Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Wicked Lasers Introduces Handheld One-Watt Green Laser

Posted by timothy on from the I-want-a-dozen-mounted-on-my-car dept.

First time accepted submitter (and Slashdot coder) cogent writes "Wicked Lasers, famous for last year's 1000mW handheld blue laser, and infamous for its handling of six-month-long backorders, is now selling a green version. There are three power levels, each priced at $1/mW (300mW, 500mW, 1000mW). Since the eye is far more sensitive to green than to blue, this is pretty much the state of the art in putting-dots-on-stuff technology. Wicked Lasers sent out an email promising to handle backorders much better this time." Adds reader whitedsepdivine: "There is currently no disclaimer that this is not a lightsaber on their site, so we can only assume that this version is."

27 of 404 comments (clear)

  1. Might add a warning... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Might add a warning that at 1W (1000mW) your eye is 'sensitive' to just about anything in terms of damage from them, whatever color.
    Be sure you get good laser protective glasses with one of these things, and whatever you do *do not* aim it or reflect it into anyone's (or any animal's) eyes... its not a "toy".

    1. Re:Might add a warning... by n5vb · · Score: 4, Informative

      I would add avoiding *scattered* light to the list of warnings. (It has a BRH Class 4 warning label, which does include that wording.) A bit safer perhaps than other wavelengths because your eye responds with very high sensitivity to 532nm green (so you're not in *quite* as much danger as you would be from short-wavelength blue or, far worse, UV), but you definitely want to be wearing 532nm notch filter glasses with side shields as even looking at the beam spot on a white (and non-specularly-reflecting) surface could give cause fairly rapid eye damage. (And you can't control who's staring at the beam spot in most cases.) Note: The beam spot of my 40mW DPSS laser is significantly brighter than I'm comfortable looking at for long..

      (Wicked also has pretty emphatic warnings in the manual about never aiming it at satellites. Me, I wouldn't want to be the guy who gets sued by or faces criminal charges from the operators of a commercial or government LEO satellite whose sensors are damaged by one of these. Goes at least double for whoever tries to show off to the ISS crew .. not a good idea.)

    2. Re:Might add a warning... by mrops · · Score: 3, Interesting

      As power levels of these lasers are getting higher up, it takes a dumb kid living 200 yards away shining this stupid thing on my eye and causing injury.

      IMO, there should be licensing similar to guns. Maybe even training on how to handle these as opposed to Tom the fat wallet idiot ordering it off the internet.

    3. Re:Might add a warning... by SomePgmr · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm normally the first guy to say, "oh leave people be", but this kind of thing is one where I think I'd be happier with a person having to have some kind of minor license to buy one... if only to just create some token hurdle to ownership.

      The problem with lasers is that, whereas everyone knows how dangerous a firearm can be... people tend to treat lasers like toys with no consequences. "Yeah, yeah, don't shine it in anyones eyes... got it." But I have never seen someone wear eye protection when using one, much less making sure everyone for miles around had eye protection when they're shining it through windows, at passing cars, etc. And they're coming down in price so any goofball can screw around with pretty powerful ones.

      Maybe it's time to make sure people buying these things really understand how bad they can screw up with these devices in just a moment of bad decision making? And I don't mean clicking "I Agree" to a paragraph on a website that they didn't read. Maybe something more like a amateur radio test?

      For me, it's awkward talking favorably about regulation. Maybe I'm overly concerned about something that isn't really an issue.

    4. Re:Might add a warning... by ErikZ · · Score: 3, Insightful

      As opposed to simply using matches?

      I sympathize, I live in Colorado and we have acres and acres of beetle killed trees. But banning lasers to the general public will not stop a single asshole from setting half the state on fire.

      http://www.rogergeorge.com/rentals/items/0rfflt/

      --
      Democrats or Republicans. They are both taking us to the same place and they are not afraid of us anymore.
    5. Re:Might add a warning... by black+soap · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Maybe he meant regulated. I guarantee guns are regulated in your state, but maybe not to the point that you noticed the inconvenience.

