Optotronics RPL-II 532 nm +1400 mW - opinions and experience?

[Radim]

I think so... I thought about this laser a lot and I found out this will be right option for me. If I manage to cool it somehow during laserpainting, I do not believe duty cycle will be a problem. My solution with cooling bags with silicagel attached to the laser will work fine. Maybe I get thermometer to see how effective it will be.

Thanks for your post, Alaskan. It makes me more confident about my decision. It is not a cheap laser and I think about every buck I spend - or accurately invest in myself.

Edit: I owe you a rep. I need to spread still...

 

[Alaskan]

I've always considered them top rung, was disappointed their high power 532 nm pointer wasn't 1 mRad or lower, but still outshines all of the other pointers available for green. Rep's won't buy coffee, but I do enjoy giving them, need to rep you later, out right now.

 

[Radim]

Signature updated. :drool:
:lasergun:

"Lasers are s3xy."
"That feeling when you see colours as their wavelengths."
"Laserpainting is a drug. Do not try it."

Current collection:
405 nm | 500 mW | Wicked Lasers Lunar
445 nm | 3.5 W | Wicked Lasers Arctic
473 nm | 100 mW | Jet Lasers PL-E Pro (Review)
520 nm | 1 W | Wicked Lasers Krypton
532 nm | 100 mW | Wicked Lasers Evo
532 nm | 800 mW | Sky Lasers PL
589 nm | 50 mW | Dragon Lasers Spartan
635 nm | 750 mW | Wicked Lasers Inferno
1 W RGB projector
(+ some laser pointers)

Ordered:
532 nm | 1.4+ W | Optotronics RPL-II

Laserpainting artworks:
LPF thread: Radim's laser painting
Latest laserpainting: The Portal
Instagram: @radimmatera

Please use hashtag #laserpointerforums for laser related stuff when you post on social media to help us promote LPF. Thank you.

 

[paul1598419]

I'm sure you will love that 532nm Optotronics RPL-II that is on order. I just got a 532nm 1300+ mW laser last month and was very impressed with it's beam profile and divergence. Not to mention the brightness of the beam and dot at termination.

 

[Radim]

I think so. It was hard to decide to go for it, as it will be quite difficult to use - enormous power, great beam specs, short duty cycle. So many things to take care of. I need to calculate hazard distances after I receive LPM certification with the laser, to make sure what I can afford to do with it - I mean how far to check for wildlife etc. I usually take optimal lab conditions and add at least 50 % more as a reserve (more if I go for higher powers). Since in real conditions the NOHD calculated is higher than real hazard zone, but it is calculated for human eye - likely not as sensitive (smaller pupil) than those of wild animals, I think it is quite needed to add like 100 % - 150 % reserve. Still, this laser will be used very responsibly of course. I'll test it in my "test corner" and will see, how much the reflected radiation will illuminate surroundings - it is good method for comparsion of various lasers (of same wavelength) without LPM and I can at least estimate of practical use in fully controlled conditions before taking it into forest.

Is that 1.3+ W labby what you got?

 

[Astralist]

Optotronics with viasho.com as their supplier, and Laserglow with cnilaser.com as their supplier, has always been a superb laser source with super QC for a long time.

This time it really piqued my interest, the power level of 532nm RPL they sell jumps from 450mW to +1400mW without something in between :thinking:
At first i doubt as it would have been a 520nm laser wrongly sell at 532nm page, but given the clear statement of the specification, it really is 532nm.

I checked on their supplier (viasho.com) and found no 532nm portable laser above 500mW.

To produce +1400mW of 532nm from 2500mW of 808nm is seems like an alien technology for me.
One thing i could say about this new power levels are either they're using >5W 808nm diode or simply using optical correction to correct the 808nm and focusing it to the crystal, hence increasing total efficiency and also producing nice round REAL TEM00 mode. Or maybe using crystals with higher doping than usual (?)
This setup of course increasing the complexity and cost, that's why you won't find a portable high power DPSS (532nm) about >=800mW which has round TEM00 mode with price below 1K USD. AFAIK old pointer/portable had always use these setup which explains the cost.

Anyway it really piqued my interest
Really looking forwards to your review of this unit :beer:

 

[Radim]

Yes, Viasho does not make some portable above 500 mW, they produce just a few portables at all, since that is not their core business IMO. I think the module might be custom build for Opto? This laser is the Beast, I was warned by Jack several times about short duty cycle and significant heating. Still I found a use for it and possible solution to extend the duty cycle. Delivering such a power of green in tiny dot at quite far distance is something special and must have in the collection - especially DPSS. I love DPSS lasers. And the beam contains so much power with great specs to be used in various ways in laserpainting with optics and so.

