Safety Glasses/Goggles?

[Mo13]

I've been searching information on safety glasses/goggles for a while now, and can't find any straight, solid, simple answers. So, I'm gonna ask here, and hopefully not start a huge argument on "HOW MUCH ARE YOUR EYES WORTH?????????"

I am getting a 180~200mW Red burning laser from O-like.com. The wavelength is advertised as 650+-10nm. I know I need protective eyeware in order to safely use this laser.

I am not rich, nor am I anything close to that. I am 15, with no job, and no parents willing to give me money. I don't have $30-$200 to spend on safety glasses. Realisticly-I have about $10.

Now, my question is this: Where can I purchase laser safety glasses (or better yet, goggles; as I wear prescription eyeglasses) for around $10?

P.S. I have heard you can use theatre lighting gels taped over any ordinary glasses/goggles as laser safety eyeware. Is there any truth to this, and if so, what color gel would I use for a red (650+-10nm) laser pointer?


Thank you all in advance.

 

[lasersbee]

Hey Mo13...

It is called SPAMMING when you open identical Threads in different
sections on the Forum... a definite No-No...:tsk:

If you think Theater gels are a good Idea... then you haven't read
enough info on the Forum... You will have problems finding good Laser
Safety Googles for Red Lasers for $10.00...


Jerry

 

[LSRFAQ]

QUOTE:
P.S. I have heard you can use theatre lighting gels taped over any ordinary glasses/goggles as laser safety eyeware. Is there any truth to this, and if so, what color gel would I use for a red (650+-10nm) laser pointer?
end quote:

NO, a theatrical get is about OD1 (optical density) Often 1/10 to 1/3 of the light they are supposed to filter out get through, depending on the quality of the gel.

A little math:

OD1 one % gets through. SO if you have a 1 mW laser, .1 mW of the target light wavelength gets through.

Lets jump up a bit, OD3, .001 % gets through. OD3 is often used when you need to see a beam, but offers marginal protection.

more common is OD6, .000001% of the light at the target wavelength gets through. You see almost nothing of it at low powers, say up to a watt or so.
Offers good to overkill protection for most non medical and non industrial lasers to a few watts.

The number scale is a LOG scale, so each step up in number is a 10 fold increase in protection.

Many of the laser pointer sellers can sell you a OD3 or OD4 low cost safety glasses set for say 25$. That is a good start for powers to say 100 -150 mW or so,

If less then 5 mW of VISIBLE light is entering your eye, your blink reflex will protect you, so if you had a 100 mW pointer, And you used a OD3 google, that is 1 mW max into your eye and thus safe. Very unpleasent, but unlikely to do damage.



Here is a set of OD4s for red

650nm laser protective goggles, safety glasses - eBay (item 120483963627 end time Nov-21-09 17:33:41 PST)



With No money, right now all you can do is make a mental laser safety checklist and follow good procedures and discipline yourself to not make any mistakes

Rules for low power lasers:

1. Treat the laser like a gun, never point it where you don't want it to go.
2. Do not point it at reflective objects, or glassy objects that may bend the beam back toward you.
3. Keep the beam below waist height.
4. Don't hand it to careless, clueless people.
5. For about 300 mW and DOWN of visible light, keep a conservative distance
of at least a meter (a bit more then 3 feet) between your eyeball and the visible spot when shown on a wall, etc. I like to Add 1 meter for every 100 mW Up to 300 mW . That should keep you below the indirect exposure limit for a 8 hour day. But remember, at 500 mW or so, even a indirect (non mirror) reflection starts to be a real hazard.


6. Don't point it skyward or toward moving vehicles
7 Lasers above 5 mW are not for playing with pets.
8. No laser belongs in a child's hands.




See the wiki:

Laser safety - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Steve

 

[survivor]

i think somebody doesnt know how to multiply 1% of 1mw is .01mw 1x.01=.01

 

[Bluefan]

OD1 means 10% gets through -> 0.1mw of 1mw incoming.

You have a pretty powerfull laser, the mental checklist is handy but I'd recommend goggles anyway, better cheap stuff than nothing. OD3 will do fine, OD 4 too.