MEGALASER 15+mW OEM GREEN LASER

MegaLaser 15+mW OEM Green Laser, retail $349 (www.megalaser.com)
Sold by Megalaser (www.megalaser.com)
Last updated 01-28-07




It looks like a green laser pointer.
It feels like a green laser pointer.
But when you shine this one around, lock the kids upstairs and put out the dog, because it's BRIGHT!!! (Well, locking the kids upstairs probably isn't a good idea, and putting out the dog isn't good either because it isn't on fire, but you get the picture.)

This handheld green laser pointing device is CDRH Class IIIb, meaning you don't want to shoot yourself or anyone else in the eyes with it, or shoot any moving vehicle on the ground and in the air. And you probably don't want to use it as a cat or dog toy either because you might accidentally shoot them in the eye with it.

But if you need to point something and have the spot be SEEN, then this laser is just what the doctor ordered.

The 15+mW OEM green laser comes in an aluminum presentation case, along with a pair of alkaline AAA cells.


SIZE:



To use the Megalaser 15+mW OEM green laser for the first time, take the plastic off the small box it comes in, then slide out the presentation case and take the plastic off that too. Install the included batteries (see below) and it's ready to go.

Aim it at whatever you need to point out, and press the rubberized button on the barrel. Remember, this is a Class IIIb laser and not a toy or a flashlight, so be sure to keep it out of yours or other people's eyes, try not to shoot it at reflective material, and for Christ sakes, please don't shoot it at helicopters, airplanes, or jets.



To change the batteries in this laser, unscrew & remove the end cap at the bottom (nearest the clip), and dispose of the dead batteries. Slide two new AAA cells in, flat (-) negative-end first, and screw the end cap back on.

Battery life has not yet been tested, but I did measure the current draw with the included alkaline cells at 312mA, so a set of AAA cells ought to last for a couple of hours at least.



The laser appears to be tough, but could malfunction or go out if it's dropped, like any green laser might. It's also probably not waterproof, so you should be careful around tubs, toilets, sinks, ponds, creeks, or other places where you might find water.

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.



Beam photo from about 12".
The Megalaser 15+mW OEM green laser is on the left, a "modded 4.99mW" unit from another manufacturer is on the right.


Beam photo from about 12 feet away.
Megalaser OEM on the left, "other" on the right.


I shot both lasers at a building just under 1 mile away, and only the Megalaser showed up at all.

For this picture, both lasers were handheld, the camera was on a tripod and was set for 3x optical magnification.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrometer plot of this green laser.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from WWW.TWO-CUBED.COM.

Power output measured 12.735mW on a laser power meter specifically designed for this purpose.

The spot size on the target (12") and on the wall (12') is about the same, but the Megalaser OEM model overloaded the camera more than the other one did, and that's why the beams look different in size. When conditions are right, I'll try to "hit" the cloud deck with the Megalaser and see what happens. With pictures if possible.


TEST NOTES:
Test sample provided by http://www.megalaser.com on 05-27-03.
Unit is 8-9mm shorter than a "modded 4.99mW" green laser from a competitor.

This is an OEM component that was designed to go inside equipment rather than be seen by human eyes, and the end user (you) assumes all responsibility for its safe use.

* Legal Notice: This green laser module and others like it are designated solely as OEM components for incorporation into the customer's end products. Therefore, they do not comply with the appropriate requirements of FDA 21CFR, section 1040.10 and 1040.11 for complete laser products. The customer is responsible for compliance with FDA requirements.


UPDATE: Thanksgiving 2003 (11-27-03)
The spring in the barrel of my unit is cockeyed, and has {vulgar term for having had intercourse} things up as of late. When the batteries are installed, the (-) connection becomes broken as the spring becomes further deflected when the tailcap is tightened. So the laser does not work when the tailcap is screwed all the way down like it should.

Somewhere around here, I have a tool that might fix that (a phillips screwdriver with a shank long enough to go down the barrel, and still allow me to see down there), but I don't know where it is at the moment, so I can't try it on my test sample.

Check yours to be sure the spring down inside the barrel isn't very cockeyed (it's OK if it's a little crooked).


PROS:
Bright green laser beam
Compact, discreet case fits pockets and purses
More powerful than most other "pointer" style lasers


CONS:
Can't use it in public without a variance
Check spring in laser barrel to be sure it isn't cockeyed, or you might be sorry
More delicate than directly-injected diode laser pointers/modules


    RESELLER: Megalaser
    PRODUCT TYPE: Handheld laser pointing device
    LAMP TYPE: Diode-pumped NdYVO4+KTP
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Very narrow, it's a laser, remember? ;-)
    SWITCH TYPE: Momentary pushbutton on/off on barrel
    BEZEL: Aperture for laser beam to get out
    BATTERY: 2x AAA alkaline cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: 312mA from alkaline cells
    WATER RESISTANT: No
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: 2x AAA alkaline cells, metal presentation case
    WARRANTY: Three months

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star RatingStar Rating









MEGALASER 15+mW GREEN LASER * www.megalaser.com






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