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The Copper DominatoR: A consumer's review (ULTRA PIC HEAVY)

gismo

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Forum readers & laser users,

once again after lurking through the forum’s various sections it’s been about time for me to come up with yet another review that follows the destiny of one of the laserpointerforums community’s most powerful and stylish handheld 445nm lasers these days, constructed by master Blord:



The Copper DominatoR™



Among many excellent builds Blord’s worked at publicly within the community, is this particular one probably the largest project he had a chance to share with us. One must be asking there, is big really that good? Translated to common language, hell yeah, it bloody is! The real blue laser power comes within a substantial body mass and in this case it absolutely confirms the known size & weight rule.


Communication & shipping


I realise there’s been many other happy owners of this magnificent build since the day Blord introduced his own personal design:​




I’d like to thank all members who have published DominatoR in their own threads with their own words and photography, eventually video art. Personally I’ve been keeping my eye on it for some time (see the 3rd post in the OP thread:D), PM’ed the creator a couple of times since then, but usually ended up buying other lasers off him or other skilful builders. Eventually the turning point happened recently, when he opened up a window store wide with his special discount offer, dropping the price by a full $100! An opportunity I could barely resist…

The answer for a question why in the name of sweet god I’ve chosen to go for (yet another) powerful 445nm 3W+ laser build consists of two answers: I was missing a long runner capable of a duty cycle of 5minutes+ (sold 3.3W Rick Trent’s 450nm laser roughly 2 weeks ago) and because Blord’s proven himself extremely well throughout the time, I knew well I could count on him providing me with a piece of art laser product. Reliability and quality, to put it simple;). After the payment’s gone through paypal, several days passed for the goods to be shipped by the seller. Waiting time was acceptable enough, 8 days in total until the delivery date. Our mutual PM exchange was brief and right to the point, which I found fair enough:). Finally received before the weekend I’ve planned to type this very review showing up the crowned king of 445nm realm…


Product description in word & picture


There’s not much excitement about the looks of the package once I opened it up. I promised myself to spare you, the readers, of pic-by-pic reveal process this time. All that needs to be stated is the appropriate and safe protection which could be clearly seen after I discovered the black body with a silver-copper polished head of a mighty beast smiling back at me:).

The technical details of Copper DominatoR

445nm 9mm diode in 398g copper heat-sink
iDRV3 buck driver set at 2.5A current
G2 lens in a copper mirror polished focus adapter
Power supply of 2x26650 or 2x18650 batteries
Duty cycle of 5mins/2mins off
Weight of 846g incl. batteries

It’s absolutely important to underscore the fact this monster is HEAVY! Definitely the massiveness is not to be looked for in the actual size of the host as rather in the material chosen to be used for a longer running times required - the copper. It gives the whole unit an unique appearance which makes this host design line attractive in its own way. There's practical reason in the first place, though. The price for heaviness is fully to be understand here, the mass of gravity lies within the front section - the large head department, where the 9mm diode with the driver are well locked & being cooled down during beaming process by the precious auburn metal:).

I must confess, originally my goal was to get (at least) 3.5W rough power on average from the DominatoR:tinfoil:. However, in the end of the day, it’s not necessarily about the highest number possible (although it looks and sounds damn good:D). Anything stable well above 3W is impressive enough, a difference of an extra few hundred milliwatts would be impossible to observe with a naked eye, besides the batteries could perform slightly longer. Hereby let me attach 2 power graphs, traditionally accomplished with LaserBee 5W Ophir.

1st run. Blame my shaky hand for the uneven progress. Peak of 3.5W, indeed:wave:. And the 2x26650 TrustFire’s were even not fully charged.

10776308406_6265fa43df_c.jpg


2nd run. After 5 mins (to give the laser time to cool down) from the 1st run. The milliwatt output decrease indicates how power hungry this monster is:devil:.

10776394314_43517ea5cf_c.jpg



Beam shots exhibition


I believe a gallery with a short description for the individual outside laser parts could give a good idea why is this build solid and a reliable looking product at the same time. As usual I divided “the showroom” in a portrait introductory section and macro/close-up section. Nikon D5200 as my primary photographing tool offers the pic heavy overview. Let’s browse through it, shall we?

Left side look.
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Right side look.
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Front look.
10765251205_f58bc1e4fa_c.jpg


Rear look.
10765336475_01c96fcbe2_c.jpg


Look up!
10765533156_6ac9387bc6_c.jpg


The DominatoR’s power output was delivered with a help of 2x26650 button-top TrustFire 3.7V Li-ion 4500mAh and flat-top King-Kong 3.7V Li-ion 4000mAh batteries. In the second case extension with a help of a 5mm round neodymium magnet surrounded by 3 copper rings had to be made for a steady contact (available thanks to a good man Pman:bowdown:) Also it’s a good option to operate with 2x18650 batteries inside of plastic tube sleeves (to prevent the rattling), but IMHO it’s vital to prefer the fatter ones for longer runtimes.

