Starter Laser for a Kid

[Bonnie]

My oldest son is turning 13 this year, and would give anything for his own laser. What would be a good one for him to start with? (Preferably something that he can't use to blind the dog or burn down the house...)

 

[Kookapeli]

First of all I would read up about laser safety on here first. I wouldn't recommend anything over 5mW for a first laser

 

[mod101]

Get him a 5mw greenie. Try one of the optotronics 5mw

Optotronics Green Pen Pointers

optotronics is well regarded around here for quality.
a 5mw pointer will not be too bright to blind anyone instantly and is safe to use without glasses as long as you don't do anything stupid with it like look into it. The good thing about a 5mw green pointer is that the beam should be visible at night.

 

[Morgan]

^ All good advice here. I would also recommend <5mW. If you go for a 532nm green, you should also be sure it has an IR filter as these lasers can also output much higher levels of uncollimated IR, (infrared), without one. It could be argued that this is not of prime importance with a sub 5mW as it may not present huge dangers, (not being collimated, or focused), and an adult being aware of it's existence mitigates the risks but as it's your son, who you know doubt love deeply, and he will only be 13 years old, it's probably a wise precaution.

If you can also get one with what I think is called APC, or Automatic Power Control, (I may have my acronym wrong here), then this also keeps things nice a safe. This system is a reletively simple circuit added that measures the optical output on an LIVE basis and maintains a set output.

Good luck, and don't go for cheap Chinese!

M

 

[Mohrenberg]

I was hunting with firearms long before I was 13. This decision should be based on why he wants one, and how responsible he is.

Just as my parents knew i wasn't going to shoot myself, others, or at an aircraft with a gun, you should know your son is not going to do the same with a laser.

and whats with the dino direct link in your signature?

 

[mattmagic100]

I was hunting with firearms when i was 9......

The world has gone soft.

:crackup::crackup:!!

Anyway, don't buy him a laser off of ebay. They usually output more than stated which wouldn't be good for a first time laser user.
If you want a quality laser, I would also recommend the optotronics 5mW greenies.

 

[jeffreythe00]

Woah hold on there guys. Now I may be overreacting here but u said "my oldest son". One would assume you have other children younger? Now should you have other children and lets say your oldest son is responsible for lets say a 200mw red laser. You have to ask yourself. What would happen is his siblings got a hold of it? I'm just looking out for you and as others said you should look into getting a 5mw greenie. Make sure you yourself so some research with laser safety too. Best of wishes with your choice.

 

[chipdouglas]

i would get him a 5mw greenie and a cheap fog machine

michael

 

[kruser495]

just ask yourself how responsible is he? i know at 13 i was into low explosives and my parents let me order all sorts of things. then again i wasnt the average 13 year old who just thought it was "kewl" to blow stuff up. i was very interested in the chemistry side of it and thoroughly researched everything before attempting on a very small scale.

i would only suggest a 200mw red if he was very responsible and knew the dangers of fires/eye damage. but dont even think about it unless your willing buy some protective goggles for him cause accidents do happen at such a age. maybe see if he is interested in building it himself if thats the case. im sure he would find it very rewarding. but if he just wants something to mess with and shine at night then i would say nothing more than a 5mw green as those seem to shine pretty far.

 

[justin lawson]

i have many lasers and if its one thing i learned its wear protection glasses im only fifteen but its a smart idea:wave:

 

[daguin]

. . . whats with the dino direct link in your signature?

PM sent

http://laserpointerforums.com/f59/advertisements-signatures-new-policy-not-allowed-52820.html

Peace,
dave

 

[LtKernelPanic]

Personally for a first laser I'd order this green/violet combo pack from ebay.

Green and Blue/Violet Laser Pointer Combo SALE US SHIP - eBay (item 110606495924 end time Dec-02-10 05:05:19 PST)

I ordered a set yesterday but a lot of people here have bought them and seem to be happy with them. Be aware that they are more than likely going to be over 5mW in power so some caution will be needed around reflective surfaces. They won't blind you unless you're doing something really stupid but it's better to be safe than sorry!

 

[mod101]

Personally for a first laser I'd order this green/violet combo pack from ebay.

Green and Blue/Violet Laser Pointer Combo SALE US SHIP - eBay (item 110606495924 end time Dec-02-10 05:05:19 PST)

I ordered a set yesterday but a lot of people here have bought them and seem to be happy with them. Be aware that they are more than likely going to be over 5mW in power so some caution will be needed around reflective surfaces. They won't blind you unless you're doing something really stupid but it's better to be safe than sorry!

The only problem that I have with this set is that these are cheapy ebay lasers that wont last as long as a better brand like optotronics. They will probably throw off a lot of artifacts as well, at least my greenie did. My green is also over 30mw when advertised at 5mw so you really do need to be careful when "playing" with higher powered lasers as they arent laser tag toys.

 

[Bonnie]

... so you really do need to be careful when "playing" with higher powered lasers as they arent laser tag toys.

Thanks for all the input, everyone! FYI, my youngers are 7 and 10, and I DO worry about them getting hold of whatever he gets. And I AM afraid they would use them as laser tag toys.

 

[jeffreythe00]

I'm going to give you the best advice you can really receive for this type of question.

Now let me start off saying "lasers are not toys". We as enthusiasts may play with our lasers but that does not make them toys at all. Just like you can play with your pets that does not make them toys.

Now I'd like to say that these high powered lasers should be used with the hightest possible safety precautions. Seeing as you have a 13 year old child he would need to learn the do's and donts of lasers. I am not gonna sit here and tell you not to buy him a laser and I'm not telling you to go out to buy one. I would like to simply explain my concerns as a experienced laser enthusiast.

Firstly a laser is not like a gun but in relations it should be treated as such. If you decide to buy a high powered laser for your 13 year old child I would make sure you know about laser safety. I also would like to suggest heavy supervision. If you get a laser get one with a safety key so you can be sure that there will be no accidents. Buy multiple safety glasses with the correct wavelength for whoever will be in the room. point your laser in a safe direction. 13 years is old enough in my book for a good laser with supervision. When I say supervision think of this. You would not hand your child a gun and let him go out of your sight or let him/her play with it would you? Make sure you are there when the laser is running. I'd also like to say that if you choose a cheapie laser then all of your children can enjoy it without as much safety precautions. Please whatever your decision make sure both you and your children are safe.

 

[DJNY]

I would suggest to buy him a 10-15mW green laser with a star cap and I would glue the star cap onto it, so it won´t be dangerous. Hope he is bright enough not to point at himself or someone else, especially at short distances.