# I want to by a Presentation Green Laser Pointer - which one?



## Southernwayfarer (Sep 25, 2007)

I give a lot of presentations to small to medium size groups (15-150) so I'd like to get a green laser. I've read the "Laser Forum - threads of interest" thread but I still have questions. What is the maximum power I would want for an indoor use pointer for presentations? 5mW, 15mw, 35mW?

I just want a nice bright laser for indoor presentations. Don't want pop any balloons, etc.

Things that are important to me are brightness, durability, should have reasonable battery life. I'd like to pay no more than $100 but it would be better if I could do it for around $50.

Could I get a recommendation with some reasoning. I'd appreciate it, I'm sure you get this kind of question often.


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## nero_design (Sep 26, 2007)

As tempting as it is, you cannot go over 5mW for pointers without the laser being reclassified as a "Laser Device" and no longer as a "pointer".

If you live in North America, the max output you may use safely for public use is anything under 5mW (<5mw / <4.99mW)

If you live in Australia or UK, the maximum output you may use is 1mW.

Since lasers are rarely regulated, many countries require the user to self-regulate their public laser use. 

It has been deemed safe to use up to 5mW for public lectures etc. Anything beyond 5mW may actually present a safety hazard of the laser is accidentally viewed directly by anyone. Hence the 5mW limit.

For "entertainment lasers" which use moving beams, higher powers are permitted although the user must adhere to established regulations for additional safety.

Hope this helps.


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## swordfish (Sep 26, 2007)

Sad to say that anything above 5mW is potentially too dangerous to use as a "pointer" for presentations or lectures.


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## photonxiii (Sep 26, 2007)

Southernwayfarer said:


> I give a lot of presentations to small to medium size groups (15-150) so I'd like to get a green laser. I've read the "Laser Forum - threads of interest" thread but I still have questions. What is the maximum power I would want for an indoor use pointer for presentations? 5mW, 15mw, 35mW?



15mW? Maybe... But 35mWs are not really recommended for presentation use. It is however, recommended that you wear safety goggles if you want to use them indoors.


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## Kiessling (Sep 27, 2007)

I use 5mW green which is overly sufficient in daylight and probably too bright in darker environments.
Despite the legal aspects and dangers assiciated ... 5 mW is really enough for presentations.
bernhard


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## Aseras (Sep 27, 2007)

I find that most people don't like the green pointers. At 5mw, they are too bright when it's dark enough for a powerpoint show. A good red works the best.


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## drmaxx (Sep 28, 2007)

Aseras said:


> A good red works the best.


Any specific recommendations?


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## gromit (Sep 28, 2007)

I was at Office Depot the other day and they had some Apollo pointers on closeout for $5. I should have picked up a spare, been using one for years, only changed battery once or twice.


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## Aseras (Sep 28, 2007)

drmaxx said:


> Any specific recommendations?



not really the reds are so prolific and cheap now. The one I have is part of a bluetooth mouse that has powerpoint forward back keys and a laser pointer in it. It's AWESOME.

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=085


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## drmaxx (Sep 28, 2007)

Aseras said:


> not really the reds are so prolific and cheap now.


I do have a nice red one - a 2xAAA one from radio shark. The only indication about brightness is the lable < 5 mW. Compared with the others I see from my peers it is quite bright. But nowadays the professional projectors out there are really strong. More then once I was in a auditorium with 200 people, daylight and a powerful projector that was providing cristal clear pictures on the screen. In these situations my red pointer is just a kind of a useless toy. 
I am wondering if there are some specific pointers out there that are especially strong (= 4.99 mW). Or are most mid range priced red pointers close to that strength anyway?


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## abeland1 (Sep 29, 2007)

drmaxx said:


> I do have a nice red one - a 2xAAA one from radio shark. The only indication about brightness is the lable < 5 mW. Compared with the others I see from my peers it is quite bright. But nowadays the professional projectors out there are really strong. More then once I was in a auditorium with 200 people, daylight and a powerful projector that was providing cristal clear pictures on the screen. In these situations my red pointer is just a kind of a useless toy.
> I am wondering if there are some specific pointers out there that are especially strong (= 4.99 mW). Or are most mid range priced red pointers close to that strength anyway?


I think that you should look for a red with a 635nm wavelength. 635nm appears brighter to the human eye than the 650nm wavelength pointers sold by retailers. The 635nm laser diodes are hard to produce and are seldom available in stores. Alternately, you could consider a quality green with APC in a class II configuration (<1mW )


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## drmaxx (Sep 30, 2007)

abeland1 said:


> IAlternately, you could consider a quality green with APC in a class II configuration (<1mW )


Why do you suggest class II? Kind of surprising for me.


