Seeking suggestions for a high quality keychain size laser

Monday, May 7th, 2007


Hey there everyone ...

I've got a quick question to bounce of the CPF members here with a bit more knowledge of lasers than I have. What brand / version would you recommend for a highly durable keychain sized laser (beam color not really important, but I'd really like a blue beam, but I'll settle for a red or green) that isn't manufactured to a second rate quality that's going to break on me soon after purchasing it?

Additionally, some years ago, someone told me that there is such technology as a "black laser". Is this true and has anyone else heard about it? I was told that it was a secret project / technology designed by the U.S. military. I was / am skeptical about it, but figured that maybe someone here on this forum would know about the credibility of this claim. Any answers would be appreciated.

Thanks everyone.

Take care,

watts242

I don't know, but if you find it, let me know too.

I usually just buy the $1 keychain LASERs, and toss them out when the batteries go dead. But, I was recently given a really nice one (with a gooseneck, though) that looks and feels nicely machined. Still <5mw, still Chinese made, but SO much nicer.

I've seen some really nice ones that resembled MagLites, but only at shows. No idea where to actually buy one.

-- Chuck Knight

P.S. Black is the absence of light...but sometimes blacklight is a term used to mean UV. Anyone who lived through the 1960s knows about blacklights.

Could it be a UV LASER that you heard about?

http://www.luckyduck.com/index.php?/shop/details/15

https://secure13.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=jmm6360&BusType=BtoC&Count1=152431666&Count2=69572091&ProductID=146&Target=products.asp

I've never used these myself, but it seems to be a step above the standard keychain pointers

one problem - button batteries

These are high quality, they have one of these stores at my local mall;

http://www.brookstone.com/store/ensemble.asp?ensemble_code=MICROBEAMS&wid=19&cid=1901&sid=190107&search_type=subcategory&prodtemp=E

Hey guys ... thanks for the laser links. I'm going to take an extended look at them when I've got some more time to do so here shortly. I appreciate your help.

With regard to the "black laser" ... I distinctly remember the guy who mentioned the black laser technology, distinctly specified "black laser", of which I argued that there possibly could not be such a thing. However, with it supposedly being a government "top secret" project, it could very well be implementing UV or IR technology. It doesn't seem like the standard blacklights that you and I are familiar with to enhance day-glow posters and whatnot ... I remember him saying that it was an "invisible laser" (if there is such a thing ... could there be an infrared laser)?

Take care,

watts242

watts242 said:

I remember him saying that it was an "invisible laser" (if there is such a thing ... could there be an infrared laser)?

Click to expand...

LASERs are simply collimated light that is all in lockstep. Temporally and spatially coherent, if you want the real lingo.

The first LASER devices were actually microwave devices called MASER. Microwave amplification...

Additionally, invisible LASERs are common, and easy to build. You could whip up a LASER using atmospheric-pressure N2, and output almost any power up to 10KW in pulses. Scientific American had plans for one, on this scale, in either the late 60s or early 70s.

Diode LASERs that generate increasingly short wavelengths are much less common, though. The first ones developed were IR, then red, then green, and now blue and violet. UV would be a logical next-step in their development.

-- Chuck Knight

If it is really a secret government project, your not going to 'hear' about it, nor are you going to find it at Wally World. You noted about the laser you had being made in China, correct if I'm wrong but aren't ALL handheld consumer lasers made in China? Much like too many other consumer products.

while there might be a project called black laser.. it may or may not have anything to do with lasers.. or even the color black. black just generally means secret.

black really isn't a wavelength, although I have heard of VLF "lasers". http://stinet.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA270857

UV lasers are out there - currently being used in genetic manipulation, dna sequencing, etc...

There is not really a "use" for UV lasers for the military - just talking logic, now - but IR lasers are used daily, and the military uses IR lasers to knock missles, bullets, et al out of the sky - why try to go to more expensive, less useful hardware ? I am not saying they don't have it - but I am inclined to think that they don't It would be along the same lines of a Nuke - as it would have disastrous side effects - something the government most likely does not want to have to explain at a later date.

Brighter - the vid I saw on google had the laser (huge IR) cooks it from the inside out, so a reflective surface I gather has no problems - I have no idea - just saying what I saw on the vid :naughty: