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405nm vs 532nm

J

Jerrymx11

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So I'm about to buy a Highly- Astronomy Military Zoom Green Laser Pointer Tactical Pen 5mW 532nm*but I saw a 5mW 405nm and I was just wondering what the difference is
 





Hello, Jerrymx11. Welcome to LPF.

So, the short answer to your question is the different wavelengths appear as different colors... 532nm is green and 405nm is violet. The green wavelengths are right in the center of the visible spectrum, so they are "easier" to see by the human eye. That being said, there is a good chance the 532nm pointer you are looking at will appear to be brighter than the 405nm even though they are advertised as both being 5mW. You may even be fortunate enough to see the beam in the night sky.

The real answer is for you to read the forum rules, stickies (especially those about laser safety and forum etiquette) , and make an introductory post in the appropriate section to let us know a little about yourself. Then, use the forum search tool and you will find there is a TON of information about your very question already posted here. Probably way more than you expect! :) This is a great forum with many active members who are very knowledgeable about laser operation and construction.

Enjoy your time here and again, welcome to the forum! Good luck with your purchase.

Be safe and have fun!

-c


Jerrymx11 said:
So I'm about to buy a Highly- Astronomy Military Zoom Green Laser Pointer Tactical Pen 5mW 532nm*but I saw a 5mW 405nm and I was just wondering what the difference is
Click to expand...
 
Can you post links of what you are thinking of buying?

Most "5mw"" pens out there are actually more than 5mw so safety goggles are recommended.
 
That laser is probably going to be more than 5mw. I suggest you use safety goggles when using the laser.

One of the "5mw" lasers I ordered from amazon actually turned out to be 70mw.

Also some of the lasers from amazon are low quality.
 
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The only way to find out is to buy and and test it with a LPM. But other than that, you can't find out. I'd say that the laser you are looking at would be around 30-100mw, so you will need safety goggles.

If you want a high-powered laser for a cheap price, I'd go with lazerer. I bought a green laser from amazon before and it was very low quality.
 
I see the word "astronomy" in your post. If you are using this laser for star pointing, you do NOT use safety goggles as the goggles intended job is to block a particular color.

Michael.
 
Does it seem worth while to get? This is the first one I've ever bought and I don't want a low quality laser
 
That is just the title of the product.

If you are only going to use it for astronomy, you do not need safety goggles. If you are going to use it indoors, safety goggles are required.

Lazerer, laserbtb, and rayfoss are some of the companies that sell lasers at a good price.
 
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Jerry, I'm an astronomer, too. For pointing purposes, you want a green laser not much brighter than 5 mW. Anything stronger and the brightness of the beam will destroy your nightvision.

I can not say a thing about the laser you ask about, however I can recommend Z-bolt's astronomy laser :

Constant On/Off Green Laser Pointer - True 5mW Power

Bit pricier, but reliable and good quality.

If you live in a cold climate, consider their blue astronomy laser.
 
Z-bolt is a good company. You can also go with LaserGlow. They are pretty reputable here.
 
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