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## marianne (Sep 30, 2007)

the cheapest two <5mW green laser pointers i've seen are $18 from dealextreme, and $33 from optotronics. i'm not sure about the quality of the dealextreme one, reviews say that it's solidly built but lacks an infrared filter, i'm not sure how essential an IR filter is on a <5mW green... also lacks any info on warranties. the optotronics one comes with the standard (for greens) 3 months warranty, and likely would include an IR filter if it's necessary at that power. anything above 5mW is really overkill for presentations, and presents a much greater danger to eyesight. my first green 5mW was $90 from thinkgeek, only a few months ago, while it's a nice 5mW green i'm pretty sure i was overcharged! oh well, it's what got me into green lasers in the first place  hope this info is helpful, anyway!


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## ixfd64 (Oct 1, 2007)

Aseras said:


> not really the reds are so prolific and cheap now. The one I have is part of a bluetooth mouse that has powerpoint forward back keys and a laser pointer in it. It's AWESOME.
> 
> http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=085


 
I never knew that Microsoft sold laser pointers.


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## ks_physicist (Oct 6, 2007)

I received my Class II (0.8 mw) green laser with APC from AtlasNova a few days ago, and tried it out in class today. I teach in a fairly small room where I am at max 12-15 feet from whatever I'm pointing at. This greenie works PERFECTLY in there with the lights on, and is bright but not blinding when pointing at the screen with the room lights off. 

And the kids think it's damn cool that it's green. I'll enjoy it while I can, it's only a matter of time until they're not cool any more because everyone will have a red/blue/green triple-beam laser on their keychain.

Anyway, I was at least a little hesitant to go with Class II, but it is /exactly/ what I needed for a classroom-to-auditorium laser pointer. I think it ended up being $58 and change at AtlasNova.


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## greenLED (Oct 6, 2007)

Any opinions on the quality of the AtlasNova vs. Optotronics vs. DX vs Thinkgeek?

I'd like to get a durable unit as a present for someone really special.

Any opinions on this vs. this other one (both Atlasnova, one with APC - what's that mean?).


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## lazerlover (Oct 6, 2007)

I'd definately go with Abeland's, he stocks only high quality lasers, his new supplier is the same that the WL core (laserpointer.com) is from, so it also has the "spartan" technology (lol).


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## abeland1 (Oct 6, 2007)

lazerlover said:


> I'd definately go with Abeland's, he stocks only high quality lasers, his new supplier is the same that the WL core (laserpointer.com) is from, so it also has the "spartan" technology (lol).


I do not have a new supplier. I have the same manufacturer in Taiwan that I have been dealing with for 5 years. I wonder where you got that information. I do not get anything from China. I had a look at "The Core" and it looks like some unrequested samples we recieved from China. They somehow knew that I buy in 1K lots I was quoted <$10 each. This would allow me to sell them for $35 as well and I would undoubtedly sell a great many of them, but I choose not to. I am not implying that there is anything wrong with buying or selling them. I seldom sell anyone their first greenie anymore unless they have a friend with one of mine or have done a lot of due diligence. I am quite happy with that and we are as busy as we want to be in any case. We have just the kind of customers we want.


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## Gunner12 (Oct 6, 2007)

The DX 5mw Green is one of the cheapest green laser's I've seen. Another cheap button cell powered green laser.


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## greenLED (Oct 7, 2007)

so, abeland, what's the difference between the APC and non-APC green lasers I linked before?
Thanks.


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## 3rd_shift (Oct 7, 2007)

Kiessling said:


> I use 5mW green which is overly sufficient in daylight and probably too bright in darker environments.
> Despite the legal aspects and dangers assiciated ... 5 mW is really enough for presentations.
> bernhard



I have to agree with that.
I have a 5mw green that does get plenty of attention and goes a looooooong way on batteries. 

Mine is a New Wish Brand from Deal Extreme that can be had for under $30 with shipping.


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## abeland1 (Oct 7, 2007)

greenLED said:


> so, abeland, what's the difference between the APC and non-APC green lasers I linked before?
> Thanks.



The APC pointers have a negative feedback circuit (APC = Automatic Power Control) that insures that the output power will not exceed 5mW. This makes them more suitable for indoor use. It has a small green LED placed just above the "ON" button to show when the pointer is radiating. You need to start with a unit that has a nominal output of say 10-15mW and incorporate a sensor after the MCA and send a voltage back to the driver circuit that will establish a "setpoint" that represents a certain output level. The driver circuit then adjusts the current to the pump diode to achieve that level. This is in addition to the photodiode that is in the pump diode assembly itself which is used to keep the pump diode from going crazy (chaotic non-linier device that it is). An additional benefit feedback with headroom has is that the device is no longer subject to the "cool-down" rule and may be kept on continuously


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## greenLED (Oct 7, 2007)

Thank you, abeland, that expands the description I read on your website.

So, other <5mW green laser pointers I see online don't have APC? At least the ones I've seen don't even mention it.


