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Spending a little time asking some critical questions can save you a lot of disappointment.
(hopefully this post can be made into a sticky so that it's read before making a bad purchase rather than afterwords)
Before placing an order, do a forum search on the product and company.
If you don't find much, email the company directly and ask them some questions about the product to help find out what you're really getting.
Here are some good questions to ask.
1. What is the price for each power output level?
2. What extra accessories are included with laser?
picture also included with the laser?
3. What is the on/off duty cycle operation of the laser?
4. How is output power measured, is it peak or average output and if
average output what is the time period the output is averaged over?
5. What is the divergence spec? and the beam diameter spec?
6. What is your warranty period on this laser.
7. If I order the 500mw model, how long will the output of this remain
at or above 500mw once the laser is turned on.
8. Do these have IR filters? and if they dont, is the power rating
based on the 532nm output or does this include 532nm output as well as
IR?
9. What are your payment terms/choices and amount of time from order
to delivery in the USA?
Other questions might be the cost of shipping, power rating of the diode and such.
A couple of things to consider about the transaction itself is their payment options; if they take PayPal, or a credit card it gives you a safety net so to speak if the laser ends up being less than described as you can dispute the charge to your card or PayPal and they will have to make it right or the charge will be reversed. If they require a wire transfer or western union money transfer, then they have the advantage and you have no recourse if you get something that is less than described. Once that wire transfer is sent it can't be called back or disputed, it's just like cash.
If you don't ask questions and pay them good money for the product they advertise as <300mW, and they send you a 50mW laser; then they have really fulfilled their part of the deal as 50mW is less than 300mW. However if you ask some questions before hand, you'll have a better idea of what's actually being purchased.
Asking questions doesn't cost you anything, except a little time and it'll help you find out what you're getting into.
I feel bad for the guy that got ripped off on what he thought was a good deal on a 200mW laser. If this posts keeps just a few people from making the same mistake, then it'll be worth the time I took in writing this.
Just a few days ago a customer of mine posted in another thread asking about a laser company he had just found out about.
I had a friend email this company to ask them some questions for me about their products (none of those places will answer questions if they know it's from Optotronics or any other laser company for that matter). I told my buddy the questions to ask and to send me their reply.
Here is their answers to my questions.
Sounds like they are really crappy lasers that cannot output their rating for more than 30 seconds
and if the regular (non-IR filtered type) is ordered, then about 20% of the rated output power is actually IR.
Anyway, here is their reply to my questions.
I've removed my friends last name and the name of the laser company as well. (I'm not posting this to flame any company or their product, but to show the information that can be gained about a product by just asking.
-----Original Message-----
From: order [mailto
rder@xxxxxx.com]
Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 8:20 PM
To: Thomas xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Interested in your xxxxx portable lasers
Dear Thoms,
Good day tp you!
Thanks for your interest and inquiery about our lasers.
We really appreciate your countact and looking forward to establishing
buniess relationship with you.
Thanks for your questions and please find the anwser as follow:
1. What is the price for each power output, 250, 300, 400 and 500mw?
TTG-016 is with key switch in the end and switch in the head.It
can be 250-600mw green laser and 5-30mw blue laser.
For the Price,I will please check it with thanks.
2. Is the battery charger, battery and laser glasses shown in your
picture also included with the laser?
Yes,the packing includes charger,chargebale battery 18650 and over
500mw,we will send an extra laser glassses.
3. What is the on/off duty cycle operation of this laser?
The portable laser working type is intermittently working,so it is
better to use the lasers for less 30 seconds.Then after 5 seconds
rest,you can use the laser again.
4. How is output power measured, is it peak or average output and if
average output what is the time period the output is averaged over?
We have the laser power meter to test the power.The power is
average.normally it can last maybe 1 minutes but for the laser life
time,it is better for us to let the laser work within less 30 seconds.
5. What is the divergence spec? and the beam diameter spec?
The beam divergence is 1.0-1.2mrad.
6. What is your warranty period on this laser.
Our laser warranty:6 months
7. If I order the 500mw model, how long will the output of this remain
at or above 500mw once the laser is turned on.
For the 500mw,the laser power will be 500+-20mw less 30 seconds.
8. Do these have IR filters? and if they dont, is the power rating
based on the 532nm output or does this include 532nm output as well as
IR?
Our high power can be 250-600mw and it is with both 532nm and IR
.Also 80% output is 532nm.and if attaching the IR filter,it can be
250-400mw.After attaching te IR Filter,it is pure 532nm without IR
because the IR filter function is to remove the IR laser.
9. What are your payment terms/choices and amount of time from order
to delivery in the USA?
Payment:T/T,Western Union
Lead time:1-3 days after your payment
Delivery via DHL/UPS:2-5 days
Deliery via EMS:5-15 days
10. Last question, is the xxxxx FDA approved for import into the USA?
We do have the FDA for the customs and then we will attach the file
int the package.
Do not worry and thanks for your questions.By this you can know more
about our lasers.
I have attached the specifications for xxxxx.
Pleae check it with thanks.
Any query,please contact us at any time.
Looking forward to your reply.
