This is a guide about high powered green lasers with visible green laser beams. It's a fun and intense gadget to own. As green laser pointers are quite pricey, you should do your research before making your final decision. The information below should give a nice insight on the usability of green lasers relating to its power output.
High powered green laser pointers are extremely impressive gadgets to own. Why? Imagine clicking on a button and having a green laser beam extend miles into the sky. The range of these lasers is so far, it is beyond the reach of your vision! Some higher powered versions of green laser pointers have also been known to sting bare skin, light matches, and even light cigarettes.
The question is, which laser is appropriate for your needs. Before placing an order for a high powered green laser, you have to ask yourself, "what am I buying this laser for?" I've broken this down to 3 categories.
Category One: The green laser pointer is for daily use especially for conducting classes or presentations. The environment in which these will be conducted is generally small. If this is the scenario, stay with something low powered between 1mW - 5mW. "mW" is an abbreviation for milli-watts or 1/1000 of a watt. The green laser beam will not be visible but you will get a nice bright dot that can be clearly seen on LCD screens or projectors. Now, if you are a professor doing lectures in large auditoriums, you could venture into the higher powered lasers but do not go over 15mW.
Category Two: You are looking for a green laser pointer that emits a visible green laser beam at night or in lit conditions. Go with a green laser pointer between 40mW to 100mW. In general, any green laser pointer over 20mW will have a visible beam. Starting at 40mW, the green laser beam is clearly visible. The question now is, how much do you have to spend on a laser? As you increase in power, brightness also increases. If you have the dough, get something in the higher powered range. Green laser pointers above 100mW usually go for more than $100. If you're short on cash, a 40mW should sell for less than $100 shipped.
Category Three: You're a pyromaniac! You're looking for a laser pointer that can sting skin, pop balloons, light matches, melt rubber, and light cigarettes. This is where you need a green laser pointer above 100mW. Laser pointer technology has come a long way, however, small laser pointers above 100mW are somewhat unstable. While it is possible to squeeze all this power into a laser pen, the laser unit becomes over-heated quite easily. If burning is your thing, stay with the large portable laser units. Sometimes they are referred to as hand-held lasers. These are larger in size and offer a large heatsink to allow heat to properly disperse. Portable lasers are also much more stable in terms of power output and tends to come with a longer warranty. Again, it all comes down to how much you are willing to spend on this green laser pointer. Portable or hand-held lasers are quite costly. I would suggest getting something you are comfortable with paying.
Now, the question lies, "where do I get one of these babies?" Stay away from Ebay of any of these auction sites. Most sellers advertise high powered lasers but when they actually arrive, the actual power output is not even close to its advertised power. Search online for a reputable company and it helps to look at several laser pointer forums. Just open your browser and enter "laser pointer forum" into the search box.
About the author: I purchased my first green laser pointer nearly 5 years ago. At the moment, I have around 35 laser pointers of all colors and sizes. I remember buying my first laser pointer and being amazed by the brilliant green laser beam. Hopefully this article is helpful to you and good luck on buying your first green laser pointer!
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