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## abeland1 (Oct 7, 2007)

greenLED said:


> Thank you, abeland, that expands the description I read on your website.
> 
> So, other <5mW green laser pointers I see online don't have APC? At least the ones I've seen don't even mention it.


I would assume that it would be mentioned if they had it but I really would not know. I have enough to do watching over what we are offering to pay attention to the market. In any case, hyperbole makes me tired very quickly.


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## nero_design (Oct 7, 2007)

You requested information on a Green pointer which I replied to earlier in this thread. I've been using a green for my own lectures and public presentations until a few weeks ago and then tried one of the blue 5mW pointers with very good results. The public really seemed to respond to the unusual color of the Blue and even Greens are a little unusual to see here since they're not sold locally. Red is a little too 'common' these days and is of lower impact visually. 

Here's a pic of a 5mW Green, 5mW Blue and a 5mW Red together for comparison that I took around a week ago:






Green's still your best choice in relation to budget and value for dollar Vs use.
It also hits the peak range for the human eye in relation to available colors/wavelengths. The price of the greens in the 5mW range is currently at a great all-time-low right now from what I can see.


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## Corona (Oct 8, 2007)

drmaxx said:


> Why do you suggest class II? Kind of surprising for me.


 Because Southernwayfarer is looking for a _presentation pointer_, and 5mW of green is considered by many presentation attendees as too bright. And I can attest to the fact that this is true; with the possible exception of engineers, most people dislike the extreme brightness (and the extra bloom from the screen makes pinpointing things more difficult).


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## greenLED (Oct 8, 2007)

Thank you for that pic, Nero!

So, no I have conflicting experiences... Nero's saying his audience responded well to green (and then blue), but Corona's saying the opposite. If I may ask, what was the ambient lighting during those presentations? Type of audience? This would help me choose between class II or III.


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## 1 what (Oct 8, 2007)

Hi Nero,
Can you tell me where you purchased the 5 mW blue laser?


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## nero_design (Oct 9, 2007)

Sorry *'greenLED'*, I was trying to say that the eye sees green laser light as a 'brighter' wavelength than blue. But because of the rarity of blue lasers (especially as pointers), I get a lot of people running up to me to find out more about it. 

*'1 what'*: The laser is a review model sent to me by that new company 'Tech Lasers'. I believe it's called the 'MIRAGE'. Certainly brighter to the eye than red.

Green's still cheaper and comes across as slightly brighter than blue. But wheneve I use a blue laser, people ask me "where'd you get that??!" For anyone wanting primary brightness and practical pricing, green's still going to be first option. I prefer blue though. Just for the impact.


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## drmaxx (Oct 9, 2007)

Wow - very informative thread!!!
:thanks:

I think I know what I should get to cover my needs. I had the opportunity to see a Class II green laser in action and was impressed. It was clearly more visible then my class IIIa red one. Very well suited for smaller rooms.

Still, I think I need a stronger laser for for larger audiences (classe IIIa; anything higher is out of question). I still would appriciate any input from your experience.


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## greenLED (Oct 9, 2007)

nero_design said:


> Sorry *'greenLED'*, I was trying to say that the eye sees green laser light as a 'brighter' wavelength than blue. But because of the rarity of blue lasers (especially as pointers), I get a lot of people running up to me to find out more about it.


Thank you, Marco. I was talking with someone who's got a green laser for her presentations, and she was telling me she's trying to get an *orange *one next. 

Anyway, unless something big crosses my eyes in the next day or so, I'm set on an Atlasnova green laser with APC.


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## abeland1 (Oct 9, 2007)

greenLED said:


> Thank you, Marco. I was talking with someone who's got a green laser for her presentations, and she was telling me she's trying to get an *orange *one next.
> 
> Anyway, unless something big crosses my eyes in the next day or so, I'm set on an Atlasnova green laser with APC.



For most people 635nm appears to be more orange than red.


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## nero_design (Oct 9, 2007)

greenLED said:


> Thank you, Marco. I was talking with someone who's got a green laser for her presentations, and she was telling me she's trying to get an *orange *one next.



LOL! I'd hoped someone would send me an orange for review since I could then photograph the full spectrum of available laser colors together (in the pen sized range) but I prefer companies to send me items they prefer to have examined and/or photographed rather than what I would personally like to play with. I think Orange would be a great option since it's brighter to the eye than red and has a "unique" look to it.


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## abeland1 (Oct 11, 2007)

greenLED said:


> Thank you, Marco. I was talking with someone who's got a green laser for her presentations, and she was telling me she's trying to get an *orange *one next.
> 
> Anyway, unless something big crosses my eyes in the next day or so, I'm set on an Atlasnova green laser with APC.



It has been quite a while since I have done any lecturing and I used slides. Has Microsoft's PowerPoint taken over the market?


