Not another nubie question.....

[molite]

Need newbie advise,
I've searched the forums and think I need a 10mw greenie but want to run it past you guys.
I inspect a lot of construction sites and need to point out things to be corrected usually
in bright sunlight 10-30 feet above.
Also want to point at stars to teach the kids.
I love having way more power than I'll ever need (what ever the item) but don't want to be
bothered with eye protection.
I'd like to get it in the dealextreme price range, but they don't have IR filter.
Is that needed for my purposes?
Could I go with a 20mw or should I stick to 10mn?
Thanks in advance!

Oh and you guys might like this:
Back in the early 80's when I ran the physics lab, we snuck a laser back to the dorm room.
We took a cheap 4" speaker and glued a spring from an ball point pen to the center of the speaker.
Then glued a little mirror to the spring. Hooked it up to the sterio pointed the laser at the mirror.
Calculated all the proper angles.(haha) and my dorm was the hippist spot on campus.

Thats the last time I touched a laser so I have some catching up to do.

 

[stevetexas]

An AtlasNova may suit your needs perfectly. They sell astronomy grade lasers, which should be more than adequate for your uses. http://www.atlasnova.com
Sticking with reliable dealers is always the best option. E-bay sellers list lots of lasers that are falsely represented. That isn't to say there aren't good deals, you just need to know what you are looking for and what to avoid.

 

[yellow]

Just tested: my cheap <5mW greenie works at pointing in direct sunlight for Your 30 feet (~10 m?).
Even as the starting brightness is seriously reduced after few secs of running.

A good 10 mW should be perfect