Just how powerful is a bluray laser?

[Fallingwater]

I've been toying with the idea of getting a PS3 replacement diode from eBay and making a blue/violet laser out of it (being that blue/violet is my favourite color), but I don't know what kind of output I'm looking at.
Is the beam visible? Does it burn stuff? Does it require protective goggles? Is there significant UV output as well?
Please illuminate me (pun intended ).
Thanks

 

[Freyth]

I think it's about 20mW? But that's stretching it a little. To extend the lifetime of the diode, you'd have to bring down the power rating to ~5mW.

I think this is just a diode, it isn't a DPSS so you won't have to worry about IR or UV.

I can't say whether the beam is visible or not (I've got lots of blu-ray diodes just sitting in their boxes, gotta start working on them) since I have no first-hand experience. But at 5mW, I think the beam is pretty visible at night. In the day, no beam is visible.

 

[dr_lava]

The near-uv wavelength of this laser makes it have a rather low visibility. Compared to a 10mW green, a 10mW 405nm blu-ray looks more like 1 or 2 mW. Beams are visible with 10mW in darkness if you're looking right down next to the beam, or if there is some smoke. It can create fluorescence on white paper and other objects.

 

[cmacclel]

I have a full kit available for $40 plus shipping which includes a PS3 Laser assembly + adjustable lens + driver board Kit.


Mac

 

[Fallingwater]

No visible beam? Aww, that's a downer.

 

[rog8811]

The way it makes things fluoresce and the unusual colour make up for not seeing the beam

Regards rog8811

 

[betalight]

DYI Blu-Ray laser Phaser:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Blu-Ray-Laser-Phaser!/

 

[nanoWatt]

That blu-ray is an interesting shape. Here's a portable CO2 laser image I found:

 

[Bkultra]

Output would be around 20mW......

http://www.wickedlasers.com/lasers/Sonar_Series-35-0.html

 

[ixfd64]

From what I've heard, the 20 mW figure is the peak output. The average output of the "Sonar" is about 2 mW.

 

[nein166]

Output would be around 20mW......

http://www.wickedlasers.com/lasers/Sonar_Series-35-0.html

Thats out of a Blu-Ray Player hence the price tag. The ones on CPFMP are from the PS3 tray.
I thought it was from a burner with more power but maybe not.