r/lasers • • Jun 29 '20

PLEASE invest in quality laser safety eyewear

148 Upvotes

My apologies in advance for the rant...

I have seen numerous recommendations here for laser safety eyewear from companies who I would not trust with protecting my vision. Such products are not guaranteed to be tested as per the ANSI z136 standards (EN207/208 for those in Europe). Some companies even have disclaimers right on the product websites claiming the eyewear is not meant for situations where safety is regulated.

People are lucky if we have 2 working eyes. Laser radiation is a hazard to be taken seriously. The aversion response (blinking or looking away) can help prevent injury for lower powered laser but generally speaking, when we start moving into Class 3R and absolutely climbing into Class 3b and Class 4 lasers, the aversion response cannot be relied on.

The eye is an amazing muscle capable of focusing images (up to 100,000x) and serves as a direct connection to the central nervous system via the retina. If people are going to buy lasers, they should invest in quality protective equipment. Some damage to the eye such as a cornea burn may be able to recover relatively quickly thanks to the crazy high metabolism of those cells, but damage to the retina...why risk permanent damage?

Furthermore, if you do not know this already, take time to learn about laser safety. Familiarize yourself with terms such as irradiance/radiant exposure, Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE), and learn how to calculate the optical density required for your laser or the laser you are looking to purchase.

There are a lot of reputable companies producing quality laser safety eyewear who test to rigorous standards (The ANZI z136 series even includes a standard specifically for Testing and Labeling of Laser Protective Equipment (ANSI z136.7). Please, please, please, do not risk your vision by choosing affordability over quality when it comes to laser safety!


r/lasers • • 4h ago

Interesting that the future of AI depends on a laser hitting a drop of tin 50,000 times per second

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0 Upvotes

r/lasers • • 17h ago

Safety glasses and ir lasers

4 Upvotes

Recently bought a stupidly powerful handheld laser, in the 3 digits of wattage.

I tested it once, and its horrifyingly strong.

Im looking at safety googles and i have found some, but how do they work? Do they reflect the beam?

Absorb it? Which means melting glasses... In that case does one have alot of time to realize before there is a hole in them AND my eyeball?

Also if they reflect, wont that be a fire hazard?

Might be stupid questions, but eyesight is the one sense i got in excellent condition, and i want to keep it that way haha


r/lasers • • 12h ago

[UPDATE V4] VCSEL-less cheap version - 240x ML101J27 650nm diodes (30 TL each) - Same 25ns photonic accelerator for SD 1.5

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1 Upvotes

r/lasers • • 1d ago

Camera Sonim flip phone vs 5watt gatling burning blue

13 Upvotes

r/lasers • • 22h ago

We always have a great time on the weekends, and my family and I have been trying to use this laser cleaner as a prop for our weekend activities.

1 Upvotes

r/lasers • • 1d ago

Green laser pointer that isnt unsafe

0 Upvotes

Hi, I recentely wanted to try and get a laser pointer, thought it would be cool to just have one and shine at shit outside.

I really like the ones where you can see the actuall beam faily clearly on in a "dim" room.

I was wondering if there was a semi cheap laser that has a very visible beam that also isnt going to be able to damage eyelids with reflections/an accidental bust of light.

Thanks in advance.


r/lasers • • 1d ago

What parts do I need to tighten the beam of my 450nm "laser diode" (5W pointer) from aliexpress?

2 Upvotes

Currently, it's in a very rectangular beam that is fairly wide, I want to concentrate it into a tighter beam for more burning power, and change the plastic collimator (I don't know this for a fact, but a thorough review on the page says it has a plastic one and recommends replacing with glass). It's maybe, 3/16 inch wide, a little under a quarter inch, but more than an eighth at the focal point. If I can just bring in the overly wide axis, especially with a focusable mechanism of some sort, I'd be so happy.

I just don't know all what I need and what size exactly. I know about laser safety, and I have high end NoIR goggles (which I put on before even inserting the battery into my pointer), don't worry, but I don't know as much about the specific pieces/construction to help that beam pattern.

