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FrozenGate by Avery

Why don't you think DX is good?

Book said:
OK, that was what I was asking before. You say their products are of low quality.. So what does that mean, except that their lasers are not of the advertised power (but maybe 10mW less)? Will it break apart, the moment you fire the button?
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Sorry for the Delay eXtreme ;D on the response, just been busy with other endeavors. First off, "low quality" was not how I described it, I said "are not the best". This is because some of their products sometimes under perform, as others exceed expectations. The "best" imo (perhaps I should have clarified that) would be a company like Nova, Laserglow, or Optotronics. Just my opinions.
 





Yeah, but still a 200mW green that under-performs to about 190mW is still better than a 100mW that over-performs at 125mW

I don't understand you people :)
 
Some DX200s(that I saw being tested) reached ~210-220mW with IR and just for a few seconds.I mean, that monster pump gets hot fast and quickly drops to 100mW then even lower than that.I guess it would pay to put the DX200 module in a better heatsinked host + add an IR filter and you would get a cheap. relatively stable and IR free ~180mW green laser with a little effort.Providing it doesn't just operates at TEM02 and switches to TEM03 when it gets hot ::)
 
Ive ordered a few lasers from DX and so far they have met expectations, the exception is my green 10mW pen mode hops, you can't tell without goggles and I can't see it making any difference when it comes to pointing at things anyways. I have some other DX stuff and I find the quality to be in the medium range.
 
I like the site a bit. Sure, it takes forever to arrive (though sometimes not), but then again I don't have to pay for the shipping from Hong Kong. If I want it a week earlier, I can pay for EMS. They also break up orders if some are delayed, which is nice. Their customer service has been good to me, and they've always been fair and upfront if a defective or wrong item was sent. They also pay to have it sent back if that is needed (though they just let me keep the defective/wrong items in my case).

I just love the fact that I can get relatively exotic parts for super cheap. I remember paying like $30 for an flashlight LED + lens + buck through some "local" online shops, whereas I could get the same thing from them, and better, for half that--no shipping. I'm just waiting for them to eventually sell electronic parts in addition to their gadgets.

Laser quality: sure some aren't as good, but what do you expect from a laser claiming 200mW in a laser pointer case? I have a 5mW laser in that case and it gets warm relatively quickly too. Still, if you're willing to have a short duty cycle, you have a ~200mW laser--for $120. Impress your friends with that rating, and then when you want something you can keep on longer, invest in a Nova. The 30mW ones are great "starter" lasers at $20-$25, and I love that many are easy to take apart so I can use the cases or lasers in other projects. Just try getting these raw green laser modules for this kind of price anywhere else.

Finally, if there's one thing that makes DX great it is their product pages. They have good photos, user photos, and videos of the products. Their reviews and comments section for their products are also very helpful and good. They don't censor anything besides links to competitors or abusive posts, and even respond to questions. Even if you don't buy anything, it's nice to be able to get a full picture of what's for sale. It's a reason why sites like Newegg.com do so well: good prices, but also good product pages so you know what you're getting.

Bottom-line: it's as good as it gets when it comes to an overseas online company selling exotic gadgets. Just have patience with your order; it does take a while to arrive.
 
No point in creating a thread over this, so this place seems an apropriate place to ask.  So, are DX's unreliabilities only generally concerned with higher power lasers?  Because my friend is looking for a cheap, green laser sight for his rifle, and as far as affordability goes, DX seems the place to get it.  But what I don't want to happen is for him to buy one and him ending up paying more money shipping RMA's than what he paid for the laser (^that gives great confidence that they do that).  I've told him the site is a little bit funny, but when accuracy is concerned, I really don't want him ending up with something tem01 or tem02, or hell even not working at all.
 
At least for the high-powered lasers, there are "unreliablities" because people have unreasonable expectations from their lasers. 200mW in a Newwish laser pointer case? Don't expect it to last, but then the thing costs $120.

As for other goods, if you want to buy a cheap laser, or laser scope, DX is the place. You'll pay $30 or $40 which is pretty darn good. It'll probably work just fine, but expect there is a chance it won't or maybe you can't leave it on for long periods, etc. But it's $40, and if you wanted something of real quality you'd be spending many times that.

So you'll have to make that call yourself. Free and cheap stuff is often worth every penny, but sometimes it's a bargain.
 