      Is it legal for you to:

      • Sell handguns to a minor?
      • Be in the business of manufacturing guns without a license?
      • Be in the business of selling guns without keeping records and checking ID?
      • Manufacture guns commercially without serial numbers?
      • Build or buy a new fully-automatic rifle or pistol?
      • Leave a loaded gun where a child could find it?
      • Walk around in public, pointing your gun at people?
      • Fire your gun within city limits?
      • Fire your gun at occupied houses and vehicles?
      • Buy guns over .50 caliber centerfire without extra paperwork?
      • Buy or manufacture tungsten-core handgun bullets?
      • Buy anti-tank rounds?
      • Buy guided munitions? Air burst?
      • Have a 12" barrel on your shotgun without Federal permission?
      • Put a rifle stock on your pistol without government OK?
      • Sell a rifle to a person (private sale) who lives in another state?

      Guns may not be licensed, but gun makers and sellers are, and guns are very heavily regulated (and not in the same sense as used in the 2nd amendment).

    6. Re:Might add a warning... by RichardJenkins · · Score: 4, Insightful

      NO, it's a damn weapon. If you're out walking the streets with this, the police should be about as suspicious as if you're walking around with a kitchen knife in your pocket.

    7. Re:Might add a warning... by NoSleepDemon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'm almost certain that someone in my town has something similar to one of these. My apartment's fairly high up overlooking a couple of main roads and residential neighbourhoods, and one afternoon I was watching TV when I was hit by an extremely bright green light that seemed to come from somewhere down the road, and which then briefly filled my whole vision. It wasn't a particularly pleasant affair, luckily whatever dickhead was shining it around didn't keep it in one spot for long. They really ought to be classed as weapons - it only takes one careless turd to wave one of these at a set of flats / office / condo and you've got a good chance of flashing someone in the eyes.

    8. Re:Might add a warning... by smellsofbikes · · Score: 4, Informative

      But I have never seen someone wear eye protection when using one, much less making sure everyone for miles around had eye protection when they're shining it through windows, at passing cars, etc. And they're coming down in price so any goofball can screw around with pretty powerful ones.

      FWIW when I bought the 350mW laser I'm using on my CNC mill to do marking and drill soldermask stencils, I'd already purchased a set of laser goggles designed for that wavelength, and always wear them when it's powered up. The reason I did that is because I've worked in three high-power laser labs, two commercial and one academic, and in all three at least one coworker had partial blindness from an unintended exposure. (In two of those, the person had been wearing laser glasses, and had just gotten unlucky with a specular reflection off a tool sitting on a desk that deflected the beam upwards between the edge of the glasses and the person's cheek, which is why I got against-the-skin-all-the-way-around goggles.) One dubious benefit to high power lasers in private hands is that it'll most likely be the owner's eyes that get fried in the reasonably short term.

      --
      Nostalgia's not what it used to be.
    9. Re:Might add a warning... by thelamecamel · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Here in Australia, laser pointers above 1mW are considered prohibited weapons - in the same category as crossbows and knuckledusters. You need to get a prohibited weapons permit to own one (and keep it in a safe), and you need to get two more permits to buy one from overseas. I had to go through all this paperwork and police checks - and I was a scientist getting them delivered to my university office! Let's not tell the politicians about the CO2 lasers sitting in the labs downstairs eh.

  2. you don't want this by vijayiyer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As cool as this is, you really don't want one. Specular reflections off other surfaces can blind you instantly. There's no way to actually hand hold it with it powered in any remotely safe manner. If it doesn't terrify you, you don't know what you're dealing with, and if it does, you probably don't want one.

    1. Re:you don't want this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      "If it doesn't terrify you, you don't know what you're dealing with, and if it does, you probably don't want one."

      Well, I actually have a 2.5W blue laser, but yes - it terrifies me and I treat it with the respect it deserves, wear proper eye protection, keep body parts away from it, and only operate it in a safe/controlled environment with no 'random people' around. The people calling it a 'light saber' scare the bloody crap out of me, as if its some 'cool toy'. A 1W laser is about as much of a 'toy' as an AK47 or a flamethrower, and deserves every bit of proper training and handling as those do.