10781924444_9b962b6dcd_c.jpg


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Laser parts


Laser basic disassemble: the front head copper section with 1st tube, 2nd tube and clickie.
10765840366_c9a027e500_c.jpg


10765816874_feb0f00dbb_c.jpg


Front copper section with copper focus adapter removed.
10767249954_33b44375c1_c.jpg


Closer shiny copper look:).
10766804335_daf93dcee4_c.jpg


A spring in the screw department of heat-sink clearly visible.
10767168433_f201535a23_c.jpg


A bit scratchy from aside...
10767098375_3b8a5a43d2_c.jpg


...but still shiny in the front (I know, I know, just a different angle shot).
10766731136_53aa549858_c.jpg


A light touch of teflon tape around the G2 lens for a smooth focus adapter operation.
10766725865_e3392e5756_c.jpg


Body/host parts​

The logo(h).
10766853325_4de0104857_c.jpg


Silver polished upper ring.
10766346125_ce8ba40482_c.jpg


10766866694_0b15eb4943_c.jpg


Snake-a-like texture of the outer tube department.
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Upper heat dissipation rib structure of outer head section.
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Inside of the tube look at the spring in the back of the diode department.
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A comfortable tail cap upper look.
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10766042385_76cb451f59_c.jpg


Inside look.
10765990335_5af443601b_c.jpg


10766088936_ecd7c3d945_c.jpg



Indoor photography


You know the drill:). A plenty of photons follow.​

Mirror play.
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Should have cleaned the mirror a bit for the beauty contest:D.
10774725654_dc47a59822_c.jpg


See the shadow of mine and my camera tripod?
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(fake) Blue ice.
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Carpet hallway stairs.
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Lying on the sofa.
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Living (room) on the (door's) edge.
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Further in the hallway.
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Close beam look...
10774984314_d9db760a37_c.jpg


I mean, real close.
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Fun with (comedy) mask. Thanks Brucemir for inspiration;).
10775104743_d9878c58a8_c.jpg



Outdoor photography


I spent nearly three hours outside. During that time I experienced clear skies, light rain and mild fog. Slightly turbulent weather conditions for a photo session:can:. For a firm adjustment and repositioning the tripod support was a must on the hostile wet surface.

Asphalt ground.
10774598846_d2907f32a4_c.jpg


Top of the green sheet-metal shed.
10774516355_1979faf3cf_c.jpg


Blue star.
10774540066_800210f478_c.jpg


Mouth turbine laser saber effect:).
10774529516_f471af80bb_c.jpg


Metal gap alley.
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Blue blower.
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Colorful handrail.
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Under the november tree.
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Stone yard.
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Wet concrete.
10774083416_960d7a310e_c.jpg



Medium to far distance shots

Along the fence in pitch dark.
10774522806_ddf25dcee9_c.jpg


Metal gap alley (darkness version).
10774425685_da66394084_c.jpg


Welding attempt on the signal antena:D.
10774240325_e9cf023b8e_c.jpg


Along the concrete wall/behind the diesel tank.
10774463743_d0d1b97887_c.jpg


Let there be (blue) light!
10774459816_b384b1a232_c.jpg


Light be (through) it!
10774292345_28d38ffd8c_c.jpg


Moon greetings.
10774556536_72baa54e0e_c.jpg


Mirror, mirror.
10774012105_bfbda49751_c.jpg


Mirror, mirror (darkness version).
10774096354_37dc458e93_c.jpg




Mini bonus

For the first time ever I’ve come to a conclusion a brief video graphic demonstration would be a valid occurrence with the build that Copper DominatoR represents. Please, understand this is just a very short movie record, it’s created by me basically to capture the beam of a 3W+ laser in action. Shot originally in 1080i quality with the DSLR mentioned earlier.



End notes


One laser to rule them all.”​

This quotation, kindly borrowed from Blord (originally stated in his 2.5W+ (aluminium) DominatoR original thread), positively reflects my feelings about this latest photon device addition to my collection. Not only it’s the most powerful, heaviest and majestic photons-producing-unit I’ve ever owned up to this very date. It’s also a handheld weapon that must be treated with caution and respect coming hand-in-hand with applicable safety (quality glasses) and reasonable attitude. The presence of a several minutes running blue beam - from a photographic point of a view - stands for a fine enjoyment that must be seen with a naked eye to understand what the rough power of 3W+ is about. Copper DominatoR lies well among other lasers shining its way through the photonics wavelength spectrum world!

Traditionally my thanks is directed to Blord. Have I mentioned what a great builder he is:D? This very community knows very well about his craftmanship that has become a high standard, undoubtedly serving as a model of an extensive labor, detailed laser construction and the throughout photographic presentation. Also foulmist, who provided the original builder with the crucial inner parts, deserves my gratitude. In the end, not only the ones who had the positive experience with Blord’s service previously, but also other potential future buyers, remember: it’s really worth it:beer:.

Thank you for reading & watching, forum members!
 





Tmack

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I'm always searching for a good camera after you reviews .

