Think Lasers Tech Blog

Its become a pretty well known fact that powerful laser pointers will have the ability to burn certain materials like lighting matches, burning plastic, popping balloons and other things like this. But is this really safe and are cheap lasers that burn too hot a safety concern? Well, unfortunately the answer can be yes, because lets consider, is it ever really safe to play with fire?

Now we can limit the risk by taking simple precautions like using safety goggles, thick gloves, ensuring nothing flammable is around your experiment, just some common sense to protect yourself or any onlookers. All in all a powerful laser that has the ability to burn things really is safe if not used improperly and you can even light things on fire safely as well.

The problem lies in some of the more cheaper laser pointer models that are out there today. They may be marketed as military laser pointers that are said to be very powerful and they can be, but they have a tendency to get too hot too quickly. With a high quality laser the burning effect comes from the actual heat of the laser beam at around 100mW or more to pop balloons. But with cheap lasers the actual laser body, batteries, diode, and crystal can become so hot they begin to melt or spark and this is where things can get a bit dangerous.

Now, any laser model that is manufactured with any kind of decency will never have this problem, but the lower end cheap lasers that cost $5 can be of concern. When something sounds like a deal that is too good to be true, it usually is.

Burning Laser Pointer

That being said, you can find some powerful burning laser pointers that are safe to use, 100% legal (which can be very important in the United States), and are just great fun. Brands like Wicked Laser models offer a rare look at laser pointers made with real users in mind as the quality and affordability is unmatched elsewhere. However you use your laser and whatever laser you decide to buy, be sure you are safe for yourself and others to really enjoy all that every laser has to offer.

There are literally thousands of different laser pointers available today in a multitude of different colors, shapes, and sizes. Every laser design will be unique in its own way as methods of manufacturing are different across the world as well as different materials being used to produce certain types of lasers. Of course, if you’re looking to buy a laser then the price is going to be one of the biggest factors as to whether or not you will purchase something or not. This is where it can be a bit deceiving to determine the real value of a laser based on more than just its face value.

There are a few key things to look for that can help you determine the overall quality of any particular laser pointer design. Lets take a look at some of the differences that can occur between two different lasers that are supposed to be the same output power. For instance, you can find a 100mW green laser pointer online for about $100 but you can also find a 100mW at up to $800+, so what really is the difference? Why the huge price difference and why does one appear so much brighter than the other one?

It really comes down to how the laser is manufactured and what materials are being used to get to the power output that is desired. Lasers have metal, glass, rubber, coil, and other materials that can vary greatly in quality from one source to the next and because most manufacturers try to keep cost down at the expense of quality the consumer loses in the end. It is up to the company making the lasers to use materials that meet a certain standard if they are to produce a laser that is worth buying and that will last more than an instant.

IR filters are extremely important to the safety and quality of every single laser, but most companies don’t incorporate them into their lasers. This is a key factor that should be a huge determining factor in your purchase of a laser pointer. With no IR filter, the laser pointer in question will not only be far dimmer than a laser with an IR filter at the same output power, but it will also produce dangerous invisible waves of light that can be very harmful to the human eye. Lasers produce light and it is the filters that only allow a specific wavelength (color) of light through the lens.

When a laser with no IR filter tries to make 100mW it counts the power of all the laser light, including the invisible light. Meaning that your laser will appear much dimmer as some of the mW is being used up by invisible light. With an IR filter the laser produces 100mW of exactly the color desired, such as 100mW of precisely 532nm green laser being extremely bright as all of the power is going entirely to the green color. So not only do IR filters protect your eyes, they also guarantee that the lasers power is entirely devoted to the color you want.

Here is a look at the difference between two sets of lasers that show how different manufacturing equals entirely different lasers, no matter what the power output is listed as online.

High Quality Laser Pointer

Shoddy Green Laser

You should only buy laser pointers from a retailer that offers all IR filtered lasers with stylish and powerful designs. Its also fun to use a variety of colors, yeah green is the laser of all lasers now, but if you have one already its pretty cool to check out purple or blue, even good old red.

With a positive outlook we all head into the new year, 2010 is upon us. With all of the changes that have been made to laser pointer technology in the past year, its going to be interesting to see where laser technology heads this year. Who will be provide the greatest innovation to classic laser design, develop the best improved laser models + diodes, and open the door to future laser technology to come?

There are loads of different manufacturers competing to become your source for everything lasers from modules to military grade laser pointers. Its important to see what has been done in the last year to get an idea of what you can expect from the best lasers out there in the new year, 2010 should be interesting for every laser savvy individual out there.

With advances like blu-ray or purple laser pointers now available, but only from the main laser provider out there, it will be interesting to see if other laser developers to keep up with the wicked reputation and standards set by the latest lasers created this year. While some may aim to produce brighter more conventional lasers, others may look to change the face of how we use pointers all together by incorporating them into tools we use every day. Whatever direction laser technology head this year, it is sure to be interesting and exciting to every laser fan out there.

For the best laser pointer selection and widest range of lasers check out Think Lasers, labeled 2009′s top laser provider of the web.