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## greenLED (Oct 11, 2007)

abeland1 said:


> It has been quite a while since I have done any lecturing and I used slides. Has Microsoft's PowerPoint taken over the market?



The last time I used slides in a formal presentation was in '98. PowerPoint has been used in every conference or professional meeting I've been to since. 

On campus, pretty much every classroom I'm familiar with has an LCD projector, but there's always a backup overhead projector in a corner of the room and I do see some instructors still using them in lecture.


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## abeland1 (Oct 11, 2007)

Aseras said:


> not really the reds are so prolific and cheap now. The one I have is part of a bluetooth mouse that has powerpoint forward back keys and a laser pointer in it. It's AWESOME.
> 
> http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=085



Here is one with a classII green from my laser people in Taiwan:
http://www.atlasnova.com/WirelessGreenLaserPresenter.htm


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## marianne (Oct 12, 2007)

abeland1 said:


> For most people 635nm appears to be more orange than red.


i bought one of your 635s recently (did a review on LPF too, if you haven't seen), and i love it - however i would describe it as a red, still. it's certainly much brighter than the standard 650 red, and it's a beautiful, warm shade of red as opposed to 650, but still red (in my opinion). of course, everyone sees things differently!


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## rmyc (Jan 17, 2008)

the lucky duck one was really nice. my friend has one and it worked pretty good and plugs into usb. they are an american brand and the fell was nice. i think universities should all move to green, you can barely see the red dot


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## Shreknow91 (Jan 17, 2008)

nero_design said:


> LOL! I'd hoped someone would send me an orange for review since I could then photograph the full spectrum of available laser colors together (in the pen sized range) but I prefer companies to send me items they prefer to have examined and/or photographed rather than what I would personally like to play with. I think Orange would be a great option since it's brighter to the eye than red and has a "unique" look to it.




you would still need yellow though, and of course 405nm blue/violet


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## chimo (Jan 17, 2008)

Ditto on the "5mW of Green" for presentations. Anything more is far too bright for that use. 

I purchased a 5mW (3xLR44 battery) green from dealextreme. The LR44s die quite quickly so I use one 10180 Li-ion (from AW in CPF Marketplace) in it for much longer cumulative run-time.


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## Meduza (Jan 20, 2008)

I think this one would be great for your use:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2511


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## husky20 (Jan 20, 2008)

I just got a Wicked lazer core 5mw and love it. 44 dollars delivered on Ebay from a guy called guitmath.Wicked lazers wanted 49 plus 21 for delivery.Got mine in only three days.Its all you need!:wave:He had many brand new in the box.


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## Hallis (Jan 20, 2008)

husky20 said:


> I just got a Wicked lazer core 5mw and love it. 44 dollars delivered on Ebay from a guy called guitmath.Wicked lazers wanted 49 plus 21 for delivery.Got mine in only three days.Its all you need!:wave:He had many brand new in the box.



I just ordered 2 core 5mw greens from Wicked lasers. I saw the guy selling them for $10 cheaper on ebay but It is worth it to me to have the purchases on file with Wicked for warranty reasons. 

I would reccomend the Wicked Lasers Core 5mw because of their 1-yr standard warranty. 

A Blue pointer would be awesome as well but Blue is still a little pricey as the development of high powered blue emitters is still fairly recent in comparison to green and red. I cant wait to get my WL's One is a gift for a friend whom introduced me to lasers.

You get what you pay for. So keep that in mind. the WL Core fits precisely your price tag and has a good company to back it up. 

Shane


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## jrv (Jan 20, 2008)

5mW of green is really too much for indoor use unless you're in an auditorium. This is a laser, not a flashlight, and the brightness does not fall off rapidly with distance. Keep in mind that 5mW is the *most* you'd ever want to use, not a dim amount.

(were I in the audience and some idiot presenter started waving around a laser with more than 5mW I'd walk out to protect my eyes and file a safety complaint)

A DPSS greenie is not going to be as durable as a red diode. Unless you want green for effect I recommend sticking to red.

635nm is much more visible for a given power than the usual 650nm red but it's also a lot more expensive.

abeland1/AtlasNova sells two good choices: a 635nm 1mW red and a 1mW green. I own one of each from him.

If you buy a cheap laser, especially from DealExtreme and the like, avoid green as they may be hazardous if there is no IR filter - stick to red.


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## Hallis (Jan 23, 2008)

WL shipped my lasers and i got a tracking #. Which was USPS Priority. I'd paid $27 for UPS Express global as it was the only shipping option so i thought WTH?. I sent them a polite questionary email and the next day i had a $20 shipping refund waiting in my paypal account. Turns out they are moving their Core and a few other models to a US based warehouse.  So, as soon as i get some more money i definately will be going back to them for something with a little more powah!!!!, 

Shane


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