For anyone Looking to Purchase Laserphaser LP-115

[BVH]

I posted something similar in answer to someone in a different thread but thought it might be helpful to anyone else looking to purchase such an expensive handheld green laser. I'm not in any way afilliated with the company. I wish I could have read something like this before I made the purchase. It would have helped me be a little more at-ease with the high-dollar purchase. I tried a modded 40 mW Z-Bolt when they made them. Two different units would start bright and then almost immediately fade. I also bought one of their true 5 mW units which works fine. But this was not nearly bright enough so I decided to dispense with all the other small penlight lasers and go for the granddaddy of handhelds, the Laserphaser LP-115. Absolutely, its very, very expensive but in this case, you definitely get what you pay for. If you want a beam that is solid, exceptionally bright and long throwing, this is it. Nothing else I have ever seen comes close. The construction of the device is very first rate. It has the variable feature in the tailcap for adjusting from 30 mW to 115 mW. It has the blinder on the nose so you have to physically open it for beam to show. (You don't want to accidently look at the beam or hit someone with it. You WILL blind them) On the 115 mW setting, 9 seconds is the recommended maximum fire time. Less power gets you more time. The cooling fins on the front never get hot so I wait for about 10 seconds and fire it again. This unit is not like his earlier 95 mW Cloudslicers, which were definitely "homemade". (I returned one) This is truly an impressive, commercial looking and performing device! He seems a little flaky to deal with, the grammar and continuity on his website is really, really bad and I had a lot of reservations about sending him so much money, but in the end, he performed as he said he would and the product is definitely first rate!! Don't judge his product by his website. If you want any other info, PM me.

 

[Shiftlock]

This is a ChangChung GLP-III that he has renamed and is taking credit for. He did not build this laser. I have pictures of mine posted at http://laser.shiftlock.com. Mine happens to put out 163mW max, but they do vary. I have 4 more of them on the way from the manufacturer, and I will be selling them. The price he is charging is a rip off. You can get one from Paul at Bluesky Marketing for $600 and change, and the wholesale price is considerably below that. I'm sorry you didn't know this before you ordered yours. It is a very nice laser though, so at least you can be happy that you own the best handheld laser around.

 

[BVH]

Re: For anyone Looking to Purchase Laserphaser LP-

Thanks for the info Shiftlock. I hope it helps others for their purchase. How much will one of your new GLP's sell for?

 

[DaFiend]

Re: For anyone Looking to Purchase Laserphaser LP-

Shiftlock, i know you have one of the >50mW PGL-III, that puts out about 160mW /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif . (Obviously thats a very very conservative output that they have used). What i am interested in is the other models, the >35mW and the 20mW model that changchun produce. Would these models have an output of the same magnitude. That being approx 3 times the minimum labeled output or would the >35mW unit not exceed the >50mW?(cause then they would just re-label it as a >50mW wouldn't they?) Does any one have any of these "other" units that are produced? Also what their cost would be?

 

[Shiftlock]

Re: For anyone Looking to Purchase Laserphaser LP-

I don't really want to discuss cost right now, because I don't know if I'm supposed to reveal the wholesale cost. Here's something interesting about them - The entire driver board is in the battery cap. Unless they use a different pump diode in the lower power models, which I doubt, the only difference between the various models is the battery cap. And modifying the laser for more power is as simple as swapping resistors in the battery cap.

I discovered this the hard way. That 160mW laser that I have (uh, had) is fried. I was taking a current draw measurement, and accidentally shorted the positive battery tip to the laser housing with one of the meter's probes. That sent all of the power from the batteries directly into the diode. I got an INCREDIBLY bright beam for about 1 or 2 seconds, and that was the end of my 160mW GLP-III.

So this laser became a cadaver, and I've disassembled it down to the pump diode. Very interesting. Very high quality crystals and lenses. And the pump diode seems odd to me. I was expecting to find a standard size 9mm diode unit, but instead I found this:

Is that an individual diode built right onto the piece that threads into the housing? Is that replaceable? Any insight or opinions appreciated here. Here's a shot of all the parts to the crystal/lens/diode assembly:

Anyway, it seems the inexpensive path to a very high power handheld laser is to buy the 20mW GLP-III and modify it by swapping resistors in the battery cap. The wholesale cost for this unit is less than what some people are charging for modified Leadlights. I have communicated with someone who has done this to the tune of 200mW. Seems like a lot from a 1W pump though. If that pump diode could be replaced, then we're talking serious power here. The heatsinks can handle it, that's for sure.

I would LOVE to hear some expert opinions on this.

 

[sbk]

Re: For anyone Looking to Purchase Laserphaser LP-

It looks like a C-Mount laser diode. You can of course find another one to swap with your old dead, but you have to correctly re-align the diode with the crystals and I think it will be difficult to find the power you had with your old configuration.

About the 20mW GLP, I think that at least the pump diode are different from the >50mW. Why put an expensive diode since a smallest one can without problems give the 20mW required?

The heatsink can sure handle the heat from the pump diode, but are the crystals able to handle the power a the diode for a long time?

 

[DaFiend]

Re: For anyone Looking to Purchase Laserphaser LP-

I'm Just Curious to find out if the >20mW & >35mW PGL-III's are as conservatively rated as your >50mW (now sadly deceased, but its body has been gladly donated to science /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif). What i'm saying, is that in theory, if the crystals and alignment where as efficient as yours seemed to have been, then you could get about 100mW out of a >35mW. Theoretically. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

 

[moshen]

Re: For anyone Looking to Purchase Laserphaser LP-

ShiftLock, when you're ready to sell your GLP-III's I'd love to do a review for the forum. I wrote a comprehensive review of the wickedlasers product a few months ago at this link

 

[DaFiend]

Re: For anyone Looking to Purchase Laserphaser LP-

Is it Just ME?? I thought those changchun models are called PGL-III's not GLP-III's./ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif. I know other distributors come up with their own names and codes,(such as the laserphaser LP-115 etc). I'm pretty sure it says PGL on their website. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

 

[EchoSierraTwo]

Re: For anyone Looking to Purchase Laserphaser LP-

fix the link AAARGH! I hate side scroll

 

[Shiftlock]

Re: For anyone Looking to Purchase Laserphaser LP-

[ QUOTE ]
DaFiend said:
Is it Just ME?? I thought those changchun models are called PGL-III's not GLP-III's./ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif. I know other distributors come up with their own names and codes,(such as the laserphaser LP-115 etc). I'm pretty sure it says PGL on their website. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, it does say PGL on their website, and I think their intention was to change the name from GLP to PGL with the last design change (that added the adjustable-power battery cap, among other things), but in email correspondence with the CNI people, they always refer to it as GLP, so I don't really know.

 

[lasercrazy]

Re: For anyone Looking to Purchase Laserphaser LP-

Couldn't you send it back and have it repaired?

 

[The_LED_Museum]

Re: For anyone Looking to Purchase Laserphaser LP-

[ QUOTE ]
EchoSierraTwo said:
fix the link AAARGH! I hate side scroll

[/ QUOTE ]
Link fixed. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[lasercrazy]

Re: For anyone Looking to Purchase Laserphaser LP-

Just out of curiosity how much is the 20 mw one?