    2. Re:you don't want this by kimvette · · Score: 4, Informative

      I have wanted one for the longest time but have resisted for precisely the reasons you cited. All it takes is one bystander to glance at the reflection even from a distance, and they're injured for life. It's not worth it even for such a fantastically fun toy.

      I've been thinking about a 70mW-90mW laser for a while but even that poses a high risk of injury even at a significant distance.

      (obligatory WARNING: DO NOT STARE INTO LASER WITH REMAINING EYE.)

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
    3. Re:you don't want this by Alef · · Score: 5, Informative

      I work lasers on a daily basis. At 1000 mW, I would avoid looking even at a diffuse reflex at any reasonably close distance. I would never handle one of those without protective glasses and it mounted towards a beam stop.

    4. Re:you don't want this by TheRaven64 · · Score: 4, Funny

      A 1W laser is about as much of a 'toy' as an AK47 or a flamethrower

      So, you mean it's not a toy, it's a really fun toy?

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    5. Re:you don't want this by TheLink · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yeah it's like an easily concealed fully-automatic machine gun that can fire continuously for one to two hours till the battery runs out, with an "effective range" of up to 149 metres (see NOHD).

      AND any idiot/scum with 1000 bucks can buy it and use it, no need for a license or training.

      It doesn't actually do direct lethal damage but anyone who thinks this is fine is either stupid or ignorant (or is already blind and has no nonblind entities he/she cares about).

      There are already idiots/scum with high powered lasers. In one case, some spectators were shining high powered lasers at the opposing team's players in football match. I'm not sure how high powered they were, but those players certainly noticed and complained. They eventually lost the match, but I don't blame them, I would refuse to play in such conditions. I would actually recommend that the match be called off or boycotted. Not worth permanent eye damage.

      --
    6. Re:you don't want this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      The comment about proper eye protection is naive. Eye protection for a 1W green laser would only protect against attenuated reflections. Such a laser should only be operated inside an appropriate enclosure, or in a closed room while mounted in a fixed position below eye level with now reflective surfaces in the room. There would need to be appropriate signage on the doors to the room.

      No one who cannot calculate Nominal Hazard Zones should be making decisions about operating the laser.

    7. Re:you don't want this by kimvette · · Score: 4, Informative

      I've lusted after 1000mW diodes for a long time with the idea of programming beam splitters, mirrors and the like to produce laser shows for parties and family events but it's just too dangerous for close quarters. Kids will insist on playing with them, or if I goof, or anything fails, the idea of blinding someone is scary.

      I do need a brighter pointer for astronomy (easier aiming of telescopes and cameras, pointing objects out to others, etc) and 1000mW would be perfect for that (a nice bright clear beam even in low-dust conditions) but the risk of dropping it or a chance reflection off an insect, bat, bird, etc. is just too great because at that level a close range reflection would mean near instant blindness. Even the 70mW-90mW (WL has a 75mW model) is a bit much, but 25mW might not be enough and if you go 50mW, why not go for 75mW for $10 more?

      I'd love to play with a 1000mW laser, but since you can't look at the specular reflections, or objects you aim it at without protection, what's the point? What can you safely do with it once you pop a balloon with it, or light a book of matches or burn a wasps' nest? The fun would die out pretty quickly. You can't cut steel with it, you can't weld with it, or really do anything practical with it, and it'd be a boring toy once you've experienced the novelty of popping a balloon or two from across a field using nothing but a beam of light and find there isn't anything you can safely use it for.

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
    8. Re:you don't want this by Amouth · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Those who do can go fill in paperwork and registration forms - no different from guns (not that that is working out particularly well in a market that's flooded with the things).

      i think the part that is different here is that the average Joe views a gun as a dangerous weapon - one that if i pull the trigger i have the chance to alter someones life and i'm responsible for it.

      the average Joe views a laser pointer as a toy.

      this product is anything but a toy - and anyone who teats it as such will pay the consequences (along with the people around them).

      While i'm against laws preventing me from owning something like this (or a gun, which i don't currently), I'm all for mandatory safety training & certification. If there was a machine that had something like this on it in Industry - there would be safety training, and that is for people who deal with them on a daily basis (same as cops and guns). The fact that we let the average Joe with no training go wild with it is just irresponsible, and sadly it is more likely the people around this person who will pay for it.