Many thanks and best regards,
Suxxx
(hopefully this post can be made into a sticky so that it's read before making a bad purchase rather than afterwords)
Before placing an order, do a forum search on the product and company.
If you don't find much, email the company directly and ask them some questions about the product to help find out what you're really getting.
Here are some good questions to ask.
1. What is the price for each power output level?
2. What extra accessories are included with laser?
picture also included with the laser?
3. What is the on/off duty cycle operation of the laser?
4. How is output power measured, is it peak or average output and if
average output what is the time period the output is averaged over?
5. What is the divergence spec? and the beam diameter spec?
6. What is your warranty period on this laser.
7. If I order the 500mw model, how long will the output of this remain
at or above 500mw once the laser is turned on.
8. Do these have IR filters? and if they dont, is the power rating
based on the 532nm output or does this include 532nm output as well as
IR?
9. What are your payment terms/choices and amount of time from order
to delivery in the USA?
Other questions might be the cost of shipping, power rating of the diode and such.
A couple of things to consider about the transaction itself is their payment options; if they take PayPal, or a credit card it gives you a safety net so to speak if the laser ends up being less than described as you can dispute the charge to your card or PayPal and they will have to make it right or the charge will be reversed. If they require a wire transfer or western union money transfer, then they have the advantage and you have no recourse if you get something that is less than described. Once that wire transfer is sent it can't be called back or disputed, it's just like cash.
If you don't ask questions and pay them good money for the product they advertise as <300mW, and they send you a 50mW laser; then they have really fulfilled their part of the deal as 50mW is less than 300mW. However if you ask some questions before hand, you'll have a better idea of what's actually being purchased.
Asking questions doesn't cost you anything, except a little time and it'll help you find out what you're getting into.
I feel bad for the guy that got ripped off on what he thought was a good deal on a 200mW laser. If this posts keeps just a few people from making the same mistake, then it'll be worth the time I took in writing this.
Just a few days ago a customer of mine posted in another thread asking about a laser company he had just found out about.
I had a friend email this company to ask them some questions for me about their products (none of those places will answer questions if they know it's from Optotronics or any other laser company for that matter). I told my buddy the questions to ask and to send me their reply.
Here is their answers to my questions.
Sounds like they are really crappy lasers that cannot output their rating for more than 30 seconds
and if the regular (non-IR filtered type) is ordered, then about 20% of the rated output power is actually IR.
Anyway, here is their reply to my questions.
I've removed my friends last name and the name of the laser company as well. (I'm not posting this to flame any company or their product, but to show the information that can be gained about a product by just asking.
-----Original Message-----
From: order [mailto
rder@xxxxxx.com]Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 8:20 PM
To: Thomas xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Interested in your xxxxx portable lasers
Dear Thoms,
Good day tp you!
Thanks for your interest and inquiery about our lasers.
We really appreciate your countact and looking forward to establishing
buniess relationship with you.
Thanks for your questions and please find the anwser as follow:
1. What is the price for each power output, 250, 300, 400 and 500mw?
TTG-016 is with key switch in the end and switch in the head.It
can be 250-600mw green laser and 5-30mw blue laser.
For the Price,I will please check it with thanks.
2. Is the battery charger, battery and laser glasses shown in your
picture also included with the laser?
Yes,the packing includes charger,chargebale battery 18650 and over
500mw,we will send an extra laser glassses.
3. What is the on/off duty cycle operation of this laser?
The portable laser working type is intermittently working,so it is
better to use the lasers for less 30 seconds.Then after 5 seconds
rest,you can use the laser again.
4. How is output power measured, is it peak or average output and if
average output what is the time period the output is averaged over?
We have the laser power meter to test the power.The power is
average.normally it can last maybe 1 minutes but for the laser life
time,it is better for us to let the laser work within less 30 seconds.
5. What is the divergence spec? and the beam diameter spec?
The beam divergence is 1.0-1.2mrad.
6. What is your warranty period on this laser.
Our laser warranty:6 months
7. If I order the 500mw model, how long will the output of this remain
at or above 500mw once the laser is turned on.
For the 500mw,the laser power will be 500+-20mw less 30 seconds.
8. Do these have IR filters? and if they dont, is the power rating
based on the 532nm output or does this include 532nm output as well as
IR?
Our high power can be 250-600mw and it is with both 532nm and IR
.Also 80% output is 532nm.and if attaching the IR filter,it can be
250-400mw.After attaching te IR Filter,it is pure 532nm without IR
because the IR filter function is to remove the IR laser.
9. What are your payment terms/choices and amount of time from order
to delivery in the USA?
Payment:T/T,Western Union
Lead time:1-3 days after your payment
Delivery via DHL/UPS:2-5 days
Deliery via EMS:5-15 days
10. Last question, is the xxxxx FDA approved for import into the USA?
We do have the FDA for the customs and then we will attach the file
int the package.
Do not worry and thanks for your questions.By this you can know more
about our lasers.
I have attached the specifications for xxxxx.
Pleae check it with thanks.
Any query,please contact us at any time.
Looking forward to your reply.
Many thanks and best regards,
Suxxx
