Re: debating the DX150 for purchase
As I understand it, true doesn't mean anything. I've dealt with the manufacturer of these lasers before and I was explicitly told to expect 38-48mW of true 532nm green from a "50mW" model (which is actually a "<50mW" model). It seems like the figures look get less promising as you go up in power.
The power drop is a big issue in lasers where the crystals are being oversaturated. I don't have any experience with the >100mW models, but that didn't seem to be the case on any of the 3 100mWs I played with. It could be a battery issue, and the best way to solve it would be to use E^2 lithium batteries, which will probably run you broke at ~$10 for 4.
As for IR filtering, the 100mW ones I tested were partially IR filtered, but not to any acceptable tolerance. These NewWish/DX lasers are, all around, cheap. Cheap price, cheap build, etc. They weren't as bad as 50% IR, but there was enough spare IR that measuring output on a silicon-based sensor would give very exaggerated figures. As I remember, if I were to run 60 second averages on the green portion alone, I would probably be getting 60-90mW of true green out of the 100mW versions.
Well, I guess I haven't given you a single solid answer to your question. Sorry! Its a difficult subject though as every one of these lasers is different and what you end up with is completely up to chance.
