<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DaveH:
I'm thinking about a getting a nice laser pointer, fairly powerful say 5 mw. Any reccomendations?
Also I'm thinking about this, can I buy a 10 mw ? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
1: If you want a decent pointer with good beam quality, look for a 635nm model around (or just a bit over) $30. $30 to $40 is common for a GOOD pointer with a 635nm diode.
You can buy pointers for less, but these typically have longer wavelength diodes, and with some, the optics aren't that great.
2: You can buy the 10mW module if you want, but I would probably not want to put it on your keychain and whip it out at the next party. Once you go over 5mW, these things *can* become dangerous to the eye, even for shorter exposures.
And although an injury is unlikely at 10mW if it were quickly scanned across an eyeball, the increased brightness could alarm the victim, and cause additional problems for you, such as a fist sandwich or a call to the cops.
(There have been documented cases of "Laser Rage" whereupon a victim is unintentionally zapped with a laser pointer, and said victim then goes apeshit and beats the crap out of the pointer owner or pulls out a more potent weapon and hoses down the pointer owner with it!)
Staring into it for more than 0.25 second will probably result in some degree of eye damage, however minor it may be. It would take a lot of 10mW blasts before you actually noticed anything yourself, but a good eye doctor might be able to find it.
Keep this one in the house or yard, or use it for longer-range shooting at night. Once the beam expands beyond about 0.7cm, it will inherently become safer, so don't worry about accidentally blinding people 100' or 200' downrange. That doesn't mean you won't **** them off though.
And DON'T (and I mean *never*) aim it at cars, especially a cop.
No laser pointer should be shot at a car or a cop anyway, but the higher powered red ones could get you a belly full of lead a bit faster than some of the others.
Also, that 10mW unit you were referring to does not have any mention of wavelength.
Find out that first - if it's 635nm I'd be all over this one like flies to a pile of $%@&!. But if it's a 670nm model, it's outdated and will appear dimmer than a good 635nm laser pointer.
$0.03