WickerLasers Elite Series Review: Burny

Giving a man of any age a powerful laser is like giving a bear an AK-47: it's in his very nature to point it at things and look menacing. Thankfully, the bear is rarely able to do any damage - no trigger finger - but the man, be he 16 or 65 or 33, will definitely aim it at something that will inevitably reflect the laser back into his own eyes, rendering him temporarily blind and making him freak out thinking that he is now sightless. I speak, friends, from experience.

WickedLasers makes, well, wicked lasers. Instead of the standard red-dot laser pointer you buy at Odd Lots, WickedLaser imports amazingly powerful and expensive lasers for the home hobbyist.

So read on, laser troopers, for a bit more info and a contest.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/25/AR2008092502322.html

SWOT Blue Laser Pointer Review

SWOT series blue laser pointer 10mW power Wavelength: 473nm ,Dimension: 23.5mm x 168mm ,Power Supply: 1 x 18650 Battery With Charger

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1839003/swot_blue_laser_pointer_review/

Dragonlasers Viper Series 35mW Green Laser Pointer Review

Last year we had a look at very powerful 95mW green laser pointer from Wicked Lasers. Today we are having a look at another green laser pointer, this time from a company called Dragonlasers. The main difference is that the Wicked Lasers pointer was a 95mW and the Dragonlasers pointer today is a 35mW version. Read on to see how well the Dragonlasers Viper Series 35mW laser performs.

http://www.i4u.com/section-viewarticle-253.html

Spartan 250mW Green Laser Pointer Review

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1391794/spartan_250mw_green_laser_pointer_review/

Spartan is from http://www.dragonlasers.com Max from over at the hihg tech DIY blog Zedomax does a review of a Spartan 250mW green laser pointer. The 250mW Spartan Green Laser Pointer is from Dragonlasers at http://www.dragonlasers.com

Laser pointers

Find reviews before your buying

LASERWAVE 200mw 473nm BLUE LAB LASER REVIEW

I've had the pleasure of reviewing their 200mw 473nm Lab Laser, the same unit the Daedal reviewed except 100mw.
These retail at approx 1250 euros for LASERWAVE. Firstly the package came well protected in heavy duty foam packing to protect the laser and after opening it I read the instructions that came with it.
It's powered by 110v-250v so all I had to do was use my universal travel adapter to fire this beauty up
Once I fired it up the beam looked very stable to the eye no signs of mode hopping whatsoever And WOW this is a very beautiful color and at 200mw it's very very bright too, after playing around for a while I shut it down so I could start it from cold and do a power reading on my Andover LPM-1 laser power meter which I will post the Graph below in this thread. The laser started up at 150-164mw and then quickly rose to above 200mw. It peaked at 220.4mw throughout a 4 hour test, the laser never went below 160mw, and once it had warmed up it stayed at 200mw most of the way.

DIVERGENCE
I used pseudo's divergence calculator to do the measurement and the result was this: 1.2303143398648 mRd so rounding it off 1.2 mRd
Now for the Laser show guys here you are gonna love this piece of kit and want one for your collection I know for the rest of us then 200mw of BLUE is enough to make use a little weak at the knees
Now I'm no scientist but I'm sure that physics labs would make very good use of this fine piece of kit and at the price they ask for it, you just can't go wrong

200mW Red Pen Style from DX - Detailed Review

I really enjoy this laser. This is probably the best burner I own, It burns just as well as an open can metered at 211mW. I am sure it is near 200mW as it is noticeably brighter than a 16x burner laser diode running at 200mA. This laser feels like it is well built, it doesn't feel like it is going to fall apart when you set it on a table. The fact that it has an on/off tail cap clicky switch is a huge plus, this makes it super easy to just set down the laser and burn from across the room. Unlike what other people have said, the focusing lens is not loose, it is nice and sturdy. But the biggest advantage of this laser over other lasers is that is $53.80 shipped, this is 20% the price of WL's pulsar and it is near twice the power. To be honest, this thing beats many of the DIY lasers sold here for the same price!

Here

SLD1239JL diode review from StoneTek

Greg was very kind enough to send me a few of his latest diodes and Aixiz modules to play around with.
After seeing Hemlock Mike's findings, I decided to be brave and push one of these to the limit.

I press fitted one of the diodes labeled with the code 'KJ' ( his current diodes) into the Aixiz module with the acrylic lens and opened up the aperture behind the lens with a sharp craft knife, to allow maximum radiation to be focused by the lens assembly.

Power to the diode is supplied to my precision 'Thanador' bench power supply unit (where I specify a maximum current limit and the diode takes whatever voltage it requires to reach that current). Ramp up and ramp down current is 'soft' and user control is coarse and fine.

I heard that Mike was running these diodes at 400mA CW!!! with no active cooling!! I bottled out slightly and set current limit to 385mA (comparable to an open can 20X).

Verdict:

385mA is way too much for the Aixiz housing to control heat, and duty cycle was about 40 secs on, 2 mins off to get some reliable power readings before the housing became very warm to the touch. I intent to knock up a big aluminium (aluminum to you yanks) heatsink tomorrow at work to do any durability testing. My Home made LPM registered 245mW at this current.

Part 2 of my review will be when I insert the module into one of my homebuilt heat sinks with active fan cooling. Let me tell you this, these diodes are like no other closed can I have ever played with. Focus on a freckle on your skin and it will smoke before you feel the pain. I kid you not!!!( I don't recommend to try focusing a quater of a watt of laser to a freckle) but if you are like me , you will try in the name of science !!).

First impressions of these diodes are outstanding but I will not comment more until I do some further testing with some decent cooling to determine how close they are to the limit with some durability runs.