Side note, if you want a 5W (people say it tests around 3-3.5W) blue burning pointer... look up 450nm laser diode on aliexpress. It avoids the power rating in the name, so it's named like T-5000 or something along those lines. Just get real goggles first, not cheap amazon junk (I returned my freemascot goggles, because they claimed to block UV but my UV flashlight was blindingly bright even with them on, so... yeah no lol).


r/lasers • • 1d ago

[UPDATE V4] VCSEL-less cheap version - 240x ML101J27 650nm diodes (30 TL each) - Same 25ns photonic accelerator for SD 1.5

0 Upvotes

V4 UPDATE: VCSEL-less low-cost alternative added to same Zenodo record.

What changed:

- V2: 240x PLPVY1 940nm VCSELs ~55k TL BOM

- V4: 240x ML101J27 TO-5.6 EELD 650nm 200mW hobby lasers - 30 TL each = 7,200 TL total BOM. Generic 650nm 5.6mm 200mW diodes also work.

- No 940nm diffusion tail issue

- Driver: LFE5U-45F -> UCC27511ADBV R -> AO3400A SOT-23 MOSFET + series resistor, no level shifter needed

- Same: OPA858 TIA, AD9226 12-bit ADC, FDS010 photodiode, IS42S16320 SDRAM, FT232H

Performance: 120 bit-MAC / flash, 25ns optical pulse, 64x64 latent (512x512 image) in 5.8 min (4-step LCM), 2.9 min with 4 boards x 480 lasers.

Files: V4.pdf + V4-Fiyat_Link_Görsel.pdf added to same DOI

VCSEL-less Photonic Accelerator V4 - LIVE!

🚀 Hackaday: https://hackaday.io/project/207075-vcsel-less-photonic-accelerator-v4-240x-ml101j27

💬 Reddit (853 views): https://www.reddit.com/user/Vcsel-Photonic/

📊 Zenodo DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23369898

💻 GitHub: https://github.com/yasarhotmailes/vcsel-photonic-accelerator

240x ML101J27 @ 30TL = 7,200TL vs V2 55k TL (87% cheaper)

25ns flash, SD1.5 512x512 in 2.9min with 4 boards

Files: V4.pdf + BOM (914KB)

#photonics #VCSEL #EELD #FPGA #StableDiffusion #hackaday

V2 files still there (5 files total now). CC BY 4.0

Question for optics folks: For 650nm collimation, f=4-4.5mm aspheric on 100x20x10mm Al bar drilled - any cheap collimator source you recommend for TO-5.6?


r/lasers • • 2d ago

Schematic finding

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0 Upvotes

I have two of these laser control modules and I wanna repurpose them, but I can’t find a schematic or pin layout anywhere, I know it’s made for a very powerful laser but I just wanna repurpose it for some weaker ones


r/lasers • • 2d ago

[UPDATE V4] VCSEL-less cheap version - 240x ML101J27 650nm diodes (30 TL each) - Same 25ns photonic accelerator for SD 1.5

0 Upvotes

V4 UPDATE: VCSEL-less low-cost alternative added to same Zenodo record.

What changed:

- V2: 240x PLPVY1 940nm VCSELs ~55k TL BOM

- V4: 240x ML101J27 TO-5.6 EELD 650nm 200mW hobby lasers - 30 TL each = 7,200 TL total BOM. Generic 650nm 5.6mm 200mW diodes also work.

- No 940nm diffusion tail issue

- Driver: LFE5U-45F -> UCC27511ADBV R -> AO3400A SOT-23 MOSFET + series resistor, no level shifter needed

- Same: OPA858 TIA, AD9226 12-bit ADC, FDS010 photodiode, IS42S16320 SDRAM, FT232H

Performance: 120 bit-MAC / flash, 25ns optical pulse, 64x64 latent (512x512 image) in 5.8 min (4-step LCM), 2.9 min with 4 boards x 480 lasers.

