Power vs Safety Class 4 445 or class 3B 473

[cgchaser]

Since I'm new here I want to get some advice from you laser experts that have been doing this for years. As much as I love the power of class 4s I am considering moving away from the prospect of a 2 watt. The power seems to be to damn high! I primarily use my lasers for viewing, burning things can be fun but I absolutly have to have these things outside for beam viewing. I'm now at a crossroads. If I go down in power to class 3B yet get a brighter 473 nm>80 mw from somewhere like Lasever will the beam be intense enough for me to get my fix. I need highly visible beams for view. I already have 532 but I must have blue,my favorite color. I'd prefer 488 but can't find one anywhere. As for the 473 vs class 4 445s I see pros and cons on both sides of this issue, I can't decide please help. :cryyy:

>80mw 473 Pros
Lower power - safer for use
Brighter to the human eye than 445
Safer than class 4
Safer when it comes to the BLH hazard issue
Divurse reflections nowhere near as hazardous
No risk of neighbor getting blinded by looking at the laser dot in my tree.
Lower NOHD risk obviously

Cons
Lower power weaker not as intense beam viewing
lower range


Class 4 2 watt 445 Pros
Ultimate beam viewing experiance
Superior range
Burns stuff quckly
vastly overpowered

class 4 2 watt 445 cons
Extremely dangerous
Unsafe to use this thing indoors even with goggles
Serious divurse reflection hazards
My neighbor might sue me "Jerry Joe goes into his yard to grill at 1 AM and sees this bright dot on top of my tree and sufferes eye damage [I]"My neighbor done blinded me with his laser yes he did... that bright blue thing was in his tree and now I can't see as good" [/I] I've heard that at 2 watts you suffer eye damage from viewing the dot without goggles at any range less than 150 feet.)
The fear that some big stupid bug will fly into the path when I'm outside beam viewing.

 

[Hiemal]

If you want visibility, why not just get a green pointer of sorts? It'll be much safer than any blue color and the visibility will be much greater than any blue you can get.

If you're specifically looking for blue, I'd go with 473 nm. It's more visible per mW than 445 nm, safer... but it might be more expensive though!

 

[Eudaimonium]

My neighbor might sue me "Jerry Joe goes into his yard to grill at 1 AM and sees this bright dot on top of my tree and sufferes eye damage [I]"My neighbor done blinded me with his laser yes he did... that bright blue thing was in his tree and now I can't see as good" [/I] I've heard that at 2 watts you suffer eye damage from viewing the dot without goggles at any range less than 150 feet.)

Who the hell told you that?

Completely false. Diffuse reflection of 2 Watt 445nm dot becomes dangerous at ranges close than perhaps 2 metters, and that's only if you stare directly into it like a retarded monkey for 2 hours straight.

If they were THAT catastrophically dangerous, why do we still have armed conflicts?

You can rule that part out from your "cons" section of 445nm laser.

 

[Tech_Junkie]

473 is a great choice. But I'd go with Jet Lasers, CNI, or Optotronics for better quality. It may cost you more, but you'll get better divergence, and a more rugged laser. Plus they back up what they sell. Lasever is still relatively unknown in quality, and service. Optotronics is in the US, and Jack backs up what he sells.

 

[Eudaimonium]

To follow up, I would also reccomend 473nm over 445nm - 'tis a biased opinion of someone who's yet to actually see a 473nm though.

Beware that buying directly from CNI could be a hassle. Not sure where you're from but if you're not from Canada, you may want to get it from LaserGlow.com