Showing posts with label Handheld. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Handheld. Show all posts

Thursday, 18 August 2011

5mW Green Laser Pointers - The Handheld 532nm Green Laser Beam Beginning Pointer


If you are at all familiar with portable technology, you may be aware that the first green laser pointer to hit the worldwide market was the convenient 5mW. Since their first wide scale production in the year 2000, hundreds of varieties of 5mw lasers have flooded the internet shopping marketplace, saturating the industry with many poor quality diodes. The quick rush of popularity since the turn of the millennium has lead to a large increase in the amount of manufacturers and distributors throughout the globe, which has unfortunately lead to a plethora of poor quality diodes that are being sold on a large scale.

Now, not every single 5mw out there for sale on the web is a poor quality gadget. But it does mean that we need to be a bit more careful whenever we are shopping for a unit. There are a few simple things you can do to ensure that the 5mw you are planning on purchasing is a gadget of high quality production standards. Because lasers are high precision instruments, its worth doing a little bit of research to see to it that the unit you buy is a powerful and professionally manufactured goods.

First and foremost, what does the pointer model actually look like? Since the unit is going to be something you will be handling, be sure that you enjoy the actual design and casing of the device. Many different laser pointer pens are relatively small and convenient in size, but some pointers are designed a bit more bulky and cumbersome, so you will want to look at the sizing specs. The ideal product will be about the size of an average ball point pen, and is usually designed with a clasp so the laser can be gripped and stored very easily. The second thing you generally want to look at when you are browsing green handheld lasers, is what kind of expected life time can we expect from the diode. This will tell us roughly how much usage we can look to get, the average for a 5mw laser pointer is between 3000-5000 hours, so be sure that the product you are considering will be functional for this amount of time. You would not want to buy too cheap and have the beam die out within a week or two, so be sure to check the expected lifetime for the 532nm green diode.

Third, what is the price of the 5mw laser you are looking at? Laser pointers are goods where price directly effects the quality of the item. The lower the cost of a pen, almost always, the lower the quality. So you will want to keep this in mind, a unit under $50 is something to be very wary of. The diode may be of poor quality or the casing manufactured very cheaply, a preferred laser price for a 5mw green laser is between $75-$100 on the open market today. Yes, there are pointers out there at a lower cost, but historically these lasers have been of a far poorer quality than their slightly more expensive counterparts.

Lastly, and also most importantly, what type of warranty does the laser retailer provide for the particular unit? A reputable laser company will have no less than a 90 day warranty, and should at least provide the option for you to purchase an extended warranty. Statistically, 90 days is sufficient for a warranty, but having additional coverage can not hurt. Be sure that you buy from a laser that has a positive history and professional technicians. Even though 5mW is not all that powerful, a green laser pointer is a powerful tool and is to be used with great caution.




James has been working with 5mw green laser pointers since their first release in 2000. He has written extensively in the laser light technology field and prefers certified 5mw green laser pointers from professional laser source, biglasers.com





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Friday, 12 August 2011

Portable Handheld Lasers - The Laser Pointer Buying Experience That Burned Us All


Hand held lasers are by far the most practical form of technology, and for good reason. The small size makes the lasers very convenient and portable in size, so taking the pointers into the field to conduct research has been gaining popularity amongst many astronomers as well as medical and military professionals. But not all portable handheld units are worth buying, often times, the products have been manufactured rather cheap and can burn out far faster than a high quality device should. There have been stories of expensive laboratories experiencing major problems with the cheap laser pointers they had acquired, if you want to ensure that the hand held unit you buy is worth using, there are a few key pointers to keep in mind.

First, what exactly are you looking to accomplish with your portable handheld laser pointer? Does the beam need to output over any set distance? What color frequency are you looking for and how much output power does your application require? These are all simple questions that you may want to answer before you start looking to shop for a portable pointer. Lasers are high-tech gadgets that can come with a hefty price tag, be sure that you are ready to do a little bit of research into any hand held module before you order one from a retailer. All portable lasers are not created equal! A little bit of knowledge about any particular handheld unit can not hurt your situation, in fact the more you know about the diode, casing, expected life time, etc., the better off we will be when we are looking to buy lasers.

There is a lot we can do to ensure that our purchasing experience does not leave us shocked or embarrassed in any way. You may have heard horror stories about hobbyists who would turn to eBay to buy their laser pointers, looking to save a few dollars here and there. The problem with this was that the units being sold on eBay turned out to be the lowest quality laser diodes available anywhere. There have been reports of people receiving completely broken pointers, or even worse, not receiving anything at all. When you look to save a few pennies, be sure that you are not buying something from a teenager in their basement with an eBay seller account, you will get burned! Your best bet whenever looking for any variety of handheld portables, or even industrial laser modules for that matter, is to work with a reputable retailer who specializes in the specific type that you are looking for.

More often than not, you will find that the cheapest laser pointer available is not going to be the best deal. These consistently burn out far quicker than the company had advertised, and usually a little rain or a drop of water will ruin the product for eternity. This is why its so important to know where your purchase is coming from, do a little research on the provider you are looking to work with. Are they visible anywhere on the search engines, like Google? How does their pricing compare to that of competing laser companies? Do they provide any support, in other words, can you get questions that you have answered?

High power portable lasers are investments, be sure that you are securing your investment with laser warranties and a high quality laser retailer with search engine recognition and various methods of customer service. Do not be afraid to ask the laser company a question or two, if you are going to buy lasers from them, be sure you are dealing with individuals who know what they are talking about. A few simple precautions along with a few Google searches can teach us a lot about any laser model or particular company. If you are serious about buying portable hand held lasers, do yourself a favor and look into the laser source as well as the model that intrigues your interest. A good laser should last for a life time of enjoyment.




James has been working with both high power portable lasers as well as lower power handheld laser pointers. He has tested hundreds of laser varieties and worked with various laser manufacturers and retailers. His preferred laser resource is Big Lasers who specialize in providing professional grade portable handheld lasers





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