Saturday, February 21, 2009

CG Review: WickedLasers Spyder II GX laser

There are lasers and then there are lasers. The Spyder II GX is a crazy 200-300mW green laser that can burn through paper, balloons, and skin and generally blind you if you’re not careful. How much does all this fun cost? $1,699 including a pair of absolutely essential shades that will keep you from blinding yourself.

I had used WickedLasers before but those models were mere laser pointers compared to this monster. It comes in a Mil-Spec Type III hard anodized case with rubber washers on all the joints and includes two lithium ion batteries that last 60 minutes on one charge. Note that these batteries take a long time to charge, so be prepared to wait.

The first time I tried the laser I was actually able to light a candle. Subsequent tries resulted in lots of smoke but no fire. However, it can easily burn through black paper - just draw a dot with a Sharpie and you can get a hole in a few seconds - and burned dark tissue paper on contact

http://www.techchuck.com/2009/02/20/cg-review-wickedlasers-spyder-ii-gx-laser/

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Wicked Lasers Executive Series Nexus Laser Pointer Review

Being the technology loving connoisseur that I am, I never knew a subculture existed for laser pointers and the people that use them! I mean, I can vaguely remember attending my share of conferences, where the person giving the presentation used a laser pointer. Suffice it to say, the only thing that kept my attention at some of these gatherings was the colorful glowing beam of light that illuminated from the laser pointer!
The folks at Wicked Lasers go through great lengths on their web site and in their marketing literature to distinguish themselves from the run of the mill laser makers, by referring to their lasers as revolutionary. We here at Chip Chick never turn down an offer to review a product, and took Wicked Lasers up on their offer to take one of its lasers through its phases!

There are several series of Wicked Lasers and we got the opportunity to review the Executive Series Nexus 95mW model ($299.00), which is the fifth of six lasers in the Executive level Wicked Lasers Series. Other series in the Wicked Lasers line up are: Evolution, Elite, Photonic Disruptor, The Core and The Pulsar Series. Each model offers a different degree of beam and longevity of its power as well as the travel distance of the laser beam.
The Executive Series Wicked Nexus laser is quite the looker with its black polished brass body, weighs less than an ounce, looks like a designer ink pen and measures in size at 13 mm x 143 mm. It operates on two AAA batteries and can maintain 2 hours of battery life, has a momentary on/off button and has a life expectancy of 5,000 hours and comes with a 3 year warranty.

On its site, Wicked Lasers has a pretty easy and very informative demonstration as to how lasers work. Also, I found it very any interesting how they explained what distinguishes one laser from another (don’t worry you don’t have to be physicist to understand the concept and the terminologies). Hence, I learned that the stronger the beam output is the better chances of a laser inflicting a bit of damage on burning through plastic or paper. So, it goes without saying, that lasers pointers are not toys.

However, I would be remiss if I didn’t provide the following features that would probably make true laser enthusiasts foam at the mouth: The Executive Nexus laser has a Wavelength range of 38 miles, and a 95mW CLASS 3B Output power. Also, we must not forget about its 550mA Power Consumption! Admittedly, after I watched the brief demo about lasers, I was able to understand the aforementioned info and this indeed increased my laser IQ tenfold!

The steady green light beam from this Nexus laser illuminated my entire dark living room like a bright green shining beacon and the beam distance could easily be seen for about 20 yards outside. And while I didn’t do the light the cigarette test, I was able to actually burn a hole through two sheets of notebook paper as well as through a paper towel. I would strongly suggest not attempting this; however, my reasoning for doing the above was for the purpose of writing this review. And I have to admit, there’s a bit of mischievous child in me! I had so much fun using The Wicked Executive Nexus Laser pointer.
Because of its solid craft man ship, durability, generous warranty of 3 years and overall quality, The Wicked Executive Nexus Laser is a solid performer, and I can even justify spending $299 for this high end premium laser. Provided of course, it’s used on a regular basis. You truly get what you pay for with this powerful device! Also, please keep in mind, that laser pointers are not toys and should only be purchased for someone who knows the proper use.

While some may cringe at the price tag of the Wicked Executive Nexus Laser, this laser pointer is truly worth its weight in gold for anyone that gives lectures and presentations on a daily or regular basis (you’ll just need to carry some extra batteries with you if your event goes longer than 2 hours). Heck, I can even see the uses for this laser pointer on a camping trip or even as a flashlight! However, I doubt if it can roast marsh mellows, but it sure can burn paper!!
Additionally, Wicked Lasers has Green 532nm Laser Shades ($39.99) that are used to protect eyes from excessive green laser rays. Thus, this allows one to safely experiment cutting, burning and popping in complete safety. Now, I guess I could’ve used some of these during my laser experiments!

http://www.chipchick.com/2008/11/wicked_lasers_executive_series.html

Friday, February 13, 2009

2000mw Laser Module , 2W Laser Module

The following modules are 808nm infrared invisible diode laser.  It's 2000mW laser, but not a laser pointer.

Wavelength: 808nm
Output Power: 2000mW (2W)

http://www.armlaser.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=11

Most of the 2W laser pointer (2000mW) are 445nm blue burning laser pointer.