Lasers on eBay

hi,
what is the diffrence between the <50$ 50mW lasers with the wickedlaser or atlasnova lasers? why are they very cheap? are they fake or something?
thanks

Just sellers lying

Yep, a bunch of overseas sellers lying.

hmm thanks. this is lie isn't it ?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=130050374526&rd=1&rd=1

In general, AAA lasers are fairly unreliable and are not good at sustaining a beam for a long amount of time, due to their poor heat dissipation. The difference between an ebay AAA laser and a reputable AAA laser is that the reputable company will replace the laser if and when the diode fails.

Most ebay lasers will overestimate their output drastically. It's almost certain an ebay laser will measure for less power than it was advertised. If this happens with a reputable dealer, you can be sure they'll try to replace it and do their best to make you happy. Not so much for an ebay seller.

Well, this is my first post here, an interesting forum.
My question is about Ebay Sellers, I know than Sellers from China and Hong Kong aren't totaly "fair" sellers, but I haven't a lot of money and I want a green laser.
I've found this:

http://cgi.ebay.es/50mw-Green-Laser...9QQihZ007QQcategoryZ14954QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

An Ebay seller from England (I live in Spain) and I think the amount of money is reasonable.
What you think about it?

Thanks a lot.

Be wary when buying from eBay. I'm not saying DON'T, but ask questions first. Many eBay sellers do not know what they are selling. They are eBay sellers, not laser sellers. The main thing is that they do not get IR fiters on their lasers. Green lasers beams are made by using IR radiation and some crystals that get the lightwave frequency to green. A lot of that IR radiation is bouncing around in the tube. An IR filter should be placed before the opening of the laser so it does no leak out. If it does it is not only dangerous for the buyer, who cannot see IR, but it will also skew the power measurement of the laser. A laser meter measures radiation, some at a given frequency but most sellers just use a meater that measures what ever is there, green, red, IR, UV... If you have an advertised 100mw green module, and there is no IR filter. You could be getting 30mw of green and 70mw of IR... You paid for 100mW of green. But the buyer and seller have no clue and the seller proably doesn't care that you're only getting 30 of green. Their meter said 100mW.

My advise, ask if there is an IR filter in it. A good seller will definatly say yes. A poorer will not know, an *** will say high power lasers do not come with IR filters. They more than likely know their laser does not have one and also know why...

Atlasnova is a good seller... Extememlasers, while having a few people asy thier lasers are not as powerful as advertised, I have a gbs-100, it's not a "pointer" like module, you plug it in the wall, I can see the IR filter, so I know what green I'm getting is green. I also just got a 50mW blue from them and can also see the IR filter. The DO have filters... I have not measured the lasers yet to see if I got the mW I paid for... I just know I'm not getting the radiation I didn't pay for... :lolsign:

Thanks a lot for your fast answer.
I've some questions to you:

I understand the different types of radiation than the laser can do, and IR radiation is dangerous. My question is if this radiation is sent with the green visible radiation (I mean in the same direction) or if the IR radiation is sent everywere, like a big wave (a stone in the water)...
Second, How I can see if there is an IR filter?

And the last, I can't find ATLASNOVA as an Ebay seller.

Thanks a lot and Sorry for my bad english.

now I see than Atlasnova isn't an ebay seller, sorry

www.atlasnova.com IIRC. The green and IR will spread out at different rates. the IR will spread out very fast. The IR blocker optic is useually light blue in color. also, a digi camera will/should 'see' the 'extra' IR if any.

Jeff

I believe Atlasnova sells on eBay as abeland1. It's better just to go to their site and buy stuff there, that way you don't have Paypal/eBay sucking your wallet dry. I bought a pointer from him on eBay, subsequent purchases were done directly. I bought a blue, line powered DPSS laser on eBay from extremelasers, and it arrived promptly and puts out its rated power.

You can purchase IR passing filters, and use those to determine how much IR leakage there is. I modified a webcam to "see" only IR, and that's what I use for checking for leakage.

Having said that, I did purchase a really cheap pointer on eBay just to see what it's like - there were some minor issues, like the beam starting dim, and then taking a moment or two to reach full power, slightly flaky power switch, bad divergence, and the plating starting to come off, not to mention that it's >5mw where it says <5mw on the label, but overall, not a bad buy - it arrived promptly enough and worked as described.

