MadEye
0
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2011
- Messages
- 129
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Hi Guys,
I know there are many easy ways to build a beam dump yourself, and actually for the "low power lasers" we are using there is no real need for a beam dump, but I always wanted a professional one, and when I found the Thorlabs LB1 fpr 42,20€ (about 56$) I really could not resist cause its the cheapest professional one Ive seen and its rated for less then 10W, which is actually perfect for this Hobby Lasers we have.
So I made my order with Thorlabs, I had to pay with credit card and after a few hours I got an answer: Since Im a new private customer I had to fill out a form about some personal data and what I will need the parts for. Ok, not really necessary for a beam block, but I think I can live with that. I filled everything out, mailed in back, and the next day I got my order confirmation and a few hours later the UPS tracking ID, and just the next day I got my new Beam Block .
It is made of a lot... maybe about 100? thin slices of metal which are made deep black on the 2 larger sides. It came with a Post which is simply mounted with a screw. Since a surface that was made for absorbing light is not that easy to photograph I made a small drawing to show you its shape.
The laser dots are still pretty good visible on the absorbing area (even on 1 or 5 mw lasers) but it really does a good job, I pointed my 1W Labby on it for a few minutes on it, and I never felt that little impressed by my laser... Even it was on 1W I could look on it without safety glasses (I do not recommend this, of course! :tsk without getting any of this "silhouettes" (This "dots" you can see after looking in the sun or a bulp, you know ) in my eyes... I actually even rechecked its output, but playing with 1W felt more like playing with 1mW...
NOTE: My iPhone made the dots look brighter then they were in real... For the eye it was more blue and not this bright white one, as I told you I could look at it with my bare Eyes.
When I ordered this I was a little skeptical cause its completely open, and after shining my 1mw Laser on it I was even more sceptical, but after I tested it I really must say this little thing is a perfect target for high power diodes (since its for max. 10W you cant use your 60W CO2 of course) and DPSS lasers we hobbyist use.
Here you can see a comparison between the Beam Block (left) and a black, NOT GLOSSY piece of plastic (right).
I know I could have got the same result with a blackened stone, but with this one I can even do some long tests without worrying to destroy the paint or coating, so i think 42€ was a pretty good deal. And since its rectangular you can remove the Post to get a small portable Beam Block with a secure stand.
And before I forget... I already got some gummi bears with online orders, but I think Thorlabs really topped all... That was quite a funny surprise.
So if you have any question, feel free to ask, I also can do some more tests, but now I dont really know what I could try out with this. Too bad I got no 10W green laser here .
-MadEye
I know there are many easy ways to build a beam dump yourself, and actually for the "low power lasers" we are using there is no real need for a beam dump, but I always wanted a professional one, and when I found the Thorlabs LB1 fpr 42,20€ (about 56$) I really could not resist cause its the cheapest professional one Ive seen and its rated for less then 10W, which is actually perfect for this Hobby Lasers we have.
So I made my order with Thorlabs, I had to pay with credit card and after a few hours I got an answer: Since Im a new private customer I had to fill out a form about some personal data and what I will need the parts for. Ok, not really necessary for a beam block, but I think I can live with that. I filled everything out, mailed in back, and the next day I got my order confirmation and a few hours later the UPS tracking ID, and just the next day I got my new Beam Block .
It is made of a lot... maybe about 100? thin slices of metal which are made deep black on the 2 larger sides. It came with a Post which is simply mounted with a screw. Since a surface that was made for absorbing light is not that easy to photograph I made a small drawing to show you its shape.
The laser dots are still pretty good visible on the absorbing area (even on 1 or 5 mw lasers) but it really does a good job, I pointed my 1W Labby on it for a few minutes on it, and I never felt that little impressed by my laser... Even it was on 1W I could look on it without safety glasses (I do not recommend this, of course! :tsk without getting any of this "silhouettes" (This "dots" you can see after looking in the sun or a bulp, you know ) in my eyes... I actually even rechecked its output, but playing with 1W felt more like playing with 1mW...
NOTE: My iPhone made the dots look brighter then they were in real... For the eye it was more blue and not this bright white one, as I told you I could look at it with my bare Eyes.
When I ordered this I was a little skeptical cause its completely open, and after shining my 1mw Laser on it I was even more sceptical, but after I tested it I really must say this little thing is a perfect target for high power diodes (since its for max. 10W you cant use your 60W CO2 of course) and DPSS lasers we hobbyist use.
Here you can see a comparison between the Beam Block (left) and a black, NOT GLOSSY piece of plastic (right).
I know I could have got the same result with a blackened stone, but with this one I can even do some long tests without worrying to destroy the paint or coating, so i think 42€ was a pretty good deal. And since its rectangular you can remove the Post to get a small portable Beam Block with a secure stand.
And before I forget... I already got some gummi bears with online orders, but I think Thorlabs really topped all... That was quite a funny surprise.
So if you have any question, feel free to ask, I also can do some more tests, but now I dont really know what I could try out with this. Too bad I got no 10W green laser here .
-MadEye