First off you didn’t find a 1mW 460nm laser since those don’t exist. More likely you found a 1W (1000mW) 445nm laser which is blue. Second, pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime no matter the power of it. Pointing it at humans is also a crime but I don’t think they punish as hard as an aircraft. You also can’t point them at vehicles, animals, etc…… the reason why people do this is because they are uneducated and don’t know that the “5mW” laser they bought is really 50mW and very dangerous.
If you are interested in lasers then I suggest you come over to laserpointerforums.com and check it out. Yes there are a few of us laser enthusiasts over here but that whole site is dedicated to lasers, its the BLF of lasers
Also its not illegal to buy a laser over 5mW if its done the proper way. The whole laser thing has many misconseptions and those idiotic kids you mentioned are the reason us laser enthusiasts get a bad wrap!!!
Sorry let me specify, you may have found a 1mW 460nm online but that like all the other “5mW” lasers are a lie. 460nm do exist but they are not in that power, most all blues are in the 400mW and up range. Except when you get to exotics like 473nm which can go down to the single digits but also will cost you around $400.
Anyways, post a link to the laser you found and ill point out all the lies in the ad and also see if the seller is a trusted one or one of the scammers
My friend recommend this 1mW blue laser pointer for me. It projects only a tiny but bright light spot on wall at night. The blue laser beam is not obvious if it goes far.
I have done a lot for reading of laser hazards. It is no kidding to point laser pointer at other people or animals.
Laser goggles is quite necessary to project eyes.
Lasers have to be handled rather differently (safely) as compared to flashlights. Unfortunately, a considerable number who know how to buy one also point them at people and aircraft. It’s like having a sharpened walking stick; safe if used at home or pointed downwards when walking outside but not when waved around wildly in a crowd outside. Several Nordic countries have already written to the European Commission to clamp down on lasers : HERE
Wikipedia is never a source of safety information. I could go on there and edit the whole page to say lasers are safe to point at eyes etc……wikis are a joke for actual knowledge, good for getting a general idea on a subject
How can a chinese company list a flashlight as 1200 lumen and it only do 400 lumen? Its china they don’t follow any rules. They are not FDA approved so they can’t legally sell them in the USA. Hoe do they get around the law; label them as under 5mW, that’s how. They are not really 5mW or 1mW in your case, but that’s what they say so that’s what buyers believe. Its the biggest problem with lasers. People think they are safe and point them at humans or aircrafts and then the rest of us laser enthusiast get a bad rep and more laws placed on us.
Don’t fall into the trap and become a laser idiot. Visit laserpointerforums.com and educate yourself on lasers……please for the sake of the rest of us and for everyone’s safety.
Have you already bought this laser pointer? Do you own it now? Yes 460nm is a unusual wavelength for a laser, usually only available in OPSL (optically pumped semiconductor laser) or possibly DPSS. Yes the coherence & purity of laser light is beautiful to look at. 460 is a very nice color. My personal favorite is 488nm (an argon line) bluish-green or cyan) .
You were indeed wise to start with a class II 1 mw laser (hopefully it is that, and not too over powered, although up to 5mw is considered low power too. You seem to be aware of the inherent dangers of laser light, so that is a very good start. We usually recommend laser safety goggles (most are wavelength specific) but in your case it would block most of the light. Just remember never point it at any living being , including those in vehicles, aircraft etc. Enjoy your laser!
As far as the reputaton of the seller, I’ve had no experience with them, so I cant comment about that.
Regards,