Love my dominator. Although its not copper, it's the black anodized , the duty cycle is well into three min. That shows Blords quality getting even aluminum to run that long. He heatsinks the wherever possible to get the best performance possible. He also goes through diode and lens combos to ensure the spot is the cleanest. My dominators spot has absolutely no batwings and is just perfect.

Great review, and enjoy ...
 
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Hey Gismo, great review and RAZOR SHARP photos! That is one kick ass laser. Good luck with it
 

gismo

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Your comments are welcome, guys:wave:.

FlutterPie: I normally use exposure time of 20-30 seconds on manual mode in Nikon's D5200 settings. The first two pics you've picked up were a reflection of the hallway mirror, the star effect turned out not too bad. The other two shots I could deliver thanks to the 10cm round diffraction grating mirror (LaserWorld brand), the power of 3W+ 445nm reflects strong enough for a cool splitter effect:).

Tmack: I couldn't agree more with you regarding Blord's quality work. His DominatoR product line surely belongs to a commercially available high powered 445nm evergreens out there atm. I can imagine your satisfaction is positioned high enough. Just curious there, how would you compare the Black Zaser you've reviewed yourself recently to the Aluminium DominatoR you own?

Brucemir: I think I'll blush:eek:. Appreciate the comment very much! Nedless to say, the Copper DominatoR and I definitely have spent a nice weekend together:D.
 
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Wow....

Those pictures are incredible, im stuck with my Android Phone ;)

Great review, hope you enjoy the laser.
 
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Blord

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Thank you for the pictures. You are truly a master with the DSLR camera and chunking out so many quality pictures.

This was the my LPM graph that was originally taken with the laser. It is almost a 1: 1 match with Gismo LPM
LPM%20gismo%20Copper%20Dominator.jpg
 

BowtieGuy

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TOP NOTCH gismo, great review, and of course, more of your A+ quality photos! :kewlpics:

+1 for a super job! :)
 

gismo

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The Greenlander/ped/BowtieGuy: glad you like this review overwhelmed with pictures, gentlemen:).

Blord, feedback from you as the original builder and skilful photographer is well received! The power graph matches quite nicely, so it does:D.
 
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Very nice review. Your pics are so clean and professional. I like your table in the first few pics very modern haha. I can't imagine the nice weight the copper is bringing to that host :D
 

gismo

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:thanks:, SerpantSlayer. The living room table seemed to represent a good, neutral type of a background for laser position shots. Weight of the copper must be felt in hands in person to really know what it is about:).


Serpent-a-like pattern;)

10766231824_32359d7741_c.jpg
 
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Love your photos, especially the the blue ice shot. :)

Great review! +1 (Edit: Won't let me. :()
 
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gismo

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^Gratitude, ryansoh3! The ice shot is one of my personal favourites as well:). Hope you're enjoying another blue powerhouse;). Btw, congrats on your (nearly there) 1000th post!


A massive :thanks: to everyone who read and watched this thread, the rep is just icing on the cake!
 
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I've been thinking about doing a review, a good one, of my DominatoR. lacking a decent camera, and seeing this thread, what is the point? you photographed literally every part of the laser and fully captured it's awesomeness. rep for you. loved the descriptions. this is the best review type of thing I've seen about the DominatoR. this laser deserved such a thorough and revealing review.

I've been cheated! mine didnt come with a spring under the lens;) teflon tape (not included) does a better job anyway and mostly renders the spring redundant

Did you burn your walls while shooting the pics, or did you remember to focus the beam wide enough?

I'm with you, why use 18650 when you have 26650? mine are unprotected KK, 4200mAh each. trades protection for an extra 200mAh I guess is the idea, probably wouldnt notice a difference.

This is one of the nicest lasers I own, and to own, for sure. another great thing about big lasers this heavy: people are more likely to believe you about its power and take safety seriously when they heft it. I still get afterimage when burning with a focused dot using OD4 rated glasses

you got a great deal, my jaw dropped when I saw $100 off. I always miss out, got mine full price. got my 501Bs from Blord before he did the free CU upgrade too. Oh well, at least others can benefit from it, and it could be a sign that his business is growing, or that he is needs to clear inventory. He is surely a pleasure to business with

Edit: you put it on top of a door!?!:eek: just..., why? you do know about potential energy and gravity right? yikes
 
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gismo

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Shakenawake: the Copper DominatoR definitely dominates my 445nm ensemble power wise. Strong & clean. $349 deal was an immediate motivation for this buy, not to mention great seller-buyer/member-member experience with Blord.

Not accidents happened during the shooting;). I always made sure the focus was wide enough not to cause significant damage to precious white walls. And the door shot... well, the top line was wide enough to securely let the laser lying on it, but you're right if you think I wasn't very relaxed during that 30 seconds exposure moment:scared:. In the end all turned out well. Regarding the spring presence in lens department, a light 2-turn of teflon tape helped to secure the lens to my expectation.


I'm sure you still could share your laser production, I understand you're probably limited by a lack of quality camera, but it's at least worth the try.

:thanks: for the comment!
 




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