# My new 400mW 808nm Infrared "pointer" Yikes!



## Roga_Danar (Apr 18, 2005)

*My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

Wow. This thing is scarey. I got this 808nm, 400mW about a week ago. It is only the size of a Leadlight and runs off of 2 AAA's. I got it before getting my goggles that protect against 808nm so I spent the first few days closing my eyes and looking away as I burned and melted many things. I also used my digital camera to record and view it in action. In a stupid move I shined the laser on what I was sure to be a completely non-reflective surface and viewed it with my naked eye, confirming that the dot is infact visible even though it is 808nm/infrared. It appears as a dark red, almost purplish dot. My eyes are fine but I realized after how stupid it was as I proceded to melt my way through many things. 

I burned a hole straight though my TV remote battery door in about 8 seconds, which is about 1/8 of an inch of plastic. After that I burned many more holes through it for fun! It lites black paper on fire. I spent a lot of time carving things into my XBOX controller and burning holes in it. It smokes dark colored plastics instantly and I even lit my hair on fire, after cutting some of it off my head, which really stank! I am not sure if I should keep this thing as I know that one slip and it could be... *POP*....lights out for good. There are no kids ion my house, ever, and I store this baby in my gun safe minus batteries. 

Now that I have my goggles I play around with this thing a lot but I am still awed by its power for such a small laser. I am thinking about selling it but finding someone who is responsible enough to own this thing could be a chore. 

I am assuming it is an 808nm diode like those used in green lasers, with just a collimating lens? It could make an interesting project if I could get my hands on some KTP and Nd:YAG crystals and make a homemade green laser. I would like to post some pics but I have never had luck posting pictures on CPF.


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## IsaacHayes (Apr 18, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

I'd get your eyes checked out if you got zapped. Infrared causes your retina to detach, have you seen bright flashes of light???! I don't buy stuff like this because it's too dangerous to play with!!


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## loalight (Apr 18, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

yeesh. scary stuff! I don't blame you for being cautious... and yeah, high-powered items like this are nerve-racking to sell. it's a little too close to a phaser...

speaking of which, RD, saw your namesake the other night. Escaped again!


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## Vortex (Apr 18, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

Imagine that thing falls into the wrong hands! It's very scary because someone can use it to deliberately blind people /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/faint.gif I hope you end up selling it to a really responsible person, this thing is truely a weapon. Be very carefull as to who you sell it too, Please. A real sicko could probably even use it to light remote fires. I strongly feel that a strong IR laser such as this should not be available to the general public.


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## Roga_Danar (Apr 18, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

IsaacHayes; Thanks for your concern but nothing happened to my eyes when I viewed it VERY briefly, I just thought about it afterwards and realized it was pretty dumb. 

loalight, you a fellow trekkie?? That was one of my favorite episodes, I loved watching him overpower people and even beat up Worf and outsmart Data! ST:TNG my favorite show of all time, Seven Days comes in second.

Vortex; Blinding people, yes thats a very real possibility, but the remote fire starting wouldnt work becasue I have found that the beam devergence is much greater than that of typical laser pointers. The "dot" at ten feet away is over a half inch or so when viewed with my camera and it does not burn things very well much past a foot and a half or so. 
Any theories as to why it has such a high beam devergence?? Safety maybe?


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## IsaacHayes (Apr 18, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

You might not notice anything yet, but then your eyes might get worse... Not totally sure on everything but I'd read up if I were you or get checked out!! eek!

Check out this post: 
crystals
I think this is green crystals you need/want...


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## Roga_Danar (Apr 18, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

Well it has been 4 days now and I have yet to have a problem. I am going to do some web searching and reading tonight though and make sure that what I did wasnt't a catastrophic blunder. I tested the surface with my PGL-III to make sure it had nearly no reflective properties and then only viewed it for a split second, I know that is more than enough to do damage but the "dot" was about 20 feet away and appeared to be about 2 inches wide.


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## senecaripple (Apr 18, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

where did you get this pointer and the goggles? how much were they?


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## bootleg2go (Apr 18, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

Hi Roga Danar,
I doubt that the divergence is that far off, I'm sure it's very close to the 1.2 to 1.5mrad as all their other lasers are. What your seeing when you "look" with your camera is the blooming of the image due to the imaging sensor being over saturated, much like when you photograph your green laser the dot at the termination point will appear hugh on the photograph due to the blooming.
Of course it's always possible that the laser is defective and it's causing divergence problems, but you can't determine the divergence from a photograph as the beam it too brite and the digital cameras don't have the needed dynamic range for such bright objects without being over saturated.

Jack


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## Goldmagnet (Apr 19, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

No hes right, have a look at my experience with these on Photonlexicon. We have sent the 808 nm pointers back as the divergence was huge. Following our complaint CNI have changed the spec on divergence to 10 x 10 (check thier web site) !!! This is because they use a large apature diode to get the power, they have confirmed they do not supply a 808nm unit that has a nice tight beam.

We have since ordered the 1064nm units.

Regards 

Gold


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## Raccoon (Apr 19, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

What sort of tradeoff do you get with 1064?

I'm assuming it's using an ND crystal to acheive this wavelength, so how does the beam differ from an 808 output directly from the diode?


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## Goldmagnet (Apr 19, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

Look at CNIs own specs, they dont use a large apature source for the 1064nm version thus the beam is more like a green. The 808 is an infrared torch.... good fun but not a "pointer" at all. They only recently changed thier page, would you want a beam divergence of 10 !

