I want a powerful 18650 laser on a budget

Even a 5mw green one is dangerous...

Before I came here, I am also Flomotion on laserpointerforums and photonlexicon. I have a WL 1 watt 445nm, a 400mw 405nm, a 250mw 650nm, and a 450mw 532nm. They will mess you up, unless you have eye protection. Any reflection directly back into your eyes can immediately burn holes in your retina. My greenie will go straight up for over 100 miles. Even a 50mw can temporary blind a pilot on a direct hit. It is a federal offense to shine a laser at any aircraft, and as the green ones can go for miles, it is possible to hit aircraft and not be aware of it. If you want lasers, go here:

Wear Eye Protection, or go blind…really…

With remaining eye…do not look into laser. Reflections can easily cause damage as well.

Yeah, get safety glasses with the appropriate lenses for whatever wavelength laser you’re working with. Yes, that may mean you need several pairs. And you’ll need them for whomever else is standing around.

Cheap 5mW lasers are dazzling to the eye, but I suspect most of them do not have the optics to generate irradiance high enough to cause permanent damage. Remember that it is not just the output power that is a factor, it is also how much area that power is spread over. You can have a very powerful laser, but if the beam is diffuse, you won’t cook anything.

If you want the numbers, this is an excellent primer on the subject:

http://spie.org/Documents/Publications/00%20STEP%20Module%2002.pdf

All of these are pretty nice for around $40:
http://www.lazerpoint.com/sc-green-laser-pointers?minPrice=38&maxPrice=45&submit=GO&categoryId=009002&submit=GO%2CGO&sortby=pricedesc&pagesize=20&viewmode=grid

I have this one:
http://www.lazerpoint.com/p-ultrafire-200mw-1000m-532nm-green-laser-pointer-pen-set-black_2077569

It says 18650 but after they mod the flashlight body, it only will accept a 16340 or 18350.

I would like to second Lazerer. I bought my purple 100mW(~$45) from there and it is great.
Chances are that you aren’t going to be able to burn anything if you can’t focus the beam.
Also, for everyone in the US (unless things have changed) in order to legally purchase/own/import/whatever, anything over 5mW needs to have a safety lockout key.

EDIT
Forgot to add that my laser runs on either 1x16340 or 1x18650.

As in the above post, I am a laser convert to flashlights. I have been in lasers for many years, built and bought many. I would like to recommend http://o-like.com/ because, like Chinese lumens, many sellers lie about the true mw power. Example, you order a 200 mw green, and it is actually about 30 mw. So you learn the hard way. o-like tests the units before sale, and there are aways overspec. Example if you order a 400 mw 405nm, it could be 450 to 480 mw. So, just believe me, after many errors, before learning about o-like, Suzie at o-like will treat you right, and the laser will be overspec…

+1 Lazerez. All custom lasers and a super nice fella!

If someones looking for a 532nm that LPM's at +830mW shoot me a PM....I may have a 250mW 532nm as well

I was going to PM you about the 250mW, but I can’t afford to lose any body parts to the wife lol. :bigsmile:

+1 :wink:

I was tempted to get one during the Wallbuys sale but I’ve used lasers in lab settings and decided the idea of using a > 5 mW laser essentially as a toy frightens me.

If I ever met someone carrying such a strong laser, I'd immediately smack them in the face.

Another thing to remember about greens is being DPSS they almost always produce some unrated amount of IR, often at a higher mw then the actual green laser. The higher end greens will sometimes have an IR filter to block the IR but many of the cheap 5mw-50mw greens do not, so be very careful with them.

Also never look into a green laser that appears to be malfunctioning (no light), the crystal in the DPSS module can become mis-aligned and cause the laser to stop producing visible light but still be producing very high levels of dangerous IR light, you could fry your retina and not even know it until it’s too late.

The reds, blues and violets are not so much of a worry (except for the fact they can still blind you) as they are all just diode lasers and won’t produce IR (unless you have an IR laser of course :p).

Let us know if it gets through customs. The 5mw limit has been enforced in the US.

Some reading:

My hope is they won't notice it with other things. ;) I mean since it doesn't have a battery in it, then it must qualify as a part not a completed laser. :P

My fingers are crossed for you! Good luck.

Just got the O-like power rock 100mw green in the mail today!

Best laser I’ve purchased, great great quality, and from reviews, these lasers come over spec. It is water proof too and I ordered the filters for it which make it a really entertaining laser!

Came with a holster, battery and charger and looks like a sunwayman. Clicky has a great strong feel to it too.

Cant say enough good things about it.

Bigtime happy customer for o-like.com!

A revival

I have three 18650 battery laser pointers coming from FastTech and wondered if any member knows about them and whether they have proper IR filters installed. Also if any where near claimed output. I probably should have asked before ordering but I gave into temptation when I saw them listed. I have had a 30 mW green two AAA laser pointer for years and have not blinded anyone. Originally bought for use during astronomy lectures under night skies for pointing out constellations and astronomical objects. I do have laser safety glasses on the way too.

https://www.fasttech.com/product/1591400 Green 200 mW.

https://www.fasttech.com/product/1591403 Red 200 mW.

https://www.fasttech.com/product/1591404 405nm Blue Violet 100 mW.

If the lasers do not have a proper filter I figure that I can possibly machine an adapter for the Baader ir and uv cut filter, the 1.25” size.

http://www.amazon.com/Baader-Planetarium-Telescope-Filter-FUVIR-1/dp/B004QCF9ZY/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1417240933&sr=8-8&keywords=baader+filter

This little laser post deals only with SD 30x, as in SD 301, SD 302, SD 303. I have held eight or so, I think all advertised as < 100mw.

A product page typically shows them labeled (for example) ‘SD 303’, but you will likely receive one labeled ‘LASER 303’. Sometimes they arrive without keys, so I have made a few fairly easily. I’ve never seen one with O-rings. There is some variance in the brightness, but I consider them all quite powerful. Less than half a second to burn tiny holes through black or grey polyethylene grocery bags. Not a child’s toy, they should be treated as dangerous - I expect one would quickly damage an eye. Whoever points them at animals is an anus. Not powerful enough to do anything useful like cut pipe; far too powerful for a classroom pointer. I don’t know any practical use.

That said, I claim them among the best money I’ve ever spent. Handled CAREFULLY, they can amaze and entertain a group for ten whole minutes. Maybe twenty minutes if there’s beer.

The main tube is threaded two sections, so you can use 1xCR123A primary, or 1x18650. However otherwise decribed, the button side switch is momentary on, which is good for safety. The laser stays on while you press the button, but if you fumble or drop it, the laser turns off. I imagine minimal heat-sinking, so have never kept one on for a full minute. A knob on the business end can be unscrewed/extended to defocus/spread the beam up to 2 to 3 degrees to make a spot. Green appears the most luminous, then red, then blue.

For now, I’m convinced the model designators are like this:

301 = knurled tube
302 = smooth tube
303 = 301 plus extra knob on the end, which is a ‘filter’

I recommend the 303. Removing the ‘filter’ makes a 301. Leaving it in place makes things safer around people or indoors. Variously described, this ‘disco filter’ attachment spreads a broad field of four zillion small images - the best is simply some kind of dot or star - others available are hearts, smiley faces, etc. Rotating the filter makes the images coalesce into half a zillion brighter ones. Maybe useless except as huge entertainment. Wait, I mean for the kids.

So far, all the less than $10 ones seem out of the same grab bag as the more expensive. I’m still waiting for my first buy of green, red, blue from GearBest. $7.64 each.

I will not trust any notion that my cheap lasers are blocking whatever IR component.

Anyway, the longer 303 fits well in this pouch

Definitely NO IR filter in any of the cheap lasers (under $200). You also will have probably 100-200mW of power however about 50%+ is pure IR so once you filter it you are left with a cheap 40-100mW 532nm laser.

650 and 405 dont produce any IR is no need to filter those at all. 532nm is made purely from a DPSS IR process. Its hit or miss on their actual power. I know some people get them over spec but majority are way under spec and just junk. Dont be afraid if they die a few months into using them, thats the name of the game with cheap lasers. Also about 50/50 chance they will be DOA due to shipping mishandling. Lasers are very fragile and just dropping them can kill a diode like thats

Richwouldnt, very unlikely that it has an IR filter, ones that do have a filter will mention it. Only green produces IR. There is no UV.

405nm may look relatively dim but it is powerful and can easily do vision damage if you get a false sense of safety due to the brightness. Even if it is the same mW power as others the 405nm color is just less visible to our eyes.
Of course keep them out of reach of children or anyone who might act like children.

IR filters suitable for green lasers