I shall reserve the second spot in this forum because no one has done so yet, and because the country in which I currently reside happens to be a free country. :na:
First, here is a group shot of the entire collection, arranged by wavelength red -> violet...
Pictures of each laser in operation will be added eventually.
I like to put my lasers in tiers, that's how I store them. So let's start with the first tier.
TIER ONE
660nm Staples pointer
A birthday gift from three years ago, it is still going strong on the same two AAAA batteries.
Not all that impressive, but still a good pointer!
Peak Output Power: 2mW
650nm ePay pen
What should I say? This is just a normal average unspectacular ePay pen.
Peak Output Power: 54mW
445nm 5mW Laserlands pointer
I bought this laser a couple months ago, it has been my go-to laser for presentations ever since. It has fairly good divergence despite using a multimode diode. I love the host too!
Peak Output Power: 3mW
405nm ePay pen
What should I say? This is just a normal average unspectacular ePay pen.
Peak Output Power: 61mW
TIER TWO
650nm 200mW Trio
These three lasers are all around 200mW of red.
I bought them all at the same time a few years back.
When one stopped working, I disassembled a dead green and moved the 650nm module into there.
That was technically my first build
Peak Output Powers: 191mW, 201mW, 211mW
635nm fraudulent RGB
I bought an RGB laser a few years back, it was claimed to be 1W.
Unfortunately the green and blue lasers died within a week.
They said the red was 400mW, it is actually just 121mW.
Peak Output Power: 121mW
532nm Gearbest Duo
I also bought these two at the same time.
They are fairly good 532nm lasers, and I like using them as benchmarks for brightness.
Peak Output Powers: 61mW, 91mW
405nm 100mW duo (divorced) :crackup:
I bought these two lasers at the same time as well. They were both around the same output power originally, but after a violent breakup one was injured and never returned to his original condition. :beer:
Peak Output Power: 21mW, 71mW
TIER THREE
635nm XPL 600mW "XPL-310H635R600"
XPL loves their crazy designations, don't they?
A nice laser, quite overspec (and cheap for a 635 of its power) but its divergence is lackluster and its beam is crooked. Still worth it!
Peak Output Power: 847mW
532nm XPL 500mW "XPL-H532G500"
XPL loves their crazy designations, don't they?
A very nice laser, very overspec, but it has a rectangular beam, which is unusual for a 532. However, unlike reported before, it is NOT TEM02. It is actually quite stable in this rectangular beam mode, and doesn't mode hop a lot.
Peak Output Power: 747mW
520nm Sci-Fi Lasers SF-501B 200mW
This laser has relatively good divergence, and a nice color.
Unfortunately, the spring on the inside was damaged due to poor workmanship (a recurring theme with Eitan :crackup and I had to add a pen spring to the tailcap as a result. Thanks, Eitan.
Peak Output Power: 152mW
462nm Sci-Fi Lasers 1.6W Arcane
The difference between this color and 445nm is barely noticeable!
If I had to guess, I'd say I got a very low-wavelength diode. :undecided:
This laser is also damaged, as the batteries do not make proper contact, so I must use a piece of aluminum foil to ensure that they do.
It is battle-damaged because of poor quality paint. Thanks, Eitan.
Peak Output Power: 1376mW
445nm Sci-Fi Lasers 2W SF-501B
My only remaining Sci-Fi unit that is not damaged or dead. Thanks, Eitan.
A relatively undistinguished 445nm laser.
Peak Output Power: 1909mW
TIER FOUR
589nm/593.5nm unique DragonLasers Spartan 589nm 50mW
They say every yellow laser has its own personality, right?
Some of them are unstable, some have outbursts, while others are rather cool-headed.
Well, this one is schizophrenic. :crackup:
When it's cold it emits 589nm, and when warm it puts out 593.5nm (or even something else - I haven't spectro'd it yet!)
Oh, and it is more than THREE TIMES overspec, at least when it's putting out 593.5nm. As for the 589nm mode, it "only" reaches 87mW, though I think it can do more (I only diagnosed its schizophrenia yesterday :crackup
Clearly the crown jewel of my collection.
Peak Output Power: 87mW of 589nm, 163mW of 593.5nm!!!!!
525nm 1.4W S4X build
I built this laser a couple weeks ago and I have been loving it ever since.
The color is a completely pure green, with no hints of blue or yellow.
Decidedly different from an average 520nm! I think this is a high-binned diode (in wavelength) and my spectrometer agrees.
It is absurdly bright, by far the brightest laser I've ever held in my hand.
Peak Output Power: 1444mW
8-line JDSU 2214-40MLA argon
I've been buying parts from all over the place to buy this laser. I got the head for just $33.15!
I'm still waiting on the controller, but even in idle mode it puts out 8 lines!
Peak Output Power: Unknown as of yet
470nm 5W S4X build (damaged)
This is one of the two lasers (so far) to earn me money!
I built it in April 2016.
The diode was damaged in an unknown manner at an unknown time.
Peak Output Power: ~2.5W
405nm 1W S4 build
This laser has the best divergence of any laser I own.
It's also used in my viral video which has over 15 million views on Facebook!
This is one of the two lasers (so far) to earn me money!
UPDATE: On August 3, 2016, this laser was tragically destroyed. A ping-pong ball with which I was experimenting exploded early and with unusual force, causing rocks to fly out. My hands were injured in the explosion and the laser was destroyed.