I think these components are for sure of very high quality and probably combination of solutions you mention was used to reach the power and beam specs. It beats even some labbies in beam specs... So that IMO makes the higher cost. And I could not find anything with such a power and beam specs on the market. Even lower powers like 800 mW were around 2 mrad at about the same beamdiameter. It is even common to find as minimum 1.5 mrad of class 3B in portable, what I've seen. Still beam expander might be used, but this reduces you energy density in near field and Opto with BE - even like 2X - OMG... Conclusion: This seems as alien technology for me as well.

Review will come for sure. But before it will take some time to arrive to Jack and after testing, it will take the journey to my hands. I expect it sometime in second half of June to arrive. Anyway I will be busy and travelling till then (business). Than I'll use it for some time before even doing concept of review. As I need to gain some experience with this Beast to write a honest and experience based review it takes some time. I expect the review maybe in August as earliest, maybe September... Let's see. In between there will be likely review of my WL EVO, where I have more than enough experience with it to write...

 

[BobMc]

Best wishes with your purchase. Looking forward to seeing and read your review.

 

[Radim]

Thanks, Bob. I'm looking forward to get the laser, enjoy it and do the review.

Since I managed to get one unexpectedly lenghty, complicated and stressful project in my work to have almost finished (just a few simple steps are needed to have it completed) just yesterday, I could reward myself with this laser. I really deserve it for the hard work and pain with this project. Great motivation IMO - Did you get something done? Buy a laser! :crackup:

 

[BobMc]

Thanks, Bob. I'm looking forward to get the laser, enjoy it and do the review.

Since I managed to get one unexpectedly lenghty, complicated and stressful project in my work to have almost finished (just a few simple steps are needed to have it completed) just yesterday, I could reward myself with this laser. I really deserve it for the hard work and pain with this project. Great motivation IMO - Did you get something done? Buy a laser! :crackup:

Your welcome.

Yes I agree; to a job well done, buy a laser! :crackup:

 

[BowtieGuy]

Hey Radim, congrats on your new Opto RPL, hope you receive it quickly! I'll also be waiting to read your review of this monster!

I like your way of thinking; reward yourself for a job well done with a new laser, works for me!

 

[Radim]

Bob: Looking at your collection it seems to me you are hard worker.

Bowtie: Thanks. Feel free to use this thinking. Life is short and there are so many lasers to get. At least you will have reason to tell why you spend so much money on "flashlights".

 

[BobMc]

Bob: Looking at your collection it seems to me you are hard worker.

Bowtie: Thanks. Feel free to use this thinking. Life is short and there are so many lasers to get. At least you will have reason to tell why you spend so much money on "flashlights".

Thanks, I try, really big on personal responsibility, realizing, I am not my brothers meal ticket, and he is not mine. :angel:

@ BowTie; like your thinking, think I'll borrow it if you wouldn't mind.

 

[paul1598419]

astralist, using a 2.5 watt 808nm diode to pump a 532nm laser and getting 1.4 watts out is not possible from what I have read and know about these lasers. That would be a 56% efficiency for a pointer.

Radim, yes my 1300+ mW laser is a labby. I was planning on doing a whole review of it when I am able and have the time.

 

[Radim]

Oh, I overlooked the 2.5 W from Astralist's post - you are right, Paul. I assume this diode is only for lower powered models. I saw this information on their web long before RPL-II was announced. I doubt it uses this diode. Maybe two of them? Still I think the pump is much more power, likely with more dopped crystal. Maybe I'll ask Jack when I'm writing him. But statement about alien technology is true - such a power of 532 nm in portable with that great beam specs? It cannot be made by man.

And I'm looking for your review, Paul. That is very close in power, so I can compare it with the RPL-II.

 

[paul1598419]

Yeah, I'm sorry I haven't gotten to it yet. I do have a lot on my plate at this moment in time. I still need to drag my scope out and finish reviewing the driver in the Thor H I received. The 1300+ mW labby is next after that. It will be a good review as i won't overlook anything I can think of, including beam profile power specs, etc. One thing I found interesting about this labby is the driver has a large heat sink for three TO-72 transistors and gets very warm quickly. It has fins on it, but a large space has been cut out of the fins about the size of a large TEC. My guess is that is what it was meant for. That and a fan. Anyway, I'll be looking for the driver schematics online and will answer this question as well.