Wicked Lasers Spyder III ARCTIC - my review

[1fastsuv]

Well, let's see here:

-I've seen a lot of gun enthusiasts join the forum and be far too overconfident with lasers.
-You are a gun enthusiast.
-You demonstrated a distinct lack of laser knowledge.
-You are quite confident in your ability not to injure yourself.

Lasers pose hazards that are unique to them. Read up on Sam's Laser FAQ, acquire goggles, maybe lurk a little bit more. Work with lower-power systems until you gain respect for high-power systems and what they do.

If you don't have a reference point (other than burning) for how much optical power a watt (or more) really is, then you might consider waiting and working with other systems until you do. It just might save your vision.

Listen to me or don't. However, if you hurt yourself and post a horror story in the safety forum, I'm not sure you'll get any sympathy.

-Trevor

You just proved my point.
1. You assume that i'm an overconfident gun enthusiast. The dictionary defines enthusiast as "a person filled with or motivated by enthusiasm; fanatic" I would not define my ownership of guns or simply having the knowledge how to use them as being a fanatic. They could have easily been willed to me by my greatgrandfather.
2. Where did I ever state any confidence whatsoever in my ability not to hurt myself? I simply stated I'm not a reckless person.
3. I DO own goggles and how do you know that I have not "lurked" here for quite some time before becoming a member? My signature clearly states im more of a reader than poster.
4. I stated in my first post that I have two other lower power models and have "worked with other systems" already.

I'll give you one point that you made. I do have a distinct lack of laser knowledge. That is my reason for being here. To learn and ask questions to other members. (just like my first post)

Everything else is your assumption and everyone knows what happens when you assume.

Listen to me or don't. However, if you hurt yourself and post a horror story in the safety forum, I'm not sure you'll get any sympathy.

If I hurt myself, I will accept full responsibility just like i do with everything else.
Enjoy your hobby and I will let you know if hurt myself. Until then, it was nice debating you.

 

[Trevor]

You just proved my point.
1. You assume that i'm an overconfident gun enthusiast. The dictionary defines enthusiast as "a person filled with or motivated by enthusiasm; fanatic" I would not define my ownership of guns or simply having the knowledge how to use them as being a fanatic. They could have easily been willed to me by my greatgrandfather.
2. Where did I ever state any confidence whatsoever in my ability not to hurt myself? I simply stated I'm not a reckless person.
3. I DO own goggles and how do you know that I have not "lurked" here for quite some time before becoming a member? My signature clearly states im more of a reader than poster.
4. I stated in my first post that I have two other lower power models and have "worked with other systems" already.

I'll give you one point that you made. I do have a distinct lack of laser knowledge. That is my reason for being here. To learn and ask questions to other members. (just like my first post)

Everything else is your assumption and everyone knows what happens when you assume.

You really should read more about classical conditioning. Not sure why you deleted it from the quote and ignored it.

Based on the traits that I perceived, you fit into a demographic of (new) laser users that I have seen to be overconfident in the past. This is a recurring theme, and experiencing this leads me to be wary. It's a reasonable reaction.

It's also a reasonable reaction for you to dislike me because you perceive me as a liberal, a group that tends to portray gun owners as irresponsible rednecks (at least, that's what my experience with my liberal friends tells me - classical conditioning in action!).

While these are reasonable reactions, they aren't necessarily accurate.

Classical conditioning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

-Trevor

 

[Krogith]

You just proved my point.
1. You assume that i'm an overconfident gun enthusiast. The dictionary defines enthusiast as "a person filled with or motivated by enthusiasm; fanatic" I would not define my ownership of guns or simply having the knowledge how to use them as being a fanatic. They could have easily been willed to me by my greatgrandfather.
2. Where did I ever state any confidence whatsoever in my ability not to hurt myself? I simply stated I'm not a reckless person.
3. I DO own goggles and how do you know that I have not "lurked" here for quite some time before becoming a member? My signature clearly states im more of a reader than poster.
4. I stated in my first post that I have two other lower power models and have "worked with other systems" already.

I'll give you one point that you made. I do have a distinct lack of laser knowledge. That is my reason for being here. To learn and ask questions to other members. (just like my first post)

Everything else is your assumption and everyone knows what happens when you assume.


