Laser Pointer that Uses AAA or AA Batteries.

X-CalBR8

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Does anyone happen to know of a laser pointer that runs off of a single AA or AAA battery so that it's about the size of an Arc AAA or an Infinity Ultra, but uses standard batteries? All of the laser pointers that I've seen so far use off the wall batteries or watch batteries. I would really like something inexpensive that used very common, easy to find, batteries like the Arc AAA does. Thanks in advance for any advice.
 

Wylie

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I made this laser pointer in the picture. It is 11/32" in diameter except for the rubber cap on the end that is almost 1/2". It's about five inches long and runs on two Alkaline AAAA batteries. It seems as though I have seen 1.5 volt laser modules somewhere before. I don't think your going to get a great output at 1.5 but I am sure you will be able to find all kinds of laser modules and pointers on the web. I could make you one if you would like. There are plenty of keychain laser pointers out there that pretty small too.
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C

Cosmic Superchunk

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I got a laser pointer about 2 years ago as a gift which runs on 2 AAA batteries, but I've never seen one that runs on 1 AAA or AA.
 

Wylie

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I could have been mistaken with the 1.5 volt modules but that was about three and a half to four years ago I was doing the shopping for laser modules. I sure can't find them now though.
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I think about the simplest way a guy could go is set up a couple 1/2 AAs but that would bring the diameter to about a 1/2".
 

X-CalBR8

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I guess these are so hard to find because companies would rather make a design around an unheard of battery type that fits the voltage requirements perfectly instead of going to the extra expense and engineering to include a nice little boost circuit such as the Arc AAA uses. It's kind of lame of them to do things this way because I know for a fact that what I'm thinking of is possible because a low power laser pointer is NOT going to put more strain on a AAA battery than it can handle. It would probably not put much more strain on a AAA than running the single LED Arc AAA and even the voltage requirements are pretty much the same. Hmm… I wonder if anyone has tried to mod an Arc AAA with a laser diode yet?
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Sigman

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I recently purchased one from Best Buy, that uses 2-AAAs and that's exactly why I purchased it! Granted it's not as small as an ARC AAA, but the fact that it uses common batteries was the selling point!
 

Aeryk

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My very first laser pointer used 2 AA batteries, got it probably 8 years ago from an office supply place.

It currently resides at my parents house as a cat toy.

Aeryk
 

The_LED_Museum

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My very first laser pointer used 3 "N" cells, but could use 2 "AAA" cells at reduced power. Got it probably 11-12 years ago at The Sharper Image and lost it sometime in the mid 1990s. It put out a blazing 1mW at 685nm.
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Entropy

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I got my 2AAA laser pointer at, believe it or not: K-Mart. For $13. This was dirt cheap for a laser pointer back when I got it. Very well-built and still works well.

Haven't seen them in ages.
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X-CalBR8

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Well, I guess things aren't quite as bad as I first thought. At least there are some 2 AAA laser pointers to be found out there, but so far, nobody has been able to confirm the existence of a single AAA/AA laser pointer so that it would be very small like the ones that use watch batteries. 2AAA is nice and all but it's not really something that can very easily be put on a keychain. I guess the search is still on.
 

X-CalBR8

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Wow, not one single person on the whole forum has a 1 AA/AAA laser? Looks like a major business opportunity just waiting to happen to me. Whoever is first to market on these should make a mint. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

BuddTX

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Bump.

I am also very interested in a red laser that takes an AAA battery, similar in size to an ARC AAA!
 

tonyb

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I working on one right now. I can't decide if I want to machine a case or just use a mag solitaire. Push button action would be nice and would require a custom case.

tony.
 

BuddTX

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Oh, you are working on one now! Can you use an ARC body?

The thing about other keychain Lasers is that they do not have a recessed on/off button, so that when you put it into your pocket, often it turns on.

What frequency?
 

IsaacHayes

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Entropy: Years ago, in 1998 I got a 5mW at Target for 14 bucks. Was a good deal. VERY well built, still have it. I've dropped lots of times and it works great still! Still using the same batteries it came with! It's nice black painted metal brass construction.

Tony: You could use a solitare case and a 4-5mm Tact switch in the tail cap!!! Would be momentary push hold on only though.. A pewter Solitare with a red laser would be cool looking... Same size as those watch battery laser pointers, only 1 battery!
 
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