So what do you use YOUR pointers for?

[AJ_Dual]

I've got a pair of Leadlights pot-modded to abour 15-20mW, I just use it to play with the beam mostly as well.

I have used it to point out stuff in the sky, and it does work amazingly well. It's kind of a cell phone or "TiVo" kind of experience when you use it as a sky pointer. Just like you never understand how well they work until you own use them/ it's that good as a skypointer when you see how easily the other can now follow what you're showing them as compared to:

"No! OVER THERE, okay, just a few degrees west of that blue star, and over by the flat "W" that's Cassiopeia. What? What's a degree? (sigh)"

Sitting around the campfire I pointed out some constellations and some dim satellites, then for the big show I pointed out the International Space Station going by which was pure luck.

The other fun thing is at night with the lights off, certain orange/red plastics in my kids toys take the green beam and re-fluoresce it in orange which is kind of nifty.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

After I evaluate them, I just use them for general pointing indoors and general screwing around.
I rarely use or shoot them outdoors unless I am asked, and during those times, I'm *very* careful where I direct the beam.

I too took note that with green and blue beam laser pointers, some red and orange materials (plastics, mail labels, UPS labels, etc.) will fluoresce (glow) an orange color when irradiated by the beam.

 

[IsaacHayes]

Craig, I noticed that green,cyan,blue, etc luxeons make (orange) stuff glow too.

 

[jtice]

Heres alittle update to what I have done with my laser pointer /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Made this post a while ago.
although, it is no longer with me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mecry.gif
it stopped working. whaaaaaaaaaaa

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=926686&page=5&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=186&fpart=1

 

[nero_design]

Red HeNe <0.9mW -(bright orange-red)
I used it for anything and everything. Had a ball with it in the 80s since no-one knew what the red dot was and nobody thought to look and see where it was coming from. Tremendously fun and still works fine. It's a handheld laser that's using gas flasks and neon catalysts and it takes 2x 6volt batteries with less than 20 minutes life expectancy between fresh batteries.

Red Diode Pointers x 3 from Sharper Image <0.9mW to <5mW
Really used for playing with and as a pointer. Was useful in a variety of applications. These are pretty harmless and are recommened by the vet here on television as ideal for pet exercise. My cat LOVES them. Family around the world always expect me to bring one with me when I visit.

Leadlight 532nm 2x Greens (formerly <5mW) purchased from ThinkGeek.com
One with a strange blue-green tint was modded with a simple pot turn to <43mW and is used for effects photography and catching LARGE lizards in the wild. Aquarium fish go NUTS for the dot from this thing.
The other had a lovely yellow-green hue and vaporised a small bug by accident. Turning the pot brought out +<32mW but I was forever trying to get more out of it. Turning the pot resulted in damage. Dissassembly to solder a short resulted in too much heat from the solder. It's dead now after 1 day's use.

Bought some lasers from Wicked Lasers last week and (NOTE) two pairs of safety glasses @ 532nm range. Arrived two days ago. Take AAA batteries.
<95mW and <110mW and is used to burn holes and letters in plastic, light matches for the camera etc. Another is <25mW and is to be used for reptile luring (for photographic purposes) again as I reside in Australia. The lizards here simply love the green dots. They recommend <20mW for starpointing here and astronomical use although it's not legal to buy >1mW pointers here... has to be below <1mW. Local laws mean anyone here can import any laser of any strength for personal use but cannot sell them to the public. It's a shame it's not like that in the USA but, like some idiots here, a few silly people cause all sorts of crazy problems with public misconception on laser safety.

http://www.pbase.com/nero_design/image/48977772

 

[kushy04]

i play 'I am God' with my laser. i pretend to be the almighty and smite those heathen ants with my thunder (laser)!

 

[The_LED_Museum]

Craig, I noticed that green,cyan,blue, etc luxeons make (orange) stuff glow too.

