Cool laser on ebay. Legit?

[The_LED_Museum]

...Is there any lockout, beam emission indicator, or shutter on this thing?...

There is no interlock, beam delay, beam shutter, emission indicator, or key switch normally required on CDRH Class IIIb devices.

 

[dr_lava]

It's looking to be a decent laser, no doubt, but it's still overdriven because the typical rating for 5.6mm diodes is 300mA (at controlled 25C case temperature) and the maximum possible (but not reccommended for long term use) current is 350mA (still at 25C). After a while, the case temp in this setup, even if heatsunk well, is 30-35C, which means the drive current should be derated further.

If anyone would like to post a datasheet for a 5.6mm packaged diode with higher specs, be my guest, but I have never seen one.

 

[That_Guy]

361mA current consumption is very impressive. I was expecting it to use a 1W diode to allow them to get away with using inefficient crystals. Looks like the diode power is around 350mW, so the crystals are rather efficient at around 15%, similar to the 75mW "Pheonix" sold by Wicked Lasers. The large case combined with the relatively low power IR diode should make it pretty stable and maybe even capable of continuous operation if the heat sink is properly coupled to the diode with thermal compound.

When you consider that it costs the same as a 15mW Wicked Laser this looks like a real winner! I just hope that the diode isn't being overdriven as suggested by dr_lava. If it uses an under driven 500mW diode we could be looking at a very stable, long life laser capable of continuous operation.

 

[dr_lava]

I expect that we'll get the full report from the LED museum before long. It should include ruggedness tests, LD size, beam stability, beam divergence, IR FILTRATION, estimated battery life, and thermal observations. Maybe even a toilet encounter.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

I expect that we'll get the full report from the LED museum before long. It should include ruggedness tests, LD size, beam stability, beam divergence, IR FILTRATION, estimated battery life, and thermal observations. Maybe even a toilet encounter.

I do not perform the more abusive tests on lasers or products which contain lasers...same with "The Toliet Test". I did suction the product though, and it exhibited a significant air leak, so it is not submersible.

I am not equipped to measure beam divergence, so that test will have to be up to somebody who has sufficient free air space (accurately measured).

As for IR filtration, there is little or none.

As this spectrographic analysis shows, there is considerable emission at 808nm from the pump diode; more so than the 532nm laser line these are intended to produce..

 

[That_Guy]

Yikes! That's nasty. Looks to be about 100mW of IR, very dangerous! Have you checked weather the IR is collimated, or if it fans out (making it harmless beyond a few inches from the aperture). What's worse is most 532nm laser goggles don't protect against IR, giving users a false sense of security. I guess this helps explain why it is so cheap, should make the burning crowd happy though.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

I just shot two photographs with my digital camera at maximum resolution and maximum zoom specifically to look for IR (at these wavelengths, it should show up as a yellowish-white), and did not see it in the photographs, so it must be collimated and therefore piggybacking itself on the green beam.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

With the IR filter from my blue DPSS laser over the output aperture of this laser, I obtained a reading of 13.305mW.

 

[Handlobraesing]

To answer your question, no it is not. It is against the law to smuggle in >5mW laser for entertainment purpose by those not approved to own them.

 

[TigerhawkT3]

Just 13mW? Does this mean that the laser's green output is more like that of a 10-15mW laser? It sounds like a lot of energy is being wasted as IR.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

Let me go measure that again just to be certain...as my former housemate said "Just to be sure it's Westinghouse:...25.605mW this time, using the IR filter from my blue DPSS laser. With the IR filter not in place (this laser in its feral state), it measures 54.387mW.

 

[nemul]

Let me go measure that again just to be certain...as my former housemate said "Just to be sure it's Westinghouse:...25.605mW this time, using the IR filter from my blue DPSS laser. With the IR filter not in place (this laser in its feral state), it measures 54.387mW.

does the output look the same with and without the IR filter?

 

[The_LED_Museum]

I just now tested this, and yes, the output looks visually similar both with & without the IR filter.

 

[nemul]

I just now tested this, and yes, the output looks visually similar both with & without the IR filter.

so it's safe to say this is more like a <25mW?

 

[The_LED_Museum]

so it's safe to say this is more like a <25mW?

~25mW or less of green radiation, yes.
But remember, at least 30mW of NIR radiation at 808nm and 1,064nm are piggybacked onto the visible beam.

 

[Corona]

It's looking to be a decent laser, no doubt, but it's still overdriven because the typical rating for 5.6mm diodes is 300mA (at controlled 25C case temperature) and the maximum possible (but not reccommended for long term use) current is 350mA (still at 25C). After a while, the case temp in this setup, even if heatsunk well, is 30-35C, which means the drive current should be derated further.

If anyone would like to post a datasheet for a 5.6mm packaged diode with higher specs, be my guest, but I have never seen one.

Whoops - I missed the current consumption measurement - my bad.

The lack of IR filtering (or the horribly ineffective filtering) on this thing is nasty - this laser is junk and even worse - dangerous junk. I wouldn't own one and sure wouldn't use it without wide spectrum goggles.

Bummer

 

[The_LED_Museum]

I'm also finding the power button on the tailcap to be a real PWPOSMF - I'm having a terrible time getting the unit to come on at all. :shakehead:

 

[Dj_sTyLz808]

Still no pot mod? =)

 

[Dj_sTyLz808]

Hey LED MUSEUM do you know if this is the same laser?

http://cgi.ebay.com/POWERFUL-Astronomy-Green-Laser-Pointer-Pen-50mw-532nm_W0QQitemZ160012007683QQihZ006QQcategoryZ14954QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[The_LED_Museum]

It certainly *LOOKS* the same, but I'd have no way of actually *VERIFYING* it's the same without purchasing one...and money's a bit low now (since purchasing that 100mW blue DPSS laser), so I cannot offer any real confirmation here...sorry about that. :shakehead: