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what lazer for less than 100?

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alglez

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hi

i would like to know which lazer would be for good for less than 100? I would be using it mainly for pointing stars but i want something that i can use for other stuff like pop balloons :) lol
 





Uhh, I'd start with a lower powered laser first. Please don't jump into the higher powered laSers without proper safety education which can be gained by reading this forum.
 
You shouldn't really tell people what they should do. Maybe he doesn't have enough money to buy 5 lasers at 5mw 25mw 50 mw 75 mw 100 mw. Like me, I don't have endless money and I wanted ONE good laser so I got the optotronics 150mw and I loved it.

It is good to advise people on what to get and make them aware of the dangers but it is their choice.

@Liquid
Saying just that is pretty lame. He is asking for advice. Old threads might have mispriced lasers, bad links no longer made lasers, etc. Also, its hard to search for "Advice on a 100$ laser" lol
 
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alglez said:
hi

i would like to know which lazer would be for good for less than 100? I would be using it mainly for pointing stars but i want something that i can use for other stuff like pop balloons :) lol
Click to expand...
Green is best for visibility.
I recommend this one because it has some of the FDA safety features, and if you need to you can remove the key, and nobody can use it without the key. But, you must get safety glasses to protect your eyes, because 100mW of greeen (+IR) will permanently blind you if you accidentally hit your eye with it (even a reflection can do irreversible eye damage).
If you want burning power, go with a bluray.
For a little over your budget, you could get a nice focusable 200mW bluray here. It would burn really well, but wouldn't be great for star-pointing because the bluray (405nm [blacklight-color]) laser beam is difficult to see.
Good luck. And always wear (proper/adequate) safety glasses when using the laser indoors, or when looking at the focal-point of burning.

Really, 50mW is all you need for a first laser.
Amazon
LED Shoppe

Also, you need safety glasses (Remember; spending a few dollars now could save you thousands at the ophthalmologist [eye doctor] later. Or they could save you the cost of Braille lessons and a seeing-eye dog in the future.)
405nm,473nm,532nm laser safety goggles [OLGLG532] - $19.99 : Welcome to O-Like.com, Your source for laser products
Laser Glasses - UV to Green Lasers Protection 190-548nm :: Laser Safety :: Dragon Lasers
I use these (they protect against IR as well as green)
Multiple Wavelength
 
i just bought the 200 bluray. i cant wait for it to arrive :) what kind of glasses will i be ok?? any regular sunglasses will work??
 
alglez said:
i just bought the 200 bluray. i cant wait for it to arrive :) what kind of glasses will i be ok?? any regular sunglasses will work??
Click to expand...
Sunglasses? Not even close. :(
I linked to a few glasses in my thread above, but they were for protection against green, but some will work for bluray as well.
For Bluray (405nm) protection glasses the Dragon Lasers ones will work:
Laser Glasses - UV to Green Lasers Protection 190-548nm :: Laser Safety :: Dragon Lasers
Or the multi-wavelength ones at zonestealth should protect against bluray:
Multiple Wavelength
Most people will tell you to get the ones (yellow lenses) that Glenn (LPF member: scopeguy20) was selling for $15, but I am not sure if he has them anymore.
 
Remember blu-ray is very close to UV spectrum. Probably some GOOD sunglasses will block most of the 405nm light.

Anyway, get some laser goggles.
 
Sunglasses are a bad idea. Sunglasses are usually plastic lenses with a coating that relects UV light. If a collimated beam of 405nm light were to accidently strike the lens of the sunglasses, the coating would be damaged very quickly as it is not designed to stop laser light. In laser goggles, the laser attenuating / blocking compound or dye is distributed through the entire thick lens. A laser would have to burn all the way through the lens in order to harm you. The goggles must also have the correct OD rating for the laser power that must be protected against.
 
Yeah yeah thats why I said "Anyway, get some laser goggles."

If you want visibility you should choose a 532nm green.

405 is nearly invisible, anyway you will be able to see the beam at night.
 
Do most of you guys really use laser goggles everytime you turn your laser on?
I just dont get what the idea is, lets say you get a green laser pointer, so you go wear some rediculous looking red protective glasses, but your not even shooting the laser at your self??
shouldn't you be giving the protective glasses to the other people around you ? lol
or does looking at the spot reflecting off something also cause harmfull effects?
 
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alglez said:
At night how visible would it be?
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I am not sure but probably good. I have a 200MW red. Put your eye on the back of the laser, NOT WERE THE BEAM COMES FROM!!!!!!!!!
Like you are looking down a gun scope. Then the beam should be viable from that angle. Looks like a nice laser!:drool:
 
GabeS14 said:
Do most of you guys really use laser goggles everytime you turn your laser on?
I just dont get what the idea is, lets say you get a green laser pointer, so you go wear some rediculous looking red protective glasses, but your not even shooting the laser at your self??
shouldn't you be giving the protective glasses to the other people around you ? lol
or does looking at the spot reflecting off something also cause harmfull effects?
Click to expand...

It depends on the environment and what power laser it is. But the point is.. you wear them to protect from what you DON'T expect.. not what you do. You only get one pair of eyeballs. There are no do overs if you accidentally hit something shiny with a high powered laser and catch a strong specular reflection back in the face.
 
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