You are absolutely correct...regular 5mm LEDs of these colors will do this too.
My green and blue laser pointers will cause this fluorescence; my yellow laser pointer (593.5nm) and red laser pointers charge up the red/orange glow material in the bezel of one of my custom flashlights. I do not know what this glow material is called or where to get it, so please do not ask.

 

[Sim-0]

<1mw 635 - kitten exerciser, when he gets bored of the feather on elastic.

>75mw PGL-III - havent had this long, too scared to do much with it yet, got a few experiments in mind but waiting on a Leadlight to try them with first. It does burn stuff though

 

[comozo]

Instead of burning stuff and driving the cat crazy here's something worthwhile to do.
http://www.g0mrf.freeserve.co.uk/laser5.htm

 

[kushy04]

oh... besides the ants thing, i mainly use it to star point...

 

[bg2vo]

I use mine to test transparency and reflectivity of certain things.

 

[ddaadd]

I use mine at work mostly, I'm a field supervisor for an industrial piping crew, saves countless steps for me, and reduces confusion, the greenies are a VERY useful tool as the red pointers are useless in the daylight !!!

I was looking for a red pointer when I discovered CPF and the greenies, which has led to ( a whole other story ).

I say to my coworker " Take your wrench and go up this ladder and screw this gizmo on RIGHT THERE, and I'll wait for you down here".

AtlasNova still strong after 1 year, Thanks Arnold!

 

[fstower]

We use them for aiming wifi antennas at distances of 4 or more miles.
At night of course
Just aim for the green spot in the distance!

Gets you pretty close...

The 24dbi directional antennas are very difficult to aim.

Steve

 

[Databyter]

I got a 5mw red laser from Arnold a few years ago and although I bought it originally out of curiosity for fun.
Later I found it to be a very valuable tool for use at work. I am unaware of anyone using the laser for the purpose I do.
I work in a pipe fabrication shop in a shipyard and I found it very useful for detecting pipe and tube quality for several materials and diameters.
If you shine the polarized light into the mouth of the pipe at a shallow angle I found that of course most of the beam just reflects it's way down the pipe predictably but the texture of the pipe being not perfectly smooth steel causes a neat pattern effect which is much dimmer. Once the pattern is visable you can manipulate it up and down the pipe. If you try this you will be very bored. It's not a "neat" looking thing and it's very dim compared to the main beam. I have found however that it detects the slightest out of round or other imperfections and makes them easy to see as an imperfection of the regular patern. You can actually see the artifacts of how the pipe was made when you get good at reading it. This is valuable for selecting pipe to be used with bending machines which require tight mandrels to be inserted in them (another benefit is that you can see how well the inside of the pipe is oiled MUCH better with a laser than with a flashlight which just blinds you at the mouth of the pipe and the part you want to see 15 feet down is a black hole. With the red laser it's very obvious how your lube is working, even around a corner!).
I don't know if a more powerful laser would be easier to read or if the beam would be too bright to see the dimmer pattern. As I work under very bright lights it might help a bit to get a greenie but it's not in the budget yet.
I just ordered another red one from Arnold to get me through the month (I dropped my other one).
Also If I did eventually get a greenie of sufficient power I am sure I would use it on camping trips and astronomy outings. My daughter is a very mature 6 years old and seems to be interested in all the same kinds of things I am (Astronomy, radios, computers). I think it would be fun to teach her the constelations with one of these in the high desert.

Anyhow my name is MIke and although I've visited the site quite a few times I mostly just read and search. I only decided to register the other day on a whim. So howdy.

Databyter
[email protected]

 

[Lunal_Tic]

Hey Databyter,

Welcome to CPF! I hope your other whims don't thin your wallet too much while you're here.

<back on topic>
Greenies make great outdoor pointers during the day time. When I'm playing tour guide for friends that visit it really makes it a lot easier.

-LT

 

[Changots]

Hey! Welcome to CPF!!


Logan