Z-Bolt Lasers?

Anyone have experience with this company?

Remark:
I have a (hopefully fleeting) interest in a 10-15mw
GLP, since my standard one is weak during the winter
months. Am somewhat conflicted about the higher
power. Wish to use it for scope pointing.

Anyone use a higher power laser? Anything I should know?

Thanks and Regards,
-Larry Curcio

Anyone use a higher power laser? Anything I should know?

10-15 mw lasers are class 3B. Laser safety standards for Class 3B lasers
require eye protection, restricted access etc.

If you look at the laser safety link on the Z-bolt page and then reference the
study they reference you will discover that the testing was done with class 3a
lasers (under 5mw.)

I consider this dishonest, anyone selling class 3B lasers needs to provide
proper safety information that is consistent with current standards.

Taking chances with ones vision is that last thing an Amateur Astronomer ought
to be doing, taking chances with other peoples vision is unthinkable.

Jon

I've bought a few laser pointers from Z-Bolt. I've gotten a couple of bad
green laser pointers from them, which has left me a little gun shy (of green
laser pointers in general).

As for the company, they have been great. They refunded my money for one
pointer even though it was AFTER the warranty period. Excellent service.

Jeff
http://www.mindspring.com/~jeffpo


"Larry Curcio" wrote in message
...
Anyone have experience with this company?

Remark:
I have a (hopefully fleeting) interest in a 10-15mw
GLP, since my standard one is weak during the winter
months. Am somewhat conflicted about the higher
power. Wish to use it for scope pointing.

Anyone use a higher power laser? Anything I should know?

Thanks and Regards,
-Larry Curcio

"Larry Curcio" wrote in message
...
Anyone have experience with this company?

Remark:
I have a (hopefully fleeting) interest in a 10-15mw
GLP, since my standard one is weak during the winter
months. Am somewhat conflicted about the higher
power. Wish to use it for scope pointing.

Anyone use a higher power laser? Anything I should know?

Our local astronomy club board has voted to ban high powered lasers at our
sponsored star parties. Not only are they really annoying to others, but
several times an overzealous astronomer has come close to pointing at
someone's head when aiming for an object near the horizon. Since some of
these high powered lasers easily burn through plastic trash bags, they felt
the potential liability would be too great.

Did I mention that they can be annoying?

"Kilolani" wrote in message hlink.net...
[...]
Our local astronomy club board has voted to ban high powered lasers at our
sponsored star parties.
[...]
Since some of
these high powered lasers easily burn through plastic trash bags, they felt
the potential liability would be too great.

But if they burned through clouds then they'd be OK? :-)

I can see it now: a array of 36 GLPs arranged around the circumferential
opening of an OTA, projecting a cloud-burning wire-frame-cylinder-like beam
into the sky. Oooo, don't point at Orion's nads. :-)

Yeah... They're annoying. Did I mention I have arthritis and
can't aim a telescope worth a darn without a pointer? At
star parties I look through other people's scopes to avoid the
problem.

That said, I value my eyesight and have decided against
the trans-5 mw laser.

Thanks for all the input,
-Larry (Commando Cody I ain't) C.

"Kilolani" wrote in message
news
"Larry Curcio" wrote in message
...
Anyone have experience with this company?

Remark:
I have a (hopefully fleeting) interest in a 10-15mw
GLP, since my standard one is weak during the winter
months. Am somewhat conflicted about the higher
power. Wish to use it for scope pointing.

Anyone use a higher power laser? Anything I should know?

Our local astronomy club board has voted to ban high powered lasers at our
sponsored star parties. Not only are they really annoying to others, but
several times an overzealous astronomer has come close to pointing at
someone's head when aiming for an object near the horizon. Since some of
these high powered lasers easily burn through plastic trash bags, they
felt
the potential liability would be too great.

Did I mention that they can be annoying?

Easily burn through trash bags? I was at NEAF yesterday and at Howie
Glatter's booth I was looking at his 30 mw green laser. I believe this is
the most powerful pointer on the market, at least that I have seen. I held
the beam on the inside of my forearm, and not only did it not cut my arm
off, but I could feel no perceptible sensation of warmth at all. While I
think anyone with one of these should take the utmost care not to shine them
in anyone's eyes there is no research or anecdotal evidence (do you think in
the whole world *nobody* has been accidentally shined in the eye with one of
these?) that these devices cause anything more than temporary flash
blindness with *no* permanent eye damage. I admit a case of temporary flash
blindness would ruin my night of observing and tick me off, there are no
cases of permanent blindness or eye damage on record. I don't own one. Some
might find them a useful tool or teaching aid. You might find them annoying,
but lets remain rational and scientific on the subject and not revert to
hysteria. If there *is* a pointer significantly more powerful then 30 mw
please let me know where to get one, I need to prune some tree limbs that
are too high to reach.

"Bruce" wrote in message
...

