Quick, easy question

What am I looking for when it comes to determining brightness with red lasers?

I'm not a laser-lover, but I need one (or many) for something I wish to try during my investigations. I just want to be sure that whatever I order/buy, it's as good as it gets.

No, I don't need a Green laser...yet.

What does <5mw mean? It's less than 5 mw??

<5mW is saying less than 5 milli-Watts. You'll need to explain more to get a better explanation. But as a general rule, more power = more light = more brightness. With red, don't expect to see a beam.

--DDL

OK...I have read that 5 mw is the max they make Red lasers...yet all I have seen are <5mw. I want to find the max 5mw output available. Anybody know offhand somewhere that sells genuine 5mw Red lasers, as opposed to <5mw?

Visible beam not important...in fact, for my purposes, preferred.

I have seen many rated by visible yards (distance). What would a maxed-out Red laser yardage be?

Thanks in advance!

5mW is by far not anywhere near the max available! Not even in the same ballpark! look a couple threads down in the same category, we are discussing a 600mW red laser diode.\

GL;
DDL

Daedal said:

5mW is by far not anywhere near the max available! Not even in the same ballpark! look a couple threads down in the same category, we are discussing a 600mW red laser diode.\

GL;
DDL

Click to expand...

I'm talking about commercially available, normal laser pointers. Not specialty stuff.

Google "Pulsar"

Here's a Linky

A bit pricy, but the best solution for a commercial product. Highly rated and wel designed. It is guaranteed to blow away the regular 5mW red pointer.

--DDL

Whats your application and we can come up with a better idea of the power your needing. If I were to bounce a beam off of a window to use it for listening purposes I'm not sure that's legal and would require a much higher wattage laser. However if that's your use we can't discuss how to accomplish such as I stated I think it's illegal.

It's not illegal, the information has been published by numerous authors like Gordon McComb and Robert E. Iannini. Heck, you can buy one from here. The hard part is the alignment. I've done something similar with scouts using sunlight reflected off a window and a solar cell attached to a amplifier. (Alexander Graham Bell's Photophone)

But if you go by his signature. I think he's looking for a laser for "Ghost Busting". (I once stayed at a haunted Hotel, The Gadsden in Douglas, AZ)

If all you want is a Red laser that still complies with the FDA <5mW rule. (I don't think anyone will claim exactly 5mw, in order to keep the FDA happy)
http://www.atlasnova.com/

They carry 635nm which look brighter than stock 650nm (your eyes are more sensitive to the shorter wavelength) that you can get just about anywhere. And they use common AAA instead of watch batteries.

The FDA classifies "legal" lasers as <5mW... Meaning any laser that is 4.99mW and less, is safe and legal, i.e., you can buy it on a keychain at a gas station. That is why you see <5mW on lasers and advertisments. They are telling you "This laser is safe and legal".

And atlasnova is a very good place to buy from...

Tek465 said:

If all you want is a Red laser that still complies with the FDA <5mW rule. (I don't think anyone will claim exactly 5mw, in order to keep the FDA happy)
http://www.atlasnova.com/

Click to expand...

Thank You. I guess that answers my question.

A few recent quries has turned up that on some investigations, the laser beam has been "broken" in mid air, away from the wall. IOW, the dot is no longer on the wall, it's floating in the middle of the room.

This explains my sudden inetrest in lasers. I know I don't talk about it much here, but I'm not the usual ghost hunting idiot you see on TV. I think what most of those people do is bunk, and I like to come up with my own ideas.

My bigest thing is to have a LOT of stuff that can be "messed with" in view of a camera. This would work nicely.

Delta - that is intriguing to say the least - will you post pictures and or video of your results here ?

If you are trying to see a beam broken you might want to try a Photodiode on the opposite wall connected to an alarm or meter.

If you want more coverage area you might try a line generator laser. You can find those at any home improvement store. They are called laser levels. You might also use a laser tape measure. www.strait-line.com

You might also try building a laser interferometer to measure very small vibrations or movement. (Very sensitive, might even detect gravity waves, so it might cause a lot of false positives if you don't design a well defined experiment) The book "Lasers, Ray Guns and Light Cannons" by Gordon McComb has lots of different laser experiments to try. Pretty cheap too.

-Michelson interferometer
-Video

Tek465 - I like the idea of the line generating optics - that would actually probably serve his purpose the best, as it would project an entire line, rahter than him possibly missing the "target" with just a dot ! EXCELLENT ! Now, why didn't I think of that ? Sniff...sniff... I guess old age has claimed its' first victim for me

Yeah, I was going to ask about the line thing....I was thinking of that scene in the beginning of "Aliens" when they rescue Ripley and are scanning the lifepod before opening it...Kind of that wide, fanned out pattern.


Yeah, If I do get something, I will post links here. The next investigation will real potential is Memorial Day Weekend. Trying to get this ready by then.

Check out Nova Lasers for the line generating optics and holders....