If I hurt myself, I will accept full responsibility just like i do with everything else.
Enjoy your hobby and I will let you know if hurt myself. Until then, it was nice debating you.

Twhite828 Does have a point. He isn't telling you these things to just harp on you or even Troll. He is obviously concerned with your safety and you should be thankful he is spending his time trying to help you. He doesn't want you getting hurt.

Lasers are Very different compared to many things including Guns. I understand your point Tho "that owning other dangerous things may give you caution in this area". Thats good a laser should be treated like a Gun. But Laser safety is a whole new world. Keep learning and remember people aren't on this site just to bash every newcomer to the hobby. They care about your safety and the lasers people now have access to are Very dangerous and most New people treat them like a Flash-Light. So hes not attacking you like you think he is....:thinking:

 

[1fastsuv]

Twhite828 Does have a point. He isn't telling you these things to just harp on you or even Troll. He is obviously concerned with your safety and you should be thankful he is spending his time trying to help you. He doesn't want you getting hurt.

Lasers are Very different compared to many things including Guns. I understand your point Tho "that owning other dangerous things may give you caution in this area". Thats good a laser should be treated like a Gun. But Laser safety is a whole new world. Keep learning and remember people aren't on this site just to bash every newcomer to the hobby. They care about your safety and the lasers people now have access to are Very dangerous and most New people treat them like a Flash-Light. So hes not attacking you like you think he is....:thinking:

I appreciate what you're saying and if he presented things in the fashion you chose, I would've thanked him for his concern and advice. I want to learn all I can about this hobby and do not want anyone getting hurt, including myself. (especially myself) I'm am new to this hobby and signed up here to learn. I have already printed out quite a few threads and charts to review.

I took offense to the fact that based on one line of my response, he grouped me into a category and thinks he knows who I am as a person and how I will act. If he does this with every new person he meets, I feel sorry for him. I am far from perfect but I at least give someone the benefit of the doubt BEFORE i judge them.

Once again, thank you for your advice and concern and I also wanted to make sure I thanked you for the respect you showed me. I'm in health care and have over 500 employees that work for me. If I blanket judged my employees the way he did to me, I wouldn't have the successful companies that I have. Two of my businesses are in the big city and one is in a very rural area so I have an extremely diverse group. :banghead:

 

[Trevor]

If I blanket judged my employees the way he did to me, I wouldn't have the successful companies that I have.

(You must be a liberal)

Also, evidently you didn't read my last post. :crackup:

-Trevor

 

[Krogith]

Sorry @MojoLA for the

:cryyy:

Nice Review :beer: (I use the :beer: Smiley as a thumbs up more than a beer to drink...)

And the other members are right, even on low power with the training leans on you can still hurt your self off reflections, So if your using it close to you or indoors where it can reflect off something (in a uncontrolled area) Than your goggles are Needed.

And the safety goggles that come with the arctic are not good and if you read there site it's not intended to take a direct hit or reflection (and thats the whole point of wearing them in the 1st place) So invest in some good eye protecting seriously. You should not be able to see the color of the laser when waring them. You only get 1 set of eyes.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

...And the safety goggles that come with the arctic are not good and if you read there site it's not intended to take a direct hit or reflection (and thats the whole point of wearing them in the 1st place) So invest in some good eye protecting seriously. You should not be able to see the color of the laser when waring them. You only get 1 set of eyes.

The safety goggles that came out *EARLIER* really aren't any good, but the newer Arctic Lasershades (early-December 2010 to the present) are rather decent.

The newer Arctic LaserShades pass 15.60µW (yes, that's "MICROWATTS") {on low} and 42.90µW {on high} at ~440nm. So yes, they'll offer protection against a reflection and even a brief direct hit. I say "brief" here, because they will melt with extended exposure to the Arctic on high mode. And if that happens, the area that was melted will now offer little to no protection.

The original LaserShades (furnished with the Arctic) from prior to December 2010 do indeed leave something to be desired. They pass 3.00mW {on low} (which isn't too bad), and on "high" it measures 20.96mW -- this is definitely a power level you don't want in your eyes!!!