I've ordered some lasers on DX, but, well... You have what you have for the price. DX is quite reliable, but before ordering, you have to be aware of what you can have, and read the reviews, but that's all, not any real miracle ^^'
 
Book said:
Yeah, but still a 200mW green that under-performs to about 190mW is still better than a 100mW that over-performs at 125mW

I don't understand you people :)
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There is a point that needs to be made about this comment.  You’re missing the main important thing here.  You don't seem like the type to spend $500+ on a laser.  Therefore you might not ever understand "us people"  ;D.  If you buy a DX200mW laser for $120 and it actually delivers 190mW, well try to find a 190mW laser for $120!  (Your not justifiably screwed).  If you buy a Nova X100 for $230 and it actually delivers 125mW, then you are getting what you pay for: Good quality, fast shipping, excellent customer service, and guaranteed power.  You pay for more then just the product.  

DX is good and bad because you get what you pay for.  ($18 - 190; 1-180mW + 1 month delivery)
Optotronics is good and bad because you get what you pay for.  ($33 - 1,490; 10mW - 520mW + super fast delivery)

Again, you be the judge of what you consider "good" or "bad", or "better" or "worse".  I would rather pay more for guaranteed power, service, and quality.  You might rather spend less for what ever reasons.  I personally wouldn't waist my money on high powered green lasers at DX because that money could be applied toward a true monster.  I started off with DX lasers, then realized that I was done fooling around and wanted some serious lasers.  For the money, I can say I hardly think DX is bad.  

I hope I helped.  ;)
 
I don't care about how long the shipping takes (within reasonable limits), or about the customer service (provided that the product actually works, I may not have to call them either way). So what we're left with it pretty much the mWatts and the build quality (whether it mode hops, changes power at times, heats up and stuff). But I *think* certain artifacts are shared among all DPSS lasers because of the principle of their operation.

I didn't know that the 200mw could be underperforming to lower than 100mw (new wish were said to be closer to specs :?), but still you're paying less per milliwatt. I guess I gotta take a power meter sometime soon.
 
Book said:
I don't care about how long the shipping takes (within reasonable limits), or about the customer service (provided that the product actually works, I may not have to call them either way). So what we're left with it pretty much the mWatts and the build quality (whether it mode hops, changes power at times, heats up and stuff). But I *think* certain artifacts are shared among all DPSS lasers because of the principle of their operation.

I didn't know that the 200mw could be underperforming to lower than 100mw (new wish were said to be closer to specs :?), but still you're paying less per milliwatt. I guess I gotta take a power meter sometime soon.
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The specifics of particular DX models can be found all over LPF. I personally can tell you that only my 2 DX 5's have lasted (one should have been DX 30 because it was more then 5mW and is currently my favorite pen-sized pointer), my 150 lasted 2 months, then the lens cracked. 1 DX 30 had loose crystal 1st day, 1 DX 30 had less then 5mW, 1 DX 30 worked for 3 weeks then lost all power permanently. I could go on and on about some of my bad and some of my good buys from DX.

There are many quality aspects to consider:

Power (TEMoo)
ir filter
beam divergence
durability
ease of operation

Of coarse those are basically regarding lasers. But the topic of this thread is DX in general, and lasers are a small fraction of the gadgets sold at DX.

So you be the judge of "reasonable" shipping limits, because to me 3 weeks is pushing it, DX will take 2-8 weeks depending. There has been times where my products didn't work, so customer service is relevant (they will work with you, it's just a long tedious process). For green DPSS lasers to mode hop is not a typical characteristic (given reasonable temperature) and is a result of various crystal flaws.

Bottom line *Please all help me out here*: For a Newbie, DX is ideal. Just remember to get safety goggles to protect your eyes for lasers over 5mW. If you want a cool powerful laser pointer for cheap and don't fear loosing the money for a little fun some education, and eventually parts or trash, and don't mind the long delivery time, you can't go wrong with DX. But if you're more willing to spend ALLOT more for guaranteed quality that will last and fast service, then go with one of the highly reputable companies.


FYI: WL is bad! ;D Because they lie, cheat and steal.
 
I've only had 1 experience with DX, but it was a good one. Good product for a really low price, shipped in 16 days. And with a red laser you don't have to worry about IR. ;)
 
Petrovski said:
I've only had 1 experience with DX, but it was a good one. Good product for a really low price, shipped in 16 days. And with a red laser you don't have to worry about IR.  ;)
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What about the -85mW difference from 200mW? You feel justifiable because of it's super low price?
 
I do. I bought the DX200 to burn, and it burns fine. For a mere $54 I can live with the power difference. :)
 
I've only had good dealings with DX they are just resellers you can't expect them to control cheap lasers they get which the manufacturer says it performs in a certain way but doesn't. They have always been helpful with defective products, although a bit slow. Shipping is free and the stuff is cheap, if your willing to invest some time to send back defective units you can get a good deal for a cheap laser. If you want a good laser fast and that will last a lifetime go with one of the companies that sell lasers. For a beginnner or for someone looking for something to pull apart or mod DX is the place to be.
 
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