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5mW 445nm-450nm Blue Laser Pen, retail $29.95
Manufactured by: (Unknown)
Last updated 03-06-14
Manufactured by: (Unknown)
Last updated 03-06-14
The 5mW 445nm-450nm Blue Laser Pen (hereinafter, probably just called a "blue portable laser" or even just a "blue laser") is a royal blue-emitting, directly-injected diode laser. That is, it produces deep blue laser radiation directly, without the need for messy, fragile nonlinear crystals like those green laser pointers and the amberish-yellow and slightly greenish-blue ones as well. It uses a pair of AAA cells to feed its laser diode with.
This laser has a measured power output of 21mW at 449nm in the blue part of the spectrum.
This is the reason I call it a "portable laser" or "laser pen" on this website instead of a "pointer". Lasers designated as "pointers" must -- by US law anyway -- have a power output that does not exceed 5mW.
It comes in a handsome aluminum body with a black matte finish and brushed chrome-colored accents.
Aim the laser well-away from your face first. http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/ninth/patch.gif"> Press & hold the chrome-colored button on the barrel to turn the laser on; release the button to neutralise it (deactivate it).
[img]http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/change.gif
To change the batteries in your blue laser, unscrew the laser at the halfway point, and set the front half aside
Tip the used AAA cells out of the barrel and into your hand, and dispose of or recycle them as you see fit.
Insert a pair of new AAA cells into the lower half of the barrel, flat-end (-) negative first. This is the opposite of how batteries are installed in most other laser pens, so please pay attention to polarity here!
Screw the two halves back together, and be done with it.<
Unable to measure current (amperage) due to the way this laser was constructed.
This is a directly-injected laser (which by their very nature are more rugged than DPSS lasers!), who's active components are the inverter circuit, the laser diode, and the collimating lens. So it should withstand accidents better than a DPSS (diode pumped solid state) laser - the type of laser assembly found in deep red (671nm), yellow (593.5nm), green (532nm), and light blue (473nm) laser pointers. These lasers have several additional components (crystals, filters, etc.) in the optical train, and you can knock them out of alignment by doing little more than looking at them the wrong way. And if any of these components are knocked out of whack, you'll no longer get your deep red, yellow, green, or blue laser beam.
The biggest downside to this laser is the fact that while this is clearly a CDRH Class IIIb laser (making it somewhat dangerous!!!), there are no safety features at all that are normally required in Class IIIb lasers; e.g., there is no "emissions" indicator, no startup delay, no interlock of ANY type, and no mechanical beam shutter. This laser behaves like a Class IIIa laser pointer in this regard, which I believe is a rather severe no-no!!!
Beam terminus photograph of this unique (well, "not-so-unique" now) laser on the target at 12".
Beam image bloomed quite a bit Those white and purple colors doe not actually exist.
"Not no way, not no how" as they say.
Beam terminus photograph on a wall at ~10'.
Again, that white color does not really exist, and beam image bloomed somewhat.
Power output peaks at 21mW.
This test was conducted on a LaserBee 2.5W USB Laser Power Meter w/Thermopile.
Power output measures 16mW on a Sper Scientific Pocket Laser Power Meter # 840011.
Spectrographic analysis of this laser.
Spectrographic analysis of this laser; spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 442nm and 452nm to pinpoint wavelength, which is 449nm.
The raw spectrometer data (comma-delimited that can be loaded into Excel) is at http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/45/445-9.txt
Spectrographic analysis of this laser while it was operating below lasing threshold.
Spectrographic analysis of this laser while it was operating below lasing threshold; spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 440nm and 455nm to pinpoint peak wavelength, which is 448nm.
The raw spectrometer data (comma-delimited that can be loaded into Excel) is at http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/45/445-9bt.txt
USB2000 Spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.
A beam cross-sectional analysis would normally appear here, but my poor defenseless helpless innocent ProMetric 8 Beam Cross-Sectional Analyser that I use for that test was destroyed by a nearby lightning strike in mid-July 2013.
TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased on Ebay on 02-07-14 (or "2014 07 Feb." if you prefer) and was received on the afternoon of 03-03-14.
UPDATE: 03-06-14</font>
The pushbutton switch is failing; it takes approx. 15 lbs (~6kg) of force to activate it instead of a matter of grams that it should take.
PROS:
Color is very radiant & unusual for a pen-style handheld laser
The price is right!
Uses batteries that are common and relatively inexpen$ive
NEUTRAL:
Switch button appears to be a bit finicky
CONS:
No laser warning labelling of any type -- that's what nocked ½ star off its rating
No safety features required of a CDRH Class IIIb laser -- this is what lopped another ½ star off
MANUFACTURER: Unknown
PRODUCT TYPE: Blue-emitting diode laser pen
LAMP TYPE: Unknown-type blue (450nm) laser diode
No. OF LAMPS: 1
BEAM TYPE: Very narrow spot
SWITCH TYPE: Momentary pushbutton on/off button on barrel
CASE MATERIAL: Aluminum
BEZEL: Metal; laser & lens recessed into a hosel for them
BATTERY: 2x AAA cells
CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
WATER-RESISTANT: Light splatter-resistant at maximum
SUBMERSIBLE: No
ACCESSORIES: None
SIZE: 156mm L x 13mm D
WEIGHT: 70.70g (2.50 oz) incl. batteries
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Not stated; but very likely China
WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated
PRODUCT RATING:
Update 03-06-14: Pushbutton power switch is failing; also performed spectroscopy below lasing threshold.
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