Keyser Soze said:

Thanks a lot for your fast answer.
I've some questions to you:

I understand the different types of radiation than the laser can do, and IR radiation is dangerous. My question is if this radiation is sent with the green visible radiation (I mean in the same direction) or if the IR radiation is sent everywere, like a big wave (a stone in the water)...
Second, How I can see if there is an IR filter?

Click to expand...

The IR radiation will not be collimated as well as the green light. So the 'cone' of IR radiation will expand faster then the green beam, but if you're within a few meters of the laser the IR radiation will be concentrated enough to be an eye hazard.

My opinion is to avoid eBaysers if possible. At least for green handheld lasers. If I were looking for a diode laser module, or a big mains powered laser I might use eBay - if the seller appeared to know what they are talking about AND they've got good feedback. Otherwise best avoided.

My two bits.

Keyser Soze said:

...My question is if this radiation is sent with the green visible radiation (I mean in the same direction) or if the IR radiation is sent everywere, like a big wave (a stone in the water)...

Click to expand...

In an unfiltered green DPSS laser, the IR laser radiation rides the green beam, but has a wider divergence. That is, it will emerge from the laser as a very narrow cone instead of as an almost parallel beam like the green. So at say 10 meters, the radiation spot will appear a green dot ~1cm in diameter surrounded by a disk if infrared radiation 6cm or so in diameter.

Ok, thanks a lot.

Well, I am impatient and I have already bought a laser in the English store. Now it is called on to wait for to me and to see if I have made a good purchase. I want to indicate it stars and to make several experiments, I do not know if 50mw is too much. by the way, they have responded to me in an Italian store about the IR Filter:

"It hasn't IR filter...!!! It's not dangerous unles you point it directlly in the eyes.Bye"
lol...

Well, thanks a lot again, only one more question:
How I can see with a digital cam if there is IR radiation?

If you guys want the inside scoop, probably at least 98% of these lasers are made in China. I have a Chinese contact who located the exact factory where wicked lasers are made...it is in China. So you can find items on ebay that are exactly the same as "name brands". Beware though there are scams too.

Keyser Soze said:

by the way, they have responded to me in an Italian store about the IR Filter:

"It hasn't IR filter...!!! It's not dangerous unles you point it directlly in the eyes.Bye"
lol...

Click to expand...

This is the answer of the seller from I bought the laser:

"Hello, as described in the listing, the lasers do not have an IR filter. The manufacturer does not include them in the design and we have found a new company that does include an IR filter. however, we are in the process of sampling their lasers and it will not be available for at least 1-2 months."

My question is, If I don't point to somebody, it's dangerous? and the total "green power" then is not 50mw it's about 30mw ?
Or, can I attach an IR filter? something like the filter of an webcam or digital cam?

Thanks a lot.

I say that when It comes to ebay, if its a pointer than you paid more than $80 for it shipped you are getting ripped off probly the less the seller wants on ebay the better you are getting until you hit the $50 than it goes the other way, if the seller says more than 5 mw be inclined not to trust them...... also I use the fallowing warning signs.............
1. images that employ extended exposure time (means not moded)
2. claims of long life and power of over 20 mw (no ir or over driven)
3. power of over 20 mw or of over 5mw starts to ring bells
4. claims or images or match lighting or burning of plastic from AAA pointer (means no IR filter and a over cranked diode)
5. really cheap even with shipping (plasitc lens, unalignable, poor electronics, cheap diode, bad construction

most of the time I will not be buying any pointers off of ebay unless i have resigned my self to getting junk that needs fixing.............you should see what some of the cheap MCA's look like under an electron microscope.................. they are full of 100nm particulate contamination..................

Well, It's my first Laser. If I like it, I'll purchase another better and more expensive.
Otherwise, the seller says than the batteries run out very quickly, and he don't only talk about how to burn globes

Well, next week I'll send to you some photographs, and If I can Hack my old nikon coolpix 800, I'll send you some "IR" photos too.

I'm looking at the auction and I think that this seller is the typical don't know much about lasers lying seller on ebay, most likely this is a normal laser that just has a better than average brightness, I suspect with a little modding it might be quite bright, just make sure you check for an ir filter............ since the seller is flying 3 red flags
don't expect these units to go cheap, these sellers are lying for a reason people who have been anything less than a drip under pressure with lasers will always gravitate towards the better display. let the bidding commence..............

(ex "used to be" pert "a drip under pressure)