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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Wicked Lasers Trying to Turn Around?

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Feb 20, 2011
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Here is the Email I received today, what are your thoughts?

Introducing the world's brightest laser you can legally own.
More than 8000 times brighter than the sun.

Dear jnhowett,

The Spyder 3 Krypton green laser is now available in 3 power outputs, <300mW, <500mW, and <1W. This is the world's brightest handheld laser and over 8,000 times brighter than the looking at the sun.

First, I want to personally apologize about our backorder situation that you may have experienced. Last year, with the release of the Spyder 3 Arctic, the world's most powerful laser, we lost control of our manufacturing schedule. Thousands of customers waited several months before they finally received their products. Regrettably, we've lost a lot of our hard-earned reputation and trust.

This time around, we've learned our lesson, and expect different business practices as a result. You will see the in-stock quantity in real time on every product to know for certain that our products are in stock or not. Right now, there are less than 1,000 Kryptons in stock, and we expect to sell out of certain models fairly quickly.

Once they run out, we will not accept any pre-orders for Kryptons not in stock until we have a definite, concrete, and confirmed date when we will have them manufactured. This might not happen for several weeks, so we apologize in advance for not having made enough. Kryptons are a magnitude of complexity above to manufacture given they rely on DPSS technology instead of the direct diode technology found in the Arctic.

The Krypton is not only is brightest handheld laser in the world. It's also the most advanced, utilizing Smartswitch 2.0 with 9 modes of operation. It also is the first laser to contain TeslaCool Theromstatic Regulation, meaning, you can turn on the laser indefinitely without risk of damaging the diode.

Click here or copy the below URL into your browser to check out the Krypton.
Green Laser Pointer 1 Watt | S3 Krypton | Spyder III | Wicked Lasers

Thank you for your support of Wicked Lasers, and please wear the included safety goggles when using high-powered laser products. Do not shine lasers at airplanes or vehicles, it is considered a felony in the USA to do so.

Sincerely,
Steve Liu
CEO
 





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I've got the same e-mail. My first thought was like "it'd be cool to have the same host with a different color". But the price is $300 for 300mW ($500 for 500mW, $1000 for 1W), and I think it's better to wait for some sale if I'm planning on buying it. Also, I haven't forgotten how they handled my first purchase with them with the Spyder S3.

Although I must admit: if these work and the quality is better, you've got an awesome green laser with lots of added fuctionality.
 
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Forgive me for being new.

Why would anyone buy one from these guys when so many people are making them here?
From what ive read is it even possible to achieve 1 watt ?
 
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Got that email as well... even though I unsubscribed from the mailing list after the arctic fiasco.

There is already one review of this laser, and :GASP: it's not 1W.

If Wicked Lasers is turning around, it's only because they are in the progress of a 360 turn.
 
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Burn me once.... shame on WL

Burn me twice... shame on me....


Jerry Bauer
CEO
 
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Why would anyone buy one from these guys when so many people are making them here?
From what ive read is it even possible to achieve 1 watt ?

Yes anymore it is pretty much pointless to buy a 445 from a company when so many are made here.

Yes it is possible to have >1W of 532 just not from Wicked Lasers and most likely not in a handheld.
 
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Yes anymore it is pretty much pointless to buy a 445 from a company when so many are made here.

Yes it is possible to have >1W of 532 just not from Wicked Lasers and most likely not in a handheld.

Ive already decided to buy one from someone here next time.
Im not really that crazy about the one i bought, probably because i didnt do enough homework.
Im thinking about sending it and some glasses to my fil so he can play with it, you can see for miles in Cali.
That should also give me an excuse to buy another one.
 
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Yes anymore it is pretty much pointless to buy a 445 from a company when so many are made here.

Yes it is possible to have >1W of 532 just not from Wicked Lasers and most likely not in a handheld.
Not "most likely", but achieving stable output power in the order of 1W or close, is impossible in a handheld utilizing anything less than 32650 cell or of sorts.

So 18650 cell hosts are out of the question,
Assuming DPSS process is 25% efficient (most likely not, heat issues and average of 20% today), for 1W of output you need 4 W pump diode. To power 4W pump diode you need around 5A of current at 2.0-2.2 V, easily resulting in 7-10 W of heat to be managed.

Now, such heat already requires a TEC cooling in order to keep the crystals from going into TEMholy-sh1t , and guess what, Peltier elements are around 20% efficient as well. So for around 5 W of cooling power, you've got 20 W of heat on the other side. An guess what, you need 25W more electrical power.

So far, only Hercules has gotten close, and it's powered by three D-size batteries. Oh and it's got forced fan cooling.

Unless they plan on making couple-of D-size cell accepting hosts, it's not going to happen.

And they plan on using 1x 18650 size host.

So far as their plan on "restoring reputation they've ruined" they are trying to pass "testicles for kidneys" as we Croats say it. And yes we're all seriously disturbed people :p
 
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They might be trying to turn around. And even if these units would do 750 like the demo one Jayrob got, I'd consider it.

...Except that it's WL. My recent experience with CNI and 532 handhelds left me quite 'blah' on CNI. WL, even worse. Do I want one of these? Yes. Would I pay for it? Yes. Only if I was guaranteed:

1) I'd get it.
2) It'd work.

... Tough standards I have, I know. But with the Arctic situation, it's going to take a little more than an email saying "No really we mean it this time" for me to send them $1000.

Once I see a bunch of people receive them successfully, and see them work well, then I'll reconsider. But it's going to take some serious tangible proof for me to send a grand to China on the promise that I won't get either crap or nothing at all in return.

WL: Show me the money, and i'll show you the money.
 
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Haha, I love people's reaction to some literaly translated sayings we have around here.

In short, it means they are trying to pass something that won't work in place of what was promised. Phrase is also used when describing something that does not have anything to do with the problem at hand (example, trying to sell 445nm laser as "1W bluray laser").

Seeing Jayrob's review, while it is a great laser without context, truth is they are promising 1W unit and even a REVIEW unit (ones that are cherry-picked to represent the product line in best coherent light) is 30% less power than advertised with good amount of IR. Imagine your average unit. Probably Mode-hopping it's a$$ out of the window.

Why couldn't they just advertise it as 500mW and call it a day? Why advertise your theoretical maximum power that will never get reached, instead of your minimum power so the customer will always be happy, since getting the worse unit will still be on spec.

Hm, now that I think of it, simply looking at it that way makes it better a little.
We're all used to moving a decimal point one place to the left on DealExtremes laser power ratings. Just do the same with Wicked - look at their minimum power and take that for power rating of the laser.

Suddenly, $1000 for 500mW laser doesn't sound too bad, provided you don't mind the host so damn large it will not fit into any pocket and will most likely be mistaken for a bomb anywhere you go. If they manage to ship out the orders in time, we'll be alright (and having prices rised significantly, they won't get as overloaded as they did with initial $200 Arctic).
 
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Ive already decided to buy one from someone here next time.
Im not really that crazy about the one i bought, probably because i didnt do enough homework.
Im thinking about sending it and some glasses to my fil so he can play with it, you can see for miles in Cali.
That should also give me an excuse to buy another one.

Evidently someone sees this as trolling, thanks again for the negative rep.
 




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