So if lasers are so cheap to build then...........

[denodan]

Does that mean manufactured ones are well over priced, so lasers like DX must not be making as much as some of the other manufactures, so would think because the compontants are so cheap to buy and build then cheap may not always be a bad laser.

Take the DX200 red a very good laser, yet cheap, how people thought this would rubbish but turned out great.

I wonder how many of these expensive lasers also use cheap parts, but highly inflated prices? Expernsive does not always mean a good laser.

I mean you see people on here build lasers very cheaply at only a fraction of the mass produced good brands, which shows their prices are well over priced for what they are.

I would think like DX, their prices would not be way beyond the price someone could build one for, yet the other end of the scale others are expensive for what your getting.

I would not think the compontants are not really that expensive.

 

[lazerguy]

Re: So if lasers are so cheap to build then.......

MANY lasers on the market are crazily overpriced. Look at wickedlasers red pulsar 125, for example. 250 bucks for a red at 125mw!?! It probably costs them about 40 bucks to make it. And it doesn't even have a driver.

BUT of course the companies that sell lasers can't demand only the price it takes to build one. Don't forget the labour, it's a service to assemble the laser itself. And you usually pay for service, not only for components. And also, it's a company we're talking about. And the company must make some kind of profit, otherwise it can't be a company. It would crash if it wouldn't make a profit, and that's why lasers costs more from a company, than if you would make one yourself.

But I see your point, many laser companies do have very overpriced products, of which wickedlasers are the best example for it.

 

[50Freestyle]

Re: So if lasers are so cheap to build then.......

Most definently! Wickedlasers is a Ripoff! They sell that Red Pulsar which has 125mW of power at $250 (Like mentioned above) when DX sells a 200mW Dilda laser for $43. Now how DX can sell that laser so cheap is beyond me (Kinda makes me worry that the manufacture uses child labor or something). The only problem with DX is that it is very unpredictable, one day you could get a 43mW grennie rated at 30mW and the next day you could get the same laser that only puts out 15mW.

The bottom line is that the laser market is terrible, either you can pay loads of money for low rated lasers or you can play the lottery with DX (This forum is a whole different story).

 

[rp181]

Re: So if lasers are so cheap to build then.......

i think for some, there either high effeciancy, or tuned really good.

Some are also under military contract so they put the prices high, knowing theyle still buy.

 

[solar00]

Re: So if lasers are so cheap to build then.......

I think it might have something to do with the fact the manufacturing diodes is a random process which get low and high quality products.

The high quality diodes are rare and therefore more expensive.
Besides that you have the crystals (for green and blue lasers) which alters the wavelength of the IR diodes, I dont know how these crystals are manufactured but it's problably the same kind of story as with the diodes.

Correct me if I'm wrong  

 

[Ace82]

Re: So if lasers are so cheap to build then.......

The labor is the main factor. In China, workers work like slaves, and get hardly anything, so their quality isn't going to be the best, and their prices are lower. Generally speaking, because China also works the upper side of the spectrum as well, but those workers work less for more money and have an exceptional product. Here's one to think about, why is that when you buy a dvd burner, it costs $25 with all the motors, all the material, all the electronics, multiple diodes, etc, but if you want to buy the diode alone direct from manufacture, it's more like $60+? (I could be wrong with the exact values...) Another thing a company does is mass produce. It is easier to repeat the same tasks again and again then having to jump back and forth between different tasks, so custom systems are always more money then mass produced; more labor efficiency=cheaper costs. There are other factors as well, but it ultimately comes down to the dollar amount. Some companies are greedy, or try monopolizing, like WL, or Microsoft who only want your money and are willing to do what ever it takes to do it. Well with a trade like laser pointers, (sorry to say), but it really isn't a "life-threatening" industry, like computers (wouldn't be able to exist without them :), so WL gets away with most of their scams because people who buy from them usually are just going through a "fling", and don't have serious interests in this " luxurious" hobby, so they usually don't peruse better and greater companies. So, WL made their buck. As with any company, there's going to be competition, so there has to be good bad and indifferent ones to capture all different types of people. You wouldn't find an experienced laser hobbyists go buy a pulsar (unless they were filthy rich and just wanted the case... ;D) and you wouldn't find a newbe buy from Nova without a little research first. And anybody will buy from DX because their right in the middle!

 

[Ace82]

Re: So if lasers are so cheap to build then.......

I think it might have something to do with the fact the manufacturing diodes is a random process which get low and high quality products.

The high quality diodes are rare and therefore more expensive.
Besides that you have the crystals (for green and blue lasers) which alters the wavelength of the IR diodes, I dont know how these crystals are manufactured but it's problably the same kind of story as with the diodes.

Correct me if I'm wrong  

Diodes are usually consistent, and actually abundant. Some manufactures choose to sell only to CNI factories, or OEM suppliers, limiting the availability to the general public, but, are readily available. It's just the crystals, and the "love" (labor) that is put in that dictates the efficiency of the diode-crystal-power outcome. It's the mass production (supply & demand) that mostly governs their value.

 

[pullbangdead]

Re: So if lasers are so cheap to build then.......

^Depends, Ace. Gallium nitride diodes (eg 405nm) are not consistent. They are a very new technology, relatively speaking, and the consistency is not at the same level as IR and red diodes yet. Red and IR diodes are much more consistent and dependable, but those have been mass-produced for how long now, over a decade? Violet diodes are not consistent, and will only get more consistent with passing time and better understanding.

This discussion is kind of mixing two different technologies, DPSS (532 green, 473 blue) and just plain diode lasers (currently 650 red and 405 violet are the popular ones). DPSS are expensive and inconsistent because of the crystals, the IR laser diodes they use are old hat now and more cheaply and easily made. Red laser don't need the crystals, but the diodes are just about as easy and consistent. 405 violet diodes are still inconsistent because they are new and the manufacturing is not completely up to the level of repeatability of red and IR diodes.

 

[Ace82]

Re: So if lasers are so cheap to build then.......

^Depends, Ace.  Gallium nitride diodes (eg 405nm) are not consistent.  They are a very new technology, relatively speaking, and the consistency is not at the same level as IR and red diodes yet.  Red and IR diodes are much more consistent and dependable, but those have been mass-produced for how long now, over a decade?  Violet diodes are not consistent, and will only get more consistent with passing time and better understanding.  

This discussion is kind of mixing two different technologies, DPSS (532 green, 473 blue) and just plain diode lasers (currently 650 red and 405 violet are the popular ones).  DPSS are expensive and inconsistent because of the crystals, the IR laser diodes they use are old hat now and more cheaply and easily made.  Red laser don't need the crystals, but the diodes are just about as easy and consistent.  405 violet diodes are still inconsistent because they are new and the manufacturing is not completely up to the level of repeatability of red and IR diodes.

Good point...hence the word, "usually", because it's still possible to get a "bad batch" of even the "old hat" ir bad boys too. Shit happens. But yeah, it ultimatly depends on the diode, I guess I was just assuming we were all talking about 808nm pump LD's ;D Pretty soon, even the other color diodes will become more aviable, once "they" start mass-producing laser video projectors and such. Can't wait!

 

[caleb]

Re: So if lasers are so cheap to build then.......

yeh but. id rather buy DX200 than buy some guys first build for $25