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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Review of the LaserBee AX Laser Power Meter (LPM)

Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
549
Points
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LaserBee AX 3.0 Watt Laser Power Meter w/Thermopile, retail CA$192.36 (US$139.99)
(www.laserbeelpm.com...)

Manufactured by J. Bauer Electronics (www.laserbeelpm.com)
Last updated 04-06-20

IMPORTANT:
Pricing is accurate as of 03-11-20. Please visit the Currency Calculator for the latest currency conversion rates from Canadian dollars to US dollars.

lbax-1.jpg


The LaserBee AX 3.0 Watt (3,000mW) Laser Power Meter was designed to enable the hobbyist technician to test higher power lasers and laser diodes. It was designed for people like ourselves that needed to know the output power of the numerous lasers we had in the shop.

It needed to check a wide range of lasers up to 3100mW.

The LaserBee AX 3.0 Watt Laser Power Meter uses a thermopile sensor and microcontroller electronics that are pre-calibrated against a Newport Model 1825-C LPM using a Newport 818T-10 thermopile sensor head. The output of the LaserBee AX 3.0 Watt (3,000mW) Laser Power Meter is shown on its inbuilt LED display.

The readings of the LaserBee AX 3.0 Watt (3,000mW) Laser Power Meter starts at 1mW and go to 3,100mW (3.10 watts).

For consistent readings, make sure that all measurements are taken at the same distance between the sensor and the laser being tested. (3" {7.60cm} to 1' {30.50cm}) and that the entire laser beam falls on the sensor of the LaserBee AX 3.0 Watt (3,000mW) Laser Power Meter.

The instrument itself is totally self-contained; you need not be near a computer to measure your laser.


lbax-2.jpg
SIZE:


The LaserBee AX 3.0 Watt LPM is very easy to use. Attach the Thermopile Sensor cable to the LaserBeeAX 3.0W enclosure.
To take a measurement, just follow these simple instructions:

Turn the unit on using the rocker switch on the upper surface of the unit. The four-digit green LED display should immediately blaze to life.

Turn the knob in either direction until the display reads 0.000

Irradiate the flat black square on the sensor head wih the laser that you're measuring. Keep the beam on the sensor until the reading on the display stops increasing; this can take 40 seconds or longer.

You may read the power output value in watts directly off the display -- no conversion is necessary.

You may not take another reading before the on screen display drops to zero. This is to allow the thermopile sensor to cool to ambient temperature so that the next reading will be as accurate as your last one.

It is very important NOT to collimate the laser beam to a pin point as this will damage the Thermopile coating using higher powered lasers!!!

It is also important to note that the entire laser beam should fall on the sensor and the laser's beam should be adjusted accordingly (an acceptable/usable beam diameter would be 3.0mm to 7.0mm; the larger, the better).

Turn the unit off with the same rocker switch that you turned it on with.



change.gif

To change the battery in your spiffy new LaserBee AX 3.0 Watt LPM, turn the unit upside-down, slide the battery door off, and set it aside.

Unclip and remove the dead battery (and yes, it is a BATTERY and not a CELL) and dispose of or recycle it as you see fit.

Snap a new 9 volt transistor radio battery onto the snap, orienting it so that the large terminal on the battery fits onto the small terminal on the snap, and "vicey versey".

Place the battery back into the chamber, and slide the battery door back on.

Current usage measures 10.36mA with its display showing all zeros.
Measured on my DMM's 20mA scale.

The active sensor area is 15mm x 15mm (225 square mm), and the length of the sensor cable is 18.0" (457.20mm).


lbax-3.jpg

Photograph showing the thermopile sensor head.

lbax-4.jpg

Photograph showing the green LED display.


lbax-w.gif
Spectrographic analysis of the LED display in this LPM.

lbax-n.gif

Spectrographic analysis of the LED display in this LPM; spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 505nm and 530nm to pinpoint emission peak wavelength, which is 518.9nm.

The raw spectrometer data (tab-delimited that can be loaded into Excel) is at laserbax.txt





TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased on the LaserBee website on 03-01-20; and was received on the afternoon of 03-09-20.

Now that I own one of these fine instruments, I have permission to publish this graphic:
lbowner.gif



UPDATE:00-00-00


PROS:
Easy to set up (so easy, a caveman could do it!)
Can measure power output of those pesky Class IIIb and Class IV lasers that are too powerful for other LPMs -- up to 3.10 watts anyway

NEUTRAL:

CONS:
Nothing that I've found thus far


fire.gif


MANUFACTURER: J. Bauer Electronics
PRODUCT TYPE: Self-contained laser power meter
LAMP TYPE: 7-segment green LED display
No. OF LAMPS: Four digits plus decimal point
BEAM TYPE: N/A
SWITCH TYPE: Rocker switch on/off
CASE MATERIAL: Plastic
BEZEL: N/A
BATTERY: 9 volt transistor radio battery
CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Advertised as 30mA (measured at 10.36mA with display showing all zeros)
WATER-RESISTANT: No
SUBMERSIBLE: NO WAY HOZAY!!!
roll2.gif

ACCESSORIES: None
SIZE: 4.00" L x 2.50" W x 1.50" H (instrument itself); 1.65" L x 1.50" W x 1.00" H (sensor head)
WEIGHT: 44g (1.550 oz.) {sensor},158g (5.540 oz) {controller}
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Unknown/not stated; but very likely Canada
WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated

PRODUCT RATING:
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Last edited:





Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
17,622
Points
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Thanks for the great Review... Haven't seen any
LPM reviews for a while.

BTW... at the bottom of every website page is
a small sticker that shows a red Maple Leaf that
reads...
"Developed and Manufactured in Canada".. ;)

Jerry
 

Hexal101

New member
Joined
Mar 28, 2020
Messages
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Thanks for making this review, thinking of buying one of these. 😃
 
Joined
Sep 20, 2013
Messages
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Okay, so what have you learned from measuring the WLs of this display? I figured it would be broad as many of these are. This one looks to be ~100nm across. Maybe half that if you only consider the brightest parts. Not unlike many LED displays.
 




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