My 120mw green laser pointer mod

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neokeelo

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I am not sure where to post this so I put it here, if its the incorrect location just let me know.

So this has really sparked my interest. It turns out I can pick up green lasers here in Akihabara for really cheap ( 10 bucks).

So I want to mod them and turn them into this- > http://www.megalaser.com/120mw.htm

I watched this video and it explains it step by step -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf3M-_RUSCM

However, this will of course shorten the lifespan of the low quality diode in the regular laser pointer. So I'm wondering , can I get a more powerful diode so that it will last longer? A lot of people open up a spare dvd drive and use the diode from those as shown in other videos online but those are red lasers not green. I was talking to a guy on IRC who built one and he said at night if he shines it out of his window it can be seen all across the city. the only thing that stops the beam is the curvature of the earth :LOL:
green_laser.png



I am also getting into astronomy so this will be great to point out stars :D
I live in the country and I have always wanted a high quality laser pointer so thats why I am doing this mod. also I want to invest in some professional eye protection so in case I ever do hit a mirror I wont be blinded for life in an instant.
 
for astronomy 15-30mw should be fine. You can just barely see a 5mw, but 15 should be plenty bright to play with without blinding yourself.
 
unless you're in a really light poluted area even 5mw is plenty for a star pointer. MY parents backyard has ~4.5 magnitude limit (just enough to fully wash out the milkyway) and it's bright enough there. Remember the human eye is much more sensitive to green than to red, especially when dark adapted.
 
Where exactly are the $10 ones? I looked at the page and all I saw was the 120 for $499 and some variants of that. Please help an old man out and point me to the page that has the $10 part. Thanks.
 
Not on that website, I said they had them for $10 in certain cornors in Akihabara, Japan. Along with $4 HDMI cables. :D Just shows you how much of a mark up there is in most places.
 
I have the 30mw green laser from deal extreme, it is really bright, you can see the beam in normal room lighting, and at night its pretty amazing. for $24 you can't really go wrong. There is a pot-mod for mine, I just never really thought it would be worth it since it is so bright already

http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.134
 
neokeelo said:
Has anyone ever used a high powered green laser before?
Click to expand...

I used to own a true 125mw Wicked Green Laser, which set me back ~ $550.

It was a hell of a sight, but eventually sold it after the novelty wore off, albeit like 6 months later :p

Oh, and it could do some pretty cool tricks:
Burn through dark surfaces
Light matches
Pop balloons
Light cigars/cigarettes
Cut electrical tape
Point out stars of course
Burn skin (you could feel a stinging/sharp burning sensation if you kept the laser fixed on a part of the skin for more than 3 seconds or so, especially on darker skin tones)

It was super bright as well.
You could not shine it on any sort of object/surface within 12-20 or so inches of you, especially if the object was even remotely reflective.
Yes, it was that bright. Ended up spending $75 and getting a pair of laser goggles even.
Wicked definitely knows how to make/manufacture them.
http://www.wickedlasers.com/index.php?

Here's a youtube clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDRBfbSKQok&eurl=http://www.wickedlasers.com/index.php?
The higher powered ones (such as the one I had) are as good as advertised. They even have 200+ mw versions of their lasers. Those will set you back $2000+ though ;)
 
Here were some pics I took of my 125mw Wicked Green Laser (crappy camera that did it absolutely no justice, and plus it was indoors where it looked less spectacular, but nonetheless):

pa1300037rr.jpg


Lights on:
3c7bu.jpg


Lights off:
pa1200166gn.jpg



Just the beam itself terminating at a point (this beam can literally go for miles):
pa120004copy2ce.jpg


Oh, and you could even see the beam in a very well lit room, which if you guys know anything about green lasers, is a very difficult task to accomplish, especially in a handheld pen-size form.
pa120009copy1fu.jpg


Still, the beam is even more spectacular than what the pics above depict, and once again, the crappy camera I was using is to blame.
The youtube clip above and the website in general show off its awesome capabilities even better.
 
Do those put out IR light? I read an article saying many lasers put out IR and that it can damage your eyes.
 
neokeelo said:
Do those put out IR light? I read an article saying many lasers put out IR and that it can damage your eyes.
Click to expand...

Definitely.

That's why I spent $75 on a pair of laser sports goggles.

You only have one pair of eyes, so $75 was money well spent.
 
um.. I just thought about something. What about when I come back through airport security with my modded green laser? are they going to say anything or confiscate it from me? Would taking it apart be a stupid idea?
 
I ordered the Core (5mW) from Wicked Lasers about a week ago. It was fantastic. I loved it. But within the next day, I needed more power, so I ordered the 95mW Nexus from Wicked Lasers. It's here right now, but I haven't tried it out yet, since my goggles haven't come yet. I would take it outside, but it's extremely bright out there. :p
 
Are the 5mW enough to light matches and cigarettes and stuff like that, or is it only the near 100mW range that will?
 
my 5mW won't light anything... it's pretty safe.

I thought 5mW was like, the legal limit or something... but now i'm intrigued.
 
plot said:
my 5mW won't light anything... it's pretty safe.

I thought 5mW was like, the legal limit or something... but now i'm intrigued.
Click to expand...
That's the upper limit for class IIIa lasers. Normally lasers above 5mW require extra safety features as they can cause permanent damage extremely quickly.
 
Ill be in akiba in a few weeks, and ive been there many times before, could you give me some details exactly where to pick these up? :)
 
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