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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Why is green expensive?

Joined
Feb 6, 2016
Messages
48
Points
8
Hey guys excuse my ignorance here, I am shopping for a new laser. I have a DIY 405nm, and I will probably end up getting a 450nm from the laser pointer store. But while browsing online and seeing the prices for high powered 520nm it just got me thinking why? Why is green so much more expensive than blue or red? I would really like to get my hands on a decent high powered 520nm laser, 1w or more, the price of one will mean it will not happen.

That being said I would like to get a lowered powered green for star gazing and such anyone got any recommendations there? I would need something with a nice visible beam that wont cost an arm and a leg.
 





Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
562
Points
63
There are only a few avaliable high-power 520nm diodes avaliable - and the cost of these diodes remains very high. For example, a popular seller of diodes here (DTR's Laser Shop) has the NDG700 (700mW @ 520nm) and the NDG7475 (1W @ 520nm) for $150 and $165 respectively. A 1-2W 445nm diode will cost you anywhere from $15-30.

Similar powers of 405nm and 455nm diodes are in higher demand, as they've found greater commercial use i.e. 405nm diodes are used in Blu-Ray disc drives, and high-powered 445nm diodes are found in Laser Projectors. As the manufacturing scale starts to increase, economies of scale force down the cost (and therefore the price) of each diode.

It's entirely feasible that diodes like the NDG7475 get significantly cheaper in the future - but for now, they remain pretty pricey.

If you are looking for a green laser for stargazing, and want to jump in at the super budget end, get a £5 cheap 532nm green DPSS laser from Ebay or similar. These lasers are usually between 50-90mW, but that's still a plenty bright green beam on a dark night. If you want a little more power, you can get more powerful 532nm lasers, or get something built around the PL520B diode (up to 120-150mW). 532nm DPSS lasers generally are sensitive to the cold, but produce better beam quality than you can get from a direct diode (though single-mode diodes like the PL520/PL520B do have good beam quality as well).
 

GSS

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Joined
Apr 28, 2015
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I would look at DTR's 520nm PL's series of diodes.
100mW to 150mW can be done and as they are direct diodes they will work well in the cold.
 
Joined
Feb 6, 2016
Messages
48
Points
8
Thanks for the reply. Are green laser diodes more difficult to manufacture?

I was looking to spend about $100. I am not against building one myself my 405nm was easy enough. I got a few dvd burners I need to disassemble have been wanting to add a 650nm to my very small and limited collection as well.
 
Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
562
Points
63
As far as I know, green laser diodes are not much different to manufacture as other wavelengths - but it's a demand and supply issue. the PL520 diodes from OSRAM are not that expensive. I've just finished a build with an OSRAM PL520B putting out about 150mW.

Most semiconductor manufacturing scales incredibly efficiently - as the setup & tooling cost of a fabrication unit for semiconductors is a large proportion of the cost of manufacturing the end product. If you can produce bigger wafers with more chips (or in this case, laser diodes) on each wafer before separating them out, you can massively reduce the cost of manufacture. Unfortunately, cheaply manufacturing large numbers of a chip that nobody wants to buy is pointless - so unless there's a spike in demand, we'll be left with overly expensive diodes.
 
Joined
Apr 2, 2009
Messages
10,662
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I cant say much bad about LPS BUT I can say a lot of good comments on MANY OTHER places to buy a new laser/.
Laser 'colors' cannot always be compared by power or wavelentgh-
Example--NOW for less than $2 usd you get get A PENPOINTER 532nm (search DPSS) it will be WAY more than 5mW up to 70 or 80 +mW
My 6 mW Reo is a HENE green worth w/ Power supply >300$
My 5 mW yellow Hene w/out PS is worth ~$400
this is not all that different than the old...
'apples and oranges' comparison .
OR the many kinds of oranges and their costs being compared.'Fancy' oranges are>$1.50 each . 'Ordinary' oranges are 4 for $1.00
I have a professional 532 EXACTLY 4.99 mW.. two aaas ....but these sell for $`140.00 I use mine to calibrate LPMs (look that up too)
532nm green became much cheaper as more uses were found and more & more lasers were made.They started at $40 back then. No real instructions came with and I had no clue about DUTY/REST CYCLES < Look that up too. So before night #1 was over my 532 was only a very faint reddish light.( the IR pump)

THEN came DDL green (direct diode) and more changes in the 'market' .
the 532nm does not 'play well' with other DDLs
The 532 'case' is always pos. SO.. unless you isolate the 532 probs happen and laser(s) will go zombie -- undead.

Go price yellow and orange 'pointers'.. & they are cheaper now so...

hope this helps--
Best place to buy is HERE.. why buy from strangers??

Buying a kit will be satisfying. and most of the work is already done.
When somebody asks you where you got that laser?? AND you reply 'I made it'


THAT is a good feeling..very good.

so when that happens remember I told you so..
PM anytime for more help--hak
 




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