Anyone know anything about cheap 5MW laser pointers?

[leglez]

I am thinking about buying a 5MW laser pointer. I am wanting to know what are good sites to buy them from for under $50. Also someone offered me an AtlasNova laser pointer for $45 is that a good deal?

 

[Ayah]

I want one too!

 

[Rubycon]

5MW would not be a pointer, that would be a WMD. :laugh: (MW = MegaWatt)

Anyways, check on ebay. You're looking for green (532nm) right?

 

[leglez]

Ugh I don't know what is the difference between red green and blue? I think that blue might be highest quality, green middle quality and, red low quality. But I am not sure. Also what is 532nm?

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: leglez
Ugh I don't know what is the difference between red green and blue? I think that blue might be highest quality, green middle quality and, red low quality. But I am not sure. Also what is 532nm?

The color of the beam has nothing to do with the "quality" of a laser pointer; price does.

532nm is the wavelength of the light, in this case solidly in the green spectrum.

 

[Rubycon]

532 is the wavelength which happens to be green.

Common pointer wavelengths are 650/635 (red) 532 (green) and 470 (blue). Blue is the most expensive and red the least. Green is the brightest at the same given power level. This is due to how the human eye perceives color.

 

[ViRGE]

This is all you need. The Spyder will light cigars and cut tape.

 

[aphex]

i had a Atlas Nova 5mw green laser... it was very cool and very bright... not nearly as bright as the 50-100mw variety, but i could easily see the beam when it was dark...

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
This is all you need. The Spyder will light cigars and cut tape.

Well if you're going to spend that much money, might as well do it right.

Those spyders have all sorts of issues.

 

[leglez]

This seems really cheap, I only have $14 in my paypal right now until next thursday. If I got one of these do you think I could see the beem in the dark?

Here

 

[Rubycon]

You will not see the beam on a 650 nm laser unless you use fog.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

http://www.allelectronics.com/ >laser pointers...I bought two of the $7.50 jobs.

Good for 700+feet, bright enough to walk around in a dark room or movie theater.
My sister's cat loves the one I gave her


...Galvanized

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee
http://www.allelectronics.com/ >laser pointers...I bought two of the $7.50 jobs.

Good for 700+feet, bright enough to walk around in a dark room or movie theater.
My sister's cat loves the one I gave her


...Galvanized

Just don't think about bringing it to a movie theater!

Let's hope Antec doesn't get into the laser biz. Imagine the potential problems they could have with malfunctioning lasers due to bad caps! :laugh:

 

[leglez]

Ok so I need a green one to see the beem?

 

[ChefJoe]

http://luckyduck.com/ the luckyduck apc is a rebranded something or other... green, marked $79 now but it goes on sale for less than that frequently. candlepowerforums.com for research

 

[Sc4freak]

Heh. Go call the military for a 5MW laser. Something that powerful could probably burn a kilometer deep hole in the moon from Earth

 

[HermDogg]

Good stuff
I bought one of these, great company to buy from (first one got damaged during shipping, they sent me a new one AND told me how to fix the old one). Can see for quite a ways with a fairly solid beam (in the dark). In the light it's not as solid but you can see the end for a ways away still.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
5MW would not be a pointer, that would be a WMD. :laugh: (MW = MegaWatt)

Anyways, check on ebay. You're looking for green (532nm) right?

Pulsed could do it, though it would be strictly bragging rights for a pointer. "3mw? Pss, mine will get into the gigawatts"

I admit I don't know how small you can scale a Q-switch.

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: jagec

Pulsed could do it, though it would be strictly bragging rights for a pointer. "3mw? Pss, mine will get into the gigawatts"

I admit I don't know how small you can scale a Q-switch.

Well I suppose if you extend "portable" into the backpack-flamethrower size category. :laugh:

A class IV IR "spotter" laser is neat to use at night with IR goggles. Looks like you're waving a large 532 around but nobody else can see it. That's exactly how targets are painted from the ground for bombing runs. Lets hope insurgents don't get one. :Q

There's keychain greens available but they will devour batteries like crazy.

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
5MW would not be a pointer, that would be a WMD. :laugh: (MW = MegaWatt)

Anyways, check on ebay. You're looking for green (532nm) right?

What I and others were thinking. Before getting the post open, I had already started thinking forget a 5MW LASER. Where the heck would you get batteries for it? Damage one of those batteries and the blast radius would be about a mile.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
5MW would not be a pointer, that would be a WMD. :laugh: (MW = MegaWatt)

Anyways, check on ebay. You're looking for green (532nm) right?

QFT. If you had a man portable 5MW laser, the military would want to talk to you...and confiscate it for their uses.

 

[leglez]

Wait so all the 5mw lasers are fake or what? Because everyone seems to be saying the military would want it if I had one. Could someone explain if it is possible to get a true 5mw laser pointer or not. I am planning on getting a >5mw laser from Atlas Nova

 

[Rubycon]

milliwatt or 0.001 watt is expressed as mW.
megawatt or 1,000,000 watts is expressed as MW.

So the capital M gets you in trouble. That's all.

There are plenty of <5mW pointers available. Once a laser has a power level that reaches 5mW, it is officially a class IIIb instrument requiring safety devices not present on a pointer. This is due to the fact that class IIIb instruments should not be used by those untrained and in an environment where direct eye exposure at close range is likely. At sub 5mW levels, the eye's reflex (blinking) is fast enough to protect the retina from permanant damage. Lasers above 50 mW can cause irrepairable eye damage instantly if directed into someone's eye within 50 feet or less. This is quite serious. Hopped up pointers and portable modules putting out >100 mW should be treated like a loaded gun!