More information (and pictures!) will be added later!
First, here is a group shot of the entire collection, arranged by wavelength red -> violet...
Pictures of each laser in operation will be added eventually.
I like to put my lasers in tiers, that's how I store them. So let's start with the first tier.
TIER ONE
660nm Staples pointer
A birthday gift from three years ago, it is still going strong on the same two AAAA batteries.
Not all that impressive, but still a good pointer!
Peak Output Power: 2mW
650nm ePay pen
What should I say? This is just a normal average unspectacular ePay pen.
Peak Output Power: 54mW
445nm 5mW Laserlands pointer
I bought this laser a couple months ago, it has been my go-to laser for presentations ever since. It has fairly good divergence despite using a multimode diode. I love the host too!
Peak Output Power: 3mW
405nm ePay pen
What should I say? This is just a normal average unspectacular ePay pen.
Peak Output Power: 61mW
TIER TWO
650nm 200mW Trio
These three lasers are all around 200mW of red.
I bought them all at the same time a few years back.
When one stopped working, I disassembled a dead green and moved the 650nm module into there.
That was technically my first build
Peak Output Powers: 191mW, 201mW, 211mW
635nm fraudulent RGB
I bought an RGB laser a few years back, it was claimed to be 1W.
Unfortunately the green and blue lasers died within a week.
They said the red was 400mW, it is actually just 121mW.
Peak Output Power: 121mW
532nm Gearbest Duo
I also bought these two at the same time.
They are fairly good 532nm lasers, and I like using them as benchmarks for brightness.
Peak Output Powers: 61mW, 91mW
405nm 100mW duo (divorced) :crackup:
I bought these two lasers at the same time as well. They were both around the same output power originally, but after a violent breakup one was injured and never returned to his original condition. :beer:
Peak Output Power: 21mW, 71mW
TIER THREE
635nm XPL 600mW "XPL-310H635R600"
XPL loves their crazy designations, don't they?
A nice laser, quite overspec (and cheap for a 635 of its power) but its divergence is lackluster and its beam is crooked. Still worth it!
Peak Output Power: 847mW
532nm XPL 500mW "XPL-H532G500"
XPL loves their crazy designations, don't they?
A very nice laser, very overspec, but it has a rectangular beam, which is unusual for a 532. However, unlike reported before, it is NOT TEM02. It is actually quite stable in this rectangular beam mode, and doesn't mode hop a lot.
Peak Output Power: 747mW
520nm Sci-Fi Lasers SF-501B 200mW
This laser has relatively good divergence, and a nice color.
Unfortunately, the spring on the inside was damaged due to poor workmanship (a recurring theme with Eitan :crackup
and I had to add a pen spring to the tailcap as a result. Thanks, Eitan.Peak Output Power: 152mW
462nm Sci-Fi Lasers 1.6W Arcane
The difference between this color and 445nm is barely noticeable!
If I had to guess, I'd say I got a very low-wavelength diode. :undecided:
This laser is also damaged, as the batteries do not make proper contact, so I must use a piece of aluminum foil to ensure that they do.
It is battle-damaged because of poor quality paint. Thanks, Eitan.
Peak Output Power: 1376mW
445nm Sci-Fi Lasers 2W SF-501B
My only remaining Sci-Fi unit that is not damaged or dead. Thanks, Eitan.
A relatively undistinguished 445nm laser.
Peak Output Power: 1909mW
TIER FOUR
589nm/593.5nm unique DragonLasers Spartan 589nm 50mW
They say every yellow laser has its own personality, right?
Some of them are unstable, some have outbursts, while others are rather cool-headed.
Well, this one is schizophrenic. :crackup:
When it's cold it emits 589nm, and when warm it puts out 593.5nm (or even something else - I haven't spectro'd it yet!)
Oh, and it is more than THREE TIMES overspec, at least when it's putting out 593.5nm. As for the 589nm mode, it "only" reaches 87mW, though I think it can do more (I only diagnosed its schizophrenia yesterday :crackup
Clearly the crown jewel of my collection.
Peak Output Power: 87mW of 589nm, 163mW of 593.5nm!!!!!
525nm 1.4W S4X build
I built this laser a couple weeks ago and I have been loving it ever since.
The color is a completely pure green, with no hints of blue or yellow.
Decidedly different from an average 520nm! I think this is a high-binned diode (in wavelength) and my spectrometer agrees.
It is absurdly bright, by far the brightest laser I've ever held in my hand.
Peak Output Power: 1444mW
8-line JDSU 2214-40MLA argon
I've been buying parts from all over the place to buy this laser. I got the head for just $33.15!
I'm still waiting on the controller, but even in idle mode it puts out 8 lines!
Peak Output Power: Unknown as of yet
470nm 5W S4X build (damaged)
This is one of the two lasers (so far) to earn me money!
I built it in April 2016.
The diode was damaged in an unknown manner at an unknown time.
Peak Output Power: ~2.5W
405nm 1W S4 build
This laser has the best divergence of any laser I own.
It's also used in my viral video which has over 15 million views on Facebook!
This is one of the two lasers (so far) to earn me money!
UPDATE: On August 3, 2016, this laser was tragically destroyed. A ping-pong ball with which I was experimenting exploded early and with unusual force, causing rocks to fly out. My hands were injured in the explosion and the laser was destroyed.
More information (and pictures!) will be added later!
Last edited:
