I'm just wondering how y'all became interested into lasers. Also, feel free to describe your first laser!
For me, I first became interested in lasers some time in 1998. I was in an after-school program, and one of the people who worked there had a laser pointer. His name was Ben, I think. Back then, those were rare and you were considered "cool" if you had one. He told me that the shorter the wavelength, the more energy is carried. I remember asking him what wavelength was needed to cut metal, and he told me that the burning power also depended on the wattage. ;D He let me use his laser pointer for a while and I instantly became interested. Not long after, I got my own laser pointer from Costco. I don't think it was very cheap! A few months later, I went to a museum, where we could burn tiny holes in a piece of paper with an eye-surgery laser. (It was probably some sort of excimer laser.)
Anyways, my first laser is a <5mw 670 nm red pointer. It's divergence isn't as good as my other newer red pointers (~1.8" vs. ~0.8" at around 15m), and it's not as bright, either. However, it's much more stable, and will not dim unlike my other red lasers unless you let them rest.
However, not long after, I totally forgot about lasers.
Fast forward to summer 2006. I had seen ads for Wicked Lasers on a few sites, but didn't think much of it until someone mentioned WL on Pyro Universe, a forum for fireworks hobbyists. That's when I became a laserholic again, more addicted than ever!
Recently, Wicked was giving away free "Core" lasers to established forum members, and on June 1, 2007, I got my first green laser! On August 23rd, I got my first class IIIb laser (Wicked Lasers "Advanced") from winning a contest at another forum!
For me, I first became interested in lasers some time in 1998. I was in an after-school program, and one of the people who worked there had a laser pointer. His name was Ben, I think. Back then, those were rare and you were considered "cool" if you had one. He told me that the shorter the wavelength, the more energy is carried. I remember asking him what wavelength was needed to cut metal, and he told me that the burning power also depended on the wattage. ;D He let me use his laser pointer for a while and I instantly became interested. Not long after, I got my own laser pointer from Costco. I don't think it was very cheap! A few months later, I went to a museum, where we could burn tiny holes in a piece of paper with an eye-surgery laser. (It was probably some sort of excimer laser.)
Anyways, my first laser is a <5mw 670 nm red pointer. It's divergence isn't as good as my other newer red pointers (~1.8" vs. ~0.8" at around 15m), and it's not as bright, either. However, it's much more stable, and will not dim unlike my other red lasers unless you let them rest.
However, not long after, I totally forgot about lasers.
Fast forward to summer 2006. I had seen ads for Wicked Lasers on a few sites, but didn't think much of it until someone mentioned WL on Pyro Universe, a forum for fireworks hobbyists. That's when I became a laserholic again, more addicted than ever!
Recently, Wicked was giving away free "Core" lasers to established forum members, and on June 1, 2007, I got my first green laser! On August 23rd, I got my first class IIIb laser (Wicked Lasers "Advanced") from winning a contest at another forum!
. Maybe some day.
.