Gold


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## Roga_Danar (Apr 19, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

I am assuming the 980nm "pointer" is the same as the 808nm as far as beam divergence goes. Both of these go up to 400mW but the 1064nm model only goes up to 100mW in the pen size lasers. I guess the tradeoff for 1064 is power output. 

I was asking CNI about getting more power and less beam divergence out of an 808nm laser and got a response back the next day from their chief engineer saying they could make a 808nm IR laser with a 2.0 mRad divergence (not bad) and 1W of power in a PGL-III body for me and asked how many I wanted. I guess they didnt realize I was only curious to see what was possible with 808nm. Anyhow, that would be a scarey weapon. A little expensive, but I am sure you could have some dangerous fun with that thing!


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## trident (Apr 19, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

Would anyone be interested in a group buy on those things?


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## Roga_Danar (Apr 19, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

I ordered a Coherent Lasercheck today so I will test both the 808nm 400mW laser and the PGL-III-150mW with it when it arrives and let you guys know how they rate. I have the PGL-III for sale in the lights for sale/trade section right now, I will post it's actual output in that for sale post once I test it. The LaserCheck was $320 and with tax??(on a web order from CA when i live in FL???) and $20 ground shipping?!? I payed $360 for the LaserCheck and i plan on testing my lasers and then selling the LaserCheck right after, probably some time next week. Let me know if anyone here is interested in it as I will hold it for someone instead of putting it on the for sale section. I plan on asking $300 shipped because it will be pretty much brand new. 

A group buy on those things/weapons sounds...scarey!


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## comozo (Apr 19, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

You could purchase some infrared optics from here and make a Galilean beam expander to reduce beam divergence. http://www.edmundoptics.com
and you might find some useful info here. About CO2 lasers and burning.
http://www.parallax-tech.com/faq.htm


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## MaxaBaker (Apr 19, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

Man, that's some scary stuff. I wouldn't *want* to own one of them /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif Be careful with it.


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## xenophobe (Apr 19, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

[ QUOTE ]
A group buy on those things/weapons sounds...scarey! 

[/ QUOTE ]

+1 (-1 for the spelling error /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif )

Very scary indeed.


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## Roga_Danar (Apr 19, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

Lol thanks, but I bet if you pointed one at your skin it could get "scarey" also! Here is a copy of the email they sent me:

Mrs Qian write : 
The following is from our chief engineer.
a. We can redesign the optical system with beam size 10mmx10mm at 5m 
from the aperture. That means 2mrad. But there is a focus line in one direction.
b. We may supply 808nm up to 1W at FOBExwork USD 400.00 per set with our 
size of PGL-III -532nm to produce.
c.Please let`s know your application and quantity for the type for the first 
purchase order..
Your prompt reply is appreciated.
bes regards.


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## bajaiman (Apr 19, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

$400 for 1W 808nm?? ... Am I reading that correctly?


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## bg2vo (Apr 20, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

I have a CNI 980nm 400mW and with Similar experience. I also looked at the spot for a second in dark and see nothing red. Divergence is not good simply because the equivalent light emitt area is big. The only thing we can do to reduce divergence is to replace the lense with a long focus one. The reason why the divergence of 532nm is small, is because the 532 is re-emitted from the crystal.
Another thing, the current draw is 600mA.


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## Roga_Danar (Apr 20, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

Is 980nm even visible at all?? I would think that it would be too far into the IR region to be visible to the human eye. I know 808nm is much closer to the visible light spectrum, and red is what it is closest to so that is probably why it appears as such. 

Yes, they quoted me that price for a 1W 808nm laser in a PGL-III body with 2mRad divergence. I don't have any idea how long it would take them to make one though. I am also a little confused as to what "But there is a focus line in one direction" means?? I am thinking of ordering one for curiousity sake and then maybe selling it. I am going to ask how much time they would need to make it.

I should have my Coherent LaserCheck by the end of the week, I will post actual ouput for the 808nm and the PGL-III i got from CNI. Funny how it used to take weeks for the to reply to my emails and now after I have actually bought from them we trade emails back and forth on a daily basis.


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## bootleg2go (Apr 20, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

I'm not sure I would even try to use the lasercheck with this unless the beam diameter is smaller than the lens window on the lasercheck...or you'll end up with a Meltycheck.

and watch those fingers..especially when you can't see where the beam is hitting the meter.... Ask shiftlock about this, I think he's tried this before.

Jack


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## bg2vo (Apr 20, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

Hi Roga_Danar, I think what he means by "But there is a focus line in one direction" is that, when the beam is focused, it is a line rather a spot. This is because of the emitting area of the 808nm is 1um wide by xx um long where xx may range from 10 to 200 depending on the power.


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## Raccoon (Apr 22, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

So another issue is that as higher output units simply produce a longer line instead of a more intense beam?

How would one determine which laser has the greatest output per cubic mm at 1 meter?


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## bg2vo (Apr 22, 2005)

*Re: My new 400mW 808nm Infrared \"pointer\" Yikes!*

Precisely. That verdict baffled me for a long time when I once decided to buy a 3000mW 808nm LD. You can have a look at Coherent site for their devices: http://www.cohr.com/downloads/780_to_830_nm_Devices.pdf
As far as the output intensity is concerned, they are almost the same regardless of the power output. Look specifically for 'Emitter Area' and compare it with the power.


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