What did you mod today?

:smiley:

Is that how you calculate the laser CRX? I have a blue one that uses 2 18350’s, pulls … well… all of a sudden I can’t be sure what it pulls, I thought it was 3.3A at the tail… it’s supposed to be like 3W or something. I know it is quite strong, will burn a yellow jacket nest at 25-30’… it doesn’t catch on fire due to the larvae inside but it smokes and smolders. It’s kind of difficult to take the tail current reading because the beam will burn things, guess I can take it outside and lock it down in a bench vise pointed up into the sky, take the reading that way to be on the safe side (provided there’s no airplanes overhead)

My green laser, with a just measured .465A at the tail current draw…

This one is using my DBC-04 battery tube repurposed and with a marine bronze head. I now also have a SS aspheric focusing lens on it.

House is white, I wear cotton, I was born in August when it was 111º, much prefer heat to cold, have worked outdoors the majority of my life. When I delivered building materials, I drank some 3 gallons a day. A gallon of sweet tea to start with and filled up the jug twice with water after that. All in a day’s work.

A very quick reading on my blue laser shows 1.58A at the tail from 2 Aspire 18350’s. So that’s 1580mA, right? So would that be multiplied x 8.4V? For 13272 divided by 1000 for 13.272mW? Or 1.327 Watts? Am I figuring that wrong?

Shining the beam a mile across the lake…

Oh god. That is 13,2W correct?

An average laser will have an efficiency of 5-10%. It could be higher, but this is just theoretical.

That means your laser’s power is between 0,66W and 1,32W.

Both measurements are extremely dangerous to anybody which has a retina, and highly illegal in almost all countries in the world.

When I got it I was told it had been used pretty hard and probably wouldn’t make it’s “new” ratings of 3.3W. So this 30% level is probably close to correct. :wink: It’s a 9mm Nichia diode that cost several hundred dollars when new.

Yeah, it’s kinda scary. A silent gun, as it were. I don’t keep cells in it and keep it locked up… much like a firearm.

The green one won’t burn things, still, I don’t “play” with it as it is really difficult to find a place to shine it since the green carries so stinking far. I’ve been able to see the green beam hit a telephone antenna/tower 2.2 miles from here.

Edit: Of course the lasers are dangerous, but when you grow up shooting guns you know the danger is relevant, retina perhaps but not so much skin from any real distance, quite unlike a firearm. :wink: My gunsmith buddy told me a long time ago that a laser was a good training tool for proper firearm safety, being able to see the beam of light shows you just how difficult it is to point a gun in a safe direction. Really expands the mind’s scope on how to handle a loaded weapon. Obviously, neither are toys to played with or handled lightly.

Damn. Throws farther than the BLF GT in the palm size of your hand.

I would be more scared to hold this laser in my hands than an actual rifle though.

How much did that laser diode cost?

Too funny :smiley:
But do be careful with these things.
Reminds me of taking a tail reading from a fet triple and having the bezel resting flat down on my leg… :laughing:

I studied up on lasers when I first got one, the mediocre strong green lasers can cause damage to the retina for miles, like 7 miles, and can be quite disturbing for 11 to 14 miles. At distances over a quarter of a mile or so, though, the auto-reaction to blink can be sufficient to prevent harm, irritation perhaps but not a burned hole in the retina. That’s on a 200mW green laser, which is what mine is supposed to be rated at. Well, my other one. This one is from a more reputable source that guarantee’s it to be 50mW at a minimum. I think I paid around $60 for the green diode.

I got the blue one on a sort of trade, as a used laser. Like I said, new the Nichia 9mm at 3.3W is over $300. It’s in a solid copper housing.

In the end, pretty worthless to have as you can’t do anything with them if you have a conscience. :wink:

Hmm. More expensive than even the CFT90.

What did you trade it for? I’m… interested.

Work.

The color is mesmerizing, and that’s a real problem as everyone that see’s it wants to see more of it which is bad. I took it to my Sister-in-laws and shone it into their swamp area (Southern Mississippi) and she was blown away by the color, tried her dangest to talk me into taking it to the 4th of July celebration and showing it off. NO! No can do! It’s wickedly strong and around a crowd of people it’s an accident waiting to happen. But that’s the thing, the color really sucks you in and makes you want to play with it. So I’ve shown it to scant few and it stays locked away the vast majority of the time.

If it weren’t so pretty I would have disassembled it and destroyed it several years ago… might yet.

Probably just took the case off your blu-ray player. You cant fool me!

Wait, what? I have a Blu-Ray player? Oh yeah! I do, in my computer! :stuck_out_tongue:

The yellow jacket nest that I fried with it this afternoon didn’t get fooled much either. Mwwahahahahahahahahaha!

I’ve had a few lower end lasers, but I’d love to have one on the higher end like that. Objects are only as dangerous as the person holding them.

And human error is a fairytale?

I’m more at risk cutting bits of metal with my angle grinder or driving on the highway with hundreds of others than holding a laser in my hand. Much like a gun I would not point it at myself or others it’s fairly common sense. This isn’t the place for this, however. Nice laser DB :+1: I look forward to how white laser technology could impact the long-range flashlight world.

Human error is real, but its something that happens to other people. :person_facepalming:

Today, I modded nothing… I’m waiting for parts…

:smiley:

You don’t even need to point it at yourself to be blinded. Even a slightly reflective object is enough to burn your retina faster than your blink reflex. Laser protection goggles also only block from the front, it is still possible for the laser to enter your eye from the side.

I’m glad you mention this because all this gun comparison doesn’t really do it justice. A laser is constantly firing and reflecting off crap as you move it, unlike a gun.