      --
      '...if only "Jumping to a Conclusion" was an event in the Olympics.'
    9. Re:you don't want this by drolli · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I fully agree. I (being a physicist) can not imagine any purpose for this laser outside a firmly mounted case inside a lab or workshop.

      If you write on the lase: don't point it to aircrafts, then this is exactly what some asshats are going to do.

    10. Re:you don't want this by SleazyRidr · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think the issue is that everyone knows that guns are dangerous, so they get treated with respect. People think of laser pointers as especially cool flashlights, while they are as dangerous as a gun to someone's eyesight. Sure, they do have the small warning box near the bottom of the product page, but the title reads "Green Laser Pointer...", so you know these'll get bought by people who don't realise what they can do.

      --
      Is 1563649 a prime number?
    11. Re:you don't want this by Kjella · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I guess a dead solider only costs $5K to bury but a blinded soldier will rack up millions of dollars of costs over his lifetime. I can't think of another reason to prefer killing.

      Dead people don't suffer. In short, you can incapacitate someone or kill them, but the conventions ban weapons designed to permanently maim or cripple the enemy forces. The primary reason is humanitarian, not economic. The irony of claiming some ways to injure people are ethical and some aren't is not lost on me, neither was in on the people making the conventions. But it's the idea that even if we are at war, there are acceptable and less acceptable ways to wage war. Like for example slaughtering civilians, prisoners of wars, rape, torture, land mines, weapons to kill rescue workers and so on. That even if there's no war without suffering, that there is an obligation for everyone to minimize it - even among the enemy.

      Also in any but the two cases where you're either exterminating or being exterminated, you will have to live with these people afterwards. That kind of memories can burn bright and long, should ever the opportunity for revenge come.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
  3. Damn, not powerful enough by hellfire · · Score: 3, Funny

    No popcorn for me :(

    --

    "All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"

  4. FDA ban by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    You can give them Money, but unless the FDA allows them into the country, you would need to buy an airline ticket to get one:

        http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_254.html

    unless they have resolved all the issues, which, I doubt.

  5. Counts as a weapon and is highly dangerous by gweihir · · Score: 5, Informative

    Take care that this counts as a weapon in many countries and possession without a matching laser-permit can land you in jail. Here you need a permit for any laser class 3 or above, i.e. > 5mW. Also it is very easy to permanently blind someone with this thing by reflection only. If you are stupid enough to point it at a flying airplane or helicopter (quite a few people are), you will go down either as a terrorist or for attempted murder. Or with this thing likely for completed murder as most helicopters and quite a few airplanes do not have a second pilot. Pointing it at a moving car can have the same effect. It is quite amoral to sell these to normal people.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  6. Re:what the heck are these for? by gweihir · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There is no legitimate use. I have a 4mW green laser pointer, and that is clearly visible in daylight and quite enough. The only use I see is as an anti-personnel and anti-aircraft weapon. In quite a few countries possession only will land you in jail. And there are quite a few stupid scumbags that point these at airplanes or helicopters for fun. One went down for several years here recently for pointing it at an ambulance helicopter in flight. That is 4 times attempted murder. (pilot, EMT, doctor, patient). Quite even making the pilot unable to fly safely for 15 minutes can kill the patient. You can do that with a much smaller laser already.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  7. Re:Blah Blah Dangerous Blah Blah by optimism · · Score: 3, Informative

    Usually I would agree with you about rampant fear-mongering, but not in this case.

    Let's look at the numbers.

    Have you ever glanced accidentally at the sun? Your eyeblink reflex protects you in about 100ms, and you probably see some colored spots for a few 10s of seconds afterwards. No big deal.

    Now, this laser is marketed as "8000 times brighter than the sun". Let's pretend they're telling the truth. That means the light energy is equivalent to looking at the sun for 8000*100ms = more than 13 MINUTES before your eyelids close.

    In reality it is even worse, because all of that energy is burning onto your retina in just 100ms.

    But if you want to get a rough idea, just go outside, hold your eyelids open, and stare at the sun for 13 minutes. Let us know how that turns out.

    Not everything is fearmongering.