Files: V4.pdf + V4-Fiyat_Link_Görsel.pdf added to same DOI

VCSEL-less Photonic Accelerator V4 - LIVE!

🚀 Hackaday: https://hackaday.io/project/207075-vcsel-less-photonic-accelerator-v4-240x-ml101j27

💬 Reddit (853 views): https://www.reddit.com/user/Vcsel-Photonic/

📊 Zenodo DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23369898

💻 GitHub: https://github.com/yasarhotmailes/vcsel-photonic-accelerator

240x ML101J27 @ 30TL = 7,200TL vs V2 55k TL (87% cheaper)

25ns flash, SD1.5 512x512 in 2.9min with 4 boards

Files: V4.pdf + BOM (914KB)

#photonics #VCSEL #EELD #FPGA #StableDiffusion #hackaday

V2 files still there (5 files total now). CC BY 4.0

Question for optics folks: For 650nm collimation, f=4-4.5mm aspheric on 100x20x10mm Al bar drilled - any cheap collimator source you recommend for TO-5.6?


r/lasers • • 3d ago

CO₂ laser current drops despite new RECI W4 tube and DY-13 PSU — Ruida signals appear stable

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1 Upvotes

r/lasers • • 3d ago

Brand-New xTool M2, Only 8 Engravings — 10W Laser Not Recognized. Would You Request a Replacement?

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1 Upvotes

r/lasers • • 3d ago

Brand-New xTool M2, Only 8 Engravings — 10W Laser Not Recognized. Would You Request a Replacement?

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1 Upvotes

r/lasers • • 3d ago

My son would never guess that I use a laser cleaner to clean my grill—it sounds like something a superhero with laser powers would do.

1 Upvotes

r/lasers • • 4d ago

Looking to collaborate on computational photonics projects

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2 Upvotes

r/lasers • • 5d ago

Working as a cashier have an old ZERBA MOTOROLA barcode scanner that hit my eyes

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41 Upvotes

I was helping a customer and accidentally i passed over it and it HIT my eye for 1 second. I was so close to it. IM SCARED TO DEATH. is it dangerous?


r/lasers • • 4d ago

IR detection card

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1 Upvotes

r/lasers • • 5d ago

Laser quit working

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2 Upvotes

r/lasers • • 4d ago

Laser Measuring Tool

0 Upvotes

Looking for a very bright laser measuring tool. Something handheld maybe even pocket worthy.
I do a lot of measurements in day light and my laser can’t get a reading consistently.
Hopefully someone has a great recommendation on a bright laser measuring tool.


r/lasers • • 5d ago

Ha ha, what a great help!

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2 Upvotes

r/lasers • • 7d ago

Setting up and firing a 500W high-power architectural laser system

161 Upvotes

r/lasers • • 6d ago

Need recommendations on what laser to purchase for a specific project that sort of requires 405nm Violet diode and full color.

3 Upvotes

Essentially I want to combine photoluminescent paint and map a lazer on a canvas but I do not want to lose the other color and spectrums. My research has shown the 405nm aren't venue safe obviously. The traditional 450nm blue allegedly creates the tracing effect but not as rich. Anyone have any ideas? I'm not necessarily looking for this to be venue safe more an art installation project idea I've had for a few years. I'm new to lasers but understand resolume and video signal flows.


r/lasers • • 6d ago

¿Alguien ha trabajado con los láseres de Telesis?

0 Upvotes

Hola, estamos buscando un marcador para la empresa y queremos informarnos antes de hacer ninguna inversión.

El láser es para un uso industrial. Para marcar piezas de metal.

Tenemos vista la marca de Telesis de la cual nos han hablado muy bien pero queremos tener más información.

¿Alguien ha utilizado los marcadores de Telesis a nivel Industrial y nos puede dar su experiencia y si ha tenido algún problema con ellos?


r/lasers • • 7d ago

UV Laser Excitement

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27 Upvotes

Been using a few of the Tinkerlasers 395nm, 405nm and an OMTech 365nm laser to run some interesting experiments into light scattering and light trapping. So far having some pretty good success.