Easily burn through trash bags? I was at NEAF yesterday and at Howie
Glatter's booth I was looking at his 30 mw green laser. I believe this is
the most powerful pointer on the market, at least that I have seen. I held
the beam on the inside of my forearm, and not only did it not cut my arm
off, but I could feel no perceptible sensation of warmth at all. While I
think anyone with one of these should take the utmost care not to shine
them
in anyone's eyes there is no research or anecdotal evidence (do you think
in
the whole world *nobody* has been accidentally shined in the eye with one
of
these?) that these devices cause anything more than temporary flash
blindness with *no* permanent eye damage. I admit a case of temporary
flash
blindness would ruin my night of observing and tick me off, there are no
cases of permanent blindness or eye damage on record. I don't own one.
Some
might find them a useful tool or teaching aid. You might find them
annoying,
but lets remain rational and scientific on the subject and not revert to
hysteria. If there *is* a pointer significantly more powerful then 30 mw
please let me know where to get one, I need to prune some tree limbs that
are too high to reach.

I'm talking about laser pointers in the 50-150 mw range... and they can burn
through plastic trash bags.

"Kilolani" wrote in message
.net...
"Bruce" wrote in message
...

Easily burn through trash bags? I was at NEAF yesterday and at Howie
Glatter's booth I was looking at his 30 mw green laser. I believe this
is
the most powerful pointer on the market, at least that I have seen. I
held
the beam on the inside of my forearm, and not only did it not cut my arm
off, but I could feel no perceptible sensation of warmth at all. While I
think anyone with one of these should take the utmost care not to shine
them
in anyone's eyes there is no research or anecdotal evidence (do you
think
in
the whole world *nobody* has been accidentally shined in the eye with
one
of
these?) that these devices cause anything more than temporary flash
blindness with *no* permanent eye damage. I admit a case of temporary
flash
blindness would ruin my night of observing and tick me off, there are no
cases of permanent blindness or eye damage on record. I don't own one.
Some
might find them a useful tool or teaching aid. You might find them
annoying,
but lets remain rational and scientific on the subject and not revert to
hysteria. If there *is* a pointer significantly more powerful then 30 mw
please let me know where to get one, I need to prune some tree limbs
that
are too high to reach.

I'm talking about laser pointers in the 50-150 mw range... and they can
burn
through plastic trash bags.

I stand corrected... sort of:

The Z-Bolt laser MODULES that range up to 150 mw have no resemblance to a
laser pointer. They use house current and plug into the wall. There is a
separate power pack, and a separate housing for the laser diode itself, this
housing has a cooling fan. I don't expect to see these laser modules showing
up at star parties, and at any rate I have yet to find or be shown any
reference or evidence that these can impart any heat or cause permanent
tissue damage. I have not been able to find any laser with the familiar
(I'll ignore the legal definition of 'pointer'... output under 5 mw) POINTER
configuration (about the size of a writing pen, runs on a few 'AAA' cells)
with even half the output of these 150 mw modules.

OK, so I corresponded with a gentleman who makes very high power green
lasers (Don't swamp me with requests, I found him, you can too). I asked
permission to post his response here, which he declined. He indicated that
he built a portable green laser up to 1000 mw (1 watt), however it's housed
in a large Mag-Lite flashlight and uses 5 "D" cells and has no resemblance
to the laser "pointers" we are all familiar with. He says this 1000 mw laser
will indeed burn through trash bags, and will burn skin if held in one place
long enough. His demo video didn't show that, but I'm not going to dispute
his claim.

At any rate, I should point out that the OP expressed interest in a 10-15 mw
laser. IMHO, if it's a laser "pointer" (like we are all familiar with -
approximately pen sized and runs on a couple of small batteries) then it is
under 75 mw and unless someone produces evidence otherwise I am still
convinced they can produce no more than temporary discomfort.
Now if someone comes along and points something at me that is powered by 5
"D" cells then I will duck & cover right along with you!

IMHO, if it's a laser "pointer" (like we are all familiar with -
approximately pen sized and runs on a couple of small batteries) then it is
under 75 mw and unless someone produces evidence otherwise I am still
convinced they can produce no more than temporary discomfort.

Consider the following proposition:

If you are convinced that lasers under 75mw will cause nothing more than
temporary discomfort, I suggest you volunteer as an experimental subject so
that this can be verified. Otherwise, I suggest that sticking to the standard
laser safety regulations for class 3B lasers is appropriate and so that
inadvertantly you have not helped someone else volunteer to be an experimental
subject.

-----------------------

I make the following calculation:

The suns energy striking the earths surface is about 1000 watts per square
meter.

A persons maximum pupil dilation is considered to be 7mm and of course during
the day it is much smaller, more like 2mm.

The suns energy falling on a 7mm exit pupil would be about 38 mw, on that 2 mm
exit pupil it would be about 3 mw.

Personally I avoid looking directly at the sun and I avoid using lasers
casually that are not rated for casual use.

Jon Isaacs