5-In-1 Green Portable Laser, retail $59.90 (www.mr-laser.com)
Manufactured by Optical Laser & LED Pro. (www.mr-laser.com)
Last updated 12-06-12
(In reference to the padded envelope I received from an Ebay seller at 2:23pm PST on 03-27-06):
{sung like the Foreigner song "Feels Like the First Time"} Feels like a flaaaaaash-liiiight...feels like a FL
BREAK IN 50276
READY.
CONT
?OUT OF DATA ERROR IN 65535
READY.
Let's try that again...as soon as I saw the address on the package, I *knew* it wasn't a flashlight...
Feels like a laaaaaa-sssser...feels like a LAAAAA-aaaaa-ssser!!! Feels like a laaaaaa-sssser...feels like a LAAAAA-aaaaa-ssser!!!
This is a green DPSS (diode pumped solid state) portable laser. It comes in a handsome brushed aluminum case, and includes the two AAA cells it feeds from. It also includes something I have not seen with green lasers before: four holographic projection heads that turn the laser dot into a right-pointing arrow, a cross, a circle with a dot in its center, and a straight line.
According to the packaging, this is the model LSTD10-13.
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Feed the portable laser the included batteries (see below), and then you'll be ready to rock.
To use the portable laser, just aim it at something you wish to point out, and press & hold down the button on the barrel for as long as you need the laser spot. Release the button to turn the portable laser back off. Yes, it really is as easy as that.
This laser comes with four pattern projection heads; you use them by unscrewing and removing the head at the front of the laser and screwing one of these on in its place. These heads are not marked with the pattern they generate; so it's kind of a crapshoot as to which pattern you'll get.
To change the batteries in this laser, unscrew the unit's tail end (where the pocket clip is), remove the used AAA cell from it, and dispose of, recycle, or recharge it as you see fit, and set the tail end aside.
Tip the used AAA cell out of the barrel and into your hand, and dispose of, recycle, or recharge it as well. Do not under any circumstances flush them down a toilet or throw them into a trout-filled stream.
Insert one of the two new AAA cells into the tail piece, button-end (+) positive first. Install the second AAA cell in the barrel, flat-end (-) negative first.This is the opposite of how batteries are installed in most flashlights, so please pay attention to polarity here.
Screw the two pieces back together, and be done with it.
Unable to measure current draw due to how the product was constructed.
This is a portable laser, not a flashlight. So I won't throw it against the wall, stomp on it, try to drown it in the toilet bowl, run over it, swing it against the corner of a concrete stair, or inflict upon it punishments that flashlights may have inflicted upon them. So this section of the laser's web page will seem a bit more bare than this section of the web page on a page about a flashlight.
Green diode lasers are a lot different than those common red lasers you see all the time.
In a 640nm red laser pointer, there's a red-emitting diode and a lens to collimate (focus) the beam.
In a 532nm green laser (pointer or larger size), there's a BIG infrared laser diode that generates laser light at 808nm, this is fired into a crystal containing the rare-earth element "neodymium". This crystal takes the 808nm infrared light and lases at 1064nm (yes, deeper in the infrared!). This 1064nm laser light comes out of the NdYV04 (neodymium yttrium vanadium oxide) crystal and is then shot into a second crystal (containing potassium, titanium, & phosphorus, usually called KTP) that doubles the frequency to 532nm - the bright green color you see. This light is then collimated (focused) by a lens and emerges out the laser's "business end". Just before the lens, there's a filter that removes any stray IR (infrared) rays from the pump diode and the neodymium crystal. You don't want that stuff in your green beam, trust me. :-)
This is why green diode lasers are so much more expensive than red ones. Lots of itty bitty parts, and they all need to be aligned by hand. If the polarisation is "off", one or both crystals need to be turned. With red diode lasers, you just slap in the diode and slap a lens in front of it.
This laser is lightly splatter-resistant, but it is not water-resistant, so please be extra careful when using it around sinks, tubs, toilets, fishtanks, pet water bowls, or other places where water or water-like liquids might be found. And you'll probably want to cover it up or otherwise get rid of it (such as by putting it in a pocket or bag) if you need to carry it in rainy or snowy weather.
The labelling on this laser is *NOT* accurate: it states that it is a Class IIIA instrument, outputting less than 5mW of laser radiation at a wavelength of 532nm, and it actually measures 12.405mW at 532nm; which makes it a CDRH Class IIIB instrument.
There is significant spotting when the projection heads are used; as if they were *very* dirty, yet this is ***NOT*** the case. I tried the heads on red, yellow, and blue lasers, and the spotting was still present on these three.
Beam photograph on the test target at 12".
Beam image bloomed *SUBSTANTIALLY*; beam spot is also not white.
Power measures 12.405mW on a laser power meter designed for that purpose.
Beam photograph at ~15'.
Beam spot is not white like this photograph makes it appear.
Beam spot is also somewhat smaller than it appears;
the beam image also bloomed when photographed.
Beam photograph of the right-arrow head on the test target at 12".
Beam photograph of the cross generator head on the test target at 12".
Beam photograph of the circle/dot head on the test target at 12".
Beam photograph of the line head on the test target at 12".
The following five photographs show the same thing, but different camera & firing distance were used.
Beam photograph of the laser's beam terminus (no diffraction grating used at all) on a wall at ~140 cm.
Beam photograph of the circle/dot head on a wall at ~140 cm.
Beam photograph of the arrow head on a wall at ~140 cm.
Beam photograph of the line projection head on a wall at ~140 cm.
Beam photograph of the intermittent cross head on a wall at ~140 cm.
Spectrographic analysis of this green portable laser.
Spectrographic analysis of this laser; newer software & settings used.
Spectrographic analysis of this laser; newest (03-25-12) software settings used.
Spectrographic analysis of this laser; newest (03-25-12) software settings used.
Spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 528nm and 536nm to pinpoint wavelength, which is 532.001nm.
Spectrographic analysis of this laser; spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 800nm and 820nm to show NIR emission from the pump diode -- which, incidentally, has a wavelength of 806.992nm.
TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased on Ebay and was received on the afternoon of 03-27-06.
UPDATE: 00-00-00
PROS:
Feels good in the hand; is also rather hefty.
No beam artifacts when blank head is used - none that I've been able to detect anyway.
CONS:
Not waterproof or submersible - but most modules/pointers aren't. Will not figure into my rating.
More delicate than directly-injected diode laser pointers/modules.
Significant spotting of the beam when holographic projection heads are used.
CDRH labelling is not accurate.
MANUFACTURER: Unknown
PRODUCT TYPE: Handheld laser
LAMP TYPE: DPSS laser diode
No. OF LAMPS: 1
BEAM TYPE: Very narrow spot
SWITCH TYPE: Momentary pushbutton on/off on barrel
CASE MATERIAL: Possibly a brass/aluminum alloy
BEZEL:Metal; LED aperture recessed into a hosel for it
BATTERY: 2xAAA cells
CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
WATER- AND PEE-RESISTANT: Splatter-resistant at maximum
SUBMERSIBLE: NO WAY HOZAY!!!
ACCESSORIES: Four batteries, four pattern heads, metal presentation case
SIZE: ~155mm L x 13mm Dia.
WEIGHT: 66.80g (2.350 oz.) incl. batteries & a holographic head
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Unknown
WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated
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