful hand drill eh?

 

[thunderdome]

Kinda like using a size 12 mallet or a really powerful hand drill eh?

The thing is...
A 80 mW laser is VERY different from a 1000 or 2000 mW laser.
Over 5 mW was defined internationally as hurting the eye with a direct hit. Of course this is a threshold, why not 7 or 12,5 mW?
But considering that, what is the overall experience with 50 mW lasers?

 

[EpicHam]

The thing is...
A 80 mW laser is VERY different from a 1000 or 2000 mW laser.
Over 5 mW was defined internationally as hurting the eye with a direct hit. Of course this is a threshold, why not 7 or 12,5 mW?
But considering that, what is the overall experience with 50 mW lasers?

Because of clinical trials on animals that helped to determine the damage threshold of diffraction limited collimated , highly spatial coherent energy source striking the eye .

Of course there will be disrepancy between each person, but 5mW was chosen as a safe threshold as the population size concluded that that provides the necessary safety factor to avoid damage.

PS: But please don't look into a 5mW

As for a 50mW laser indoor usage.
You can look at the spot on a non-reflective surface.


If you are TRULY interested.
Then go read up at Sam's FAQ
Sam's Laser FAQ - Laser Safety

We can't keep on spoon feeding answers.

 

[thunderdome]

Because of clinical trials on animals that helped to determine the damage threshold of diffraction limited collimated , highly spatial coherent energy source striking the eye .

Of course there will be disrepancy between each person, but 5mW was chosen as a safe threshold as the population size concluded that that provides the necessary safety factor to avoid damage.

PS: But please don't look into a 5mW

As for a 50mW laser indoor usage.
You can look at the spot on a non-reflective surface.


If you are TRULY interested.
Then go read up at Sam's FAQ
Sam's Laser FAQ - Laser Safety

We can't keep on spoon feeding answers.

Thanks for the link, this one I did not know.

The graphs I knew, but they only help for very far away observations. Although 1 W blue and green seem very different, which I would not be so sure.
I read a lot on this subject, but for 50-100 mW I could not find a straight anwser.
But of course even for 1 mW looking into the beam is not good (your eyes will simply focus light even more in the retina!). I agree.
Thanks for the help.

 

[Livinloud]

5mW is the threshold since that is the limit at which a human eye can blink fast enough to protect itself from the light. anything of a higher power will damage the eye before you can blink but at 5mW, there is a SUPER low chance of damage occurring before you can blink

 

[Spooky]

Kinda like using a size 12 mallet or a really powerful hand drill eh?

Not really

A big hammer will break fingers (they mend) a powerful drill may break your wrist if it grabs (it will mend eventually) In some cases you may be left with restricted feeling or numbness but most of the basic effects are reversible.

A high energy laser strike to the eye can blind you...not "ooohh that aches" or "ouch that was a tad painful" but instant permanent darkness for the next lifetime.

While most of the lasers I work with are in the Kilowatt range the end result is the same, you can only be totally blind, it's not a sortta blind, or blind for a while...it's a permanent darkness in the worst case.
Few, if any people would muck about with the 7.5Kw I'm sat next to or treat it as a toy but in reality it's ability to blind is no more or less dangerous than a 1 watt pointer.

Look at it like death, wether you are killed by a single .22 rimfire round or a nuclear bomb the end result is the same, the method of how you got that way is of no importance.

A 80 mW laser is VERY different from a 1000 or 2000 mW laser.

In terms of end result they are exactly the same.

best wishes

Dave

 

[EpicHam]

Not really

A big hammer will break fingers (they mend) a powerful drill may break your wrist if it grabs (it will mend eventually) In some cases you may be left with restricted feeling or numbness but most of the basic effects are reversible.

A high energy laser strike to the eye can blind you...not "ooohh that aches" or "ouch that was a tad painful" but instant permanent darkness for the next lifetime.

While most of the lasers I work with are in the Kilowatt range the end result is the same, you can only be totally blind, it's not a sortta blind, or blind for a while...it's a permanent darkness in the worst case.
Few, if any people would muck about with the 7.5Kw I'm sat next to or treat it as a toy but in reality it's ability to blind is no more or less dangerous than a 1 watt pointer.

Look at it like death, wether you are killed by a single .22 rimfire round or a nuclear bomb the end result is the same, the method of how you got that way is of no importance.



In terms of end result they are exactly the same.

best wishes

Dave

Them mode locked lasers

 

[OzLasers]

LOL day made.