Green Lasers - PLEASE READ!

OK..I see that several are modding greenies. Some are taking them apart and playing with the innards.

The IR diodes in these units put out MUCH more power than the unit spec and it is INVISIBLE and WILL burn the retina.

I have a proposal for you. If you understand the passaround concept I urge you to consider this.

When you decide to dissect the unit...and I DO NOT recommend this...but if you HAVE to..I have a pair of goggles to pass around.

1. You have to promise to USE them.

2. You have to promise to TAKE CARE of them.

3. I'd like to have them back at some point so each user will let me know when they get them and who they send them to. I'd also like to know they used them.

I'd do not want to see ANYONE suffer the results of overenthusiastic pusuit of higher power so I am offering this:

ONE pair of Laser Gard safety goggles from Glendale Optical for LOAN. Start a list and I will mail them to the first one on the list. When done with a modification they will
mail the goggles at that person's cost to the next on the list. Please think about this.

Spec:

Gallium Arsenide (Neodymium) Laser Safety Glasses.

OD 16 at 1060 nm - Luminous transmittance 60%.

I am putting some faith in people here and I know that I may not ever see these again but I hope I will and in any case if it saves one person from damaging their eyes it will be worth it.

First, I agree with what 14C has said - read it once, read it twice and read it a third time as this is very important to know!

Second, 14C, excellent offer. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif Thanks a lot, hopefully people are responseable enough to understand the risks and use some googles (either their own or yours) and hopefully they are honest enough to return them!

Klaus.

Another method would be to use your home video camera connected to your television/monitor to work on your laser. And, obviously, work with the laser behind a screen.

I saw one person on his web site was using this process successfully.

-Bill

Valuable information, 14C. Thanks for sharing it. With all the interest in green laser pointers, 14C's post/warning should be a sticky.

Good warning and a generous offer, 14c. I hope the goggles wind up getting passed around and then returned.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Very generous offer!
And for God's sake, don't work on it at the kitchen table with other people or pets around. If you're going to choose to **** around with these things you bear an important responsibility to do it safely.

Well said.

So many people think - "It can only hurt me, if I can see it", which is very very wrong

On the switches/routers that use Fiber - they have VERY large "DANGER" signs, since these units use VERY high power IR lasers to drive the long lengths of cable

Doesn't IR light cause the retina to detach /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif or is that blue light?

Yeah, I have refrained myself from purchasing those router IR laser pumping diodes, as they put out 1-2Watts of optical power, and can burn things easily... The fact that you can't see it makes it interesting, to start remote fires, set off fireworks, etc but makes it scary as you can't even see the IR being reflected back into your face! Not worth playing with..

to the best of my knowledge, shorter wavelength light ie blue and UV can cause cornial degredation (fogging), also the photonic energy is higher. At high levels I am not sure what kind of retinal damage. red and near-IR focus on and can burn the retina itself.
correct me if I am wrong.
Jeff

Another POKE.....


They are not just toys:


INFO:

Laser Safety Training

Courtesy of UIUC


Class Definitions and Safety manual


Courtesy of CSUS


Diode Lasers


Credit to GlobalSpec


I also have to stress that if anyone decides to take advantage of my offer the goggles I have are designed to provide protection at the wavelengths you are likely to encounter in a GREEN laser from the IR diode and are NOT designed to deal with laser wavelengths you will find in CD burners ETC. which are in the 780 Nm range. And they are NOT designed to proitect you from VISIBLE laser radiation,

If the goggles are intended to attenuate radiation at 808nm and 1064nm, they should be fine.
The 532nm laser line is generally much lower in power than the 808mm and 1064nm laser lines.

[ QUOTE ]
WildRice said:
to the best of my knowledge, shorter wavelength light ie blue and UV can cause cornial degredation (fogging), also the photonic energy is higher. At high levels I am not sure what kind of retinal damage. red and near-IR focus on and can burn the retina itself.
correct me if I am wrong.
Jeff

[/ QUOTE ]

I've read (somewhere in an ANSI document, maybe) that IR wavelengths beyond 900nm don't focus on the retina, but rather in front or behind it. At high power levels though I'm not sure that matters. It's kind of like arguing whether a rubberized raincoat will protect you from a lightning strike - with that much power, the raincoat will get fried along with it's occupant.