Just for s**ts and giggles, I destroyed the older pair of Arctic LaserShades by shooting them with my Arctic on high, and created a number of obviously burned-out holes and burned, melted spots in them.

 

[Krogith]

Sorry they don't @T_L_M. Even the Newer Goggles are Lacking. They may be better than the older ones but still do not provide the protection you Need.You should get better goggles if you think there still good my friend. You should not be able to see the color of the beam or Dot At all, the dot should be another color (most likely Red/Orange)

 

[Trevor]

The safety goggles that came out *EARLIER* really aren't any good, but the newer Arctic Lasershades (early-December 2010 to the present) are rather decent.

The newer Arctic LaserShades pass 15.60µW (yes, that's "MICROWATTS") {on low} and 42.90µW {on high} at ~440nm. So yes, they'll offer protection against a reflection and even a brief direct hit. I say "brief" here, because they will melt with extended exposure to the Arctic on high mode. And if that happens, the area that was melted will now offer little to no protection.

The original LaserShades (furnished with the Arctic) from prior to December 2010 do indeed leave something to be desired. They pass 3.00mW {on low} (which isn't too bad), and on "high" it measures 20.96mW -- this is definitely a power level you don't want in your eyes!!!

Just for s**ts and giggles, I destroyed the older pair of Arctic LaserShades by shooting them with my Arctic on high, and created a number of obviously burned-out holes and burned, melted spots in them.

How did you get those power measurements? Did you finally get an LPM?

@Krogith - WL sent me some evaluation samples of the newer goggles (this is their claim). They are made from the same absorptive polymer that the other cheap chinese goggles are made from. They block all blue, leaving only the non-blue fluoresence. This, however, doesn't mean that these are what WL is sending with newer Arctics.

-Trevor

 

[Krogith]

How did you get those power measurements? Did you finally get an LPM?

@Krogith - WL sent me some evaluation samples of the newer goggles (this is their claim). They are made from the same absorptive polymer that the other cheap chinese goggles are made from. They block all blue, leaving only the non-blue fluoresence. This, however, doesn't mean that these are what WL is sending with newer Arctics.

-Trevor

ROFL that says it all there. For the noobs buying it, it's better than nothing. For someone concerned with there eye sight we get the right stuff. The whole point of waring goggles is to stop that chance reflection. :tsk: Maybe in a year or so they offer a high end pair... Maybe... Not...

 

[Trevor]

ROFL that says it all there. For the noobs buying it, it's better than nothing. For someone concerned with there eye sight we get the right stuff. The whole point of waring goggles is to stop that chance reflection. :tsk: Maybe in a year or so they offer a high end pair... Maybe... Not...

Yeah, I have one pair I saved for personal use. They work as well as the goggles I bought from Optotronics back in the day (which are also Chinese).

I trust the ones from Optotronics, and I'm pretty sure the WL ones are made of the same problem, but I'm wary of them because they have the WL logo on them.

-Trevor

 

[tmb993]

Sorry to reawaken a dead thread, but I was reading through and this seemed like a good place to ask rather than start a whole other thread. I have an Arctic coming in the mail Thursday and I was curious about the minimum distance you all think the laser could be used safely without the laser goggles. I don't currently have a pair, but I will be using the laser outside (quite scared of burning something in the house haha). Any insight you all could provide would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Livinloud]

Well congrats on ------nvm rude WL comment withheld------

You shouldn't have bought a laser without buying safety glasses first. To answer your question though, you can only point the laser into a CLEAR sky. If its not pointed in the sky then you risk hitting a reflective object and getting the beam back into your eye.

Also you didnt need to bring back the dead.....use the search function on the site. Laser safety glasses is one of the most discussed topics here.

Read the yellow link in my signature to learn more about safety and everything you need to know about owning a laser

 

[tmb993]

Thanks for the help! I'll be sure to check it out.

 

[Livinloud]

NP, any other questions just ask, might want to search and see if they've been answered previously though.

Welcome to LPF

 

[Raiden Gekkou]

The Arctic also comes with a pair of laser safety glasses, but I hear that they aren't good enough.