serious question...

[undertaker]

what are the warning signs if the IR filter gets out of place in an NON-MODED green laser pointer?i have one that i dont want to mod it,so if the IR filter unglue,how i will know?

 

[comozo]

Well if the IR filter becomes unglued you'll hear a rattle. There are no warning signs. Why? Because.

Definition:
\In`fra-red"\, a. [Infra- + red.] (Physics)
Lying outside the visible spectrum at its red end;
In other words you can not see IR light.

 

[undertaker]

poop....

 

[Enigmahack]

Yeah, there's not much difference until you start getting blind spots in your vision...

I have a couple which could have been avoided had I talked to Spec BEFORE looking at the bare diode at 350mw output... *Remember the 808 output at 350mw is actually 350mw. When it goes through the crystal to translate into green it loses a LOT of that*
Anyway, needless to say I'm a WHOLE lot more careful with these things... The IR filter the best way to check is simply take the whole laser assembly out and unscrew the cap that holds the collimation lens. You'll see if it's lose, but generally speaking they're on there REALLY tight.

 

[wintermute]

Couldn't you see the beam if you used a CCD camera, or camcorder (especially a Sony one with Nightshot). Or a nightvision scope if you have one.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

To the best of my knowledge, the NIR radiation will diverge differently than the green, so shining the laser at a relatively distant target and then checking the spot with a digital camera or video camera *should* reveal any stray NIR. This radiation should appear as a yellowish- or purplish-white, while the green radiation should appear - well - green.

 

[Raccoon]

You can buy an IR detection strip at radio shack. It is a plastic card with a strip of IR sensitive coating on it. To activate the strip, you hold it up to a bright light source for half a minute, and then expose it to any IR radiation. You will notice the strip flicker or glow when IR is present. (It will flicker when pointing a remote control at it as a remote control blinks its signal)

If your pointer is leaking IR, you should detect a very significant glow when held near, but not in the beam.

I have not actually done this, but in theory, I should be correct.

 

[fstower]

Enigmahack:

Could you give a bit more of your story on what happened
and your 'blindspots'?

Did you like look directly into the IR laser device?
for how long? how many times?

I don't take ANY chances, but my understanding is that
a few feet away the IR seriously spreads out and is
not *as* dangerous as if you were looking directly into
a 5mW collimated beam at only a few feet.

Again.... I DON"T take any chances but am curious of
what happened with you and anyone else's input on the
danger of the not so collimated IR Laser diode output....

Thanks!

Steve