Stay tuned.

Jase


SLD1239JL diode review from StoneTek

Review of the Deal Extreme 200mW baton style laser

I'd like to review my shiny new Deal Extreme baton style laser. I can't. They sent me the wrong item, I instead recieved a cheap iPhone clone. As you can imagine, I am extroadinarily annoyed, seeing as I have waited about 1.5 months for my 'laser' to be sent. I have e-mailed DX, asking them to send me the correct item and pay for postage back as it is their error.

If this is any consolation DX's customer service and RMA is very good (from my experience). And usually go above and beyond on the postage refund.


Review of the Deal Extreme 200mW baton style laser

IgorT bluray >100 mW Laser Review

I got the 2 IgorT (offered as >90 mW), actually >100 mW mini Blu-ray lasers Friday July 11 2008! Happy Day!
I have been looking forward to this for a while, I like the looks of this model more than any other Blu-ray laser I have seen. daguin came over with a high power violet, (I think a DrLava build), 90 mW a few weeks ago, and it, also lit the desire for me to have a really high output Blu-ray. I told several members I would write a review on these and I know others have reported the capabilities. I apologize that I still can't take pictures that do any lasers justice, so if I ever get good pictures, I'll post them later. Of course the units overall length will vary slightly with focus position.
Shipping, the package was bubble lined envelope with each laser in bubble wrap, then in the cardboard close fitting box I would guess the host came in. Oh and they were cleverly disguised as Glow in the dark flashlights. The disguise was easy to remove, yet Customs would not be likely to do or see thru it!
The units both have a flawless finish and a very nice smooth grey silver color. One has CREE on it and is very slightly blueish. This helps me tell them apart. I personally think both are beautiful. And at near 4 inches long seem incredibly compact. And weigh a little more than they look like they would. Mine focus very freely, but builder extraordinar, IgorT says that mine have a little different focus ring, (slightly thicker), than most of the others he made. I may never see a better build! The quality is far beyond anything I ever got from CNI or other manufacturers.
My package was in Customs for about 2 weeks, but so worth the wait!

Specs:
Output power 116 mW (Cree), and the 2nd one 119 mW (accuracy about +/- 4 mW) Unlimited Duty cycle! Leave it on as long as you like! IgorT warrantees the Case and driver circuit for LIFE! The 90 day warranty on the LD is great as they are sure to go much longer, and if it ever burns out the work to replace it is free! (after 90 days the diode cost w/b your only cost! What a great warranty! They peak even higher, these are typical readings! And these are with the acrylic lenses, jut wait! Glass 405 nm Custom lenses are sure to go higher.
Do wear eye protection! and use with care, these are powerful!
Length about 104 mm with Glow in the Dark lens cap on. (Supplied with Laser)
Diameter about 20.3 mm (end near exit aperture), button end slightly smaller.
Also supplied with mine was a line generating lens that works for "liquid sky" effects. And extra G.I.T.D. and black lens covers. I have never been so pleased with any laser these are just awesome builds and the most unique and well engineered of any laser made by anyone I have ever seen!

Offer LinK: http://www.laserpointerforums.com/fo...num=1210968450

A few things this laser can do;
Cuts holes in bright white computer paper!
Lights trick Birthday candles, and (of course) matches, any color!
Gorgeous Purple beam!
Fluorescent (dayglow) items so bright you need dark glasses!
Smokes and etches any plastic I have tried.
HP Blu-rays may play tricks on your eyes.
I see a red circle around the dot, while at the same time my wife sees red center with violet circle when dot is on many kinds of green leaves. She is near sighted I am far-sighted and the leafs have some red florescence so maybe thats why.

IgorT bluray >100 mW Laser Review

Nova lasers x150 review!

As soon as I got it, I popped in some nearly dead, crappy alkaline generic brand that i found in a remote. Just until I got some good ones. Even with these batteries, my jaw LITERALLY dropped. I saw a solid beam in a brightly lit room. I was in awe!

First thing I did was shine it on my arm... Ouch!
After that I quickly realized that I really need some goggles. I started getting a headache within 5 minutes.

I don't think it burns very well. I haven't tried matches or balloons yet but it doesn't do a very good job with bags or anything from a few feet away. but maybe i'm not noticing, or i'm not steady enough or something. Who knows! I'm going to get the lens holder/collimator to help with burning as it's only 20 bucks. i'll order that when i get my goggles. good idea?

30mW Romisen Laser

After owning both types, don't waste your time with a "True" laser, it's too much down to luck if you will get a good one, and to RMA it, is just not worth the effort + money. Mine was very temperature sensitive and a low output power. I dread to think what the 'untrue' ones are like. But some have been happy with their "Trues" - But I stress that is in the minority.

Go for a Romisen anyday - I've not had one of the two models you've listed, but one very similar from a while back: http://www.laserenthusiast.com/forum...read.php?t=613

I'd stab a guess that they all have the same laser module, just in a different case.
Also, you can use rechargeable CR123's in most of the Romisens, which I see as a plus

Click Here

Review of 150mW focusable portable laser from Kaidomain

Whats up laser freaks,
Here it is, straight from here:http://www.kaidomain.com/WEBUI/Produ...px?TranID=4351

As you know, there isn't many adjustable focus green pointers out there, and I always wanted one, so I took a risk and ordered this low cost, high power pointer.

I got it today, and here are few impressions and test results.

First, it looks nice (although that's a thing of personal taste),and even though it resembles RPL and PGL style lasers, it is A LOT smaller. It feels good in the hand and size makes it great for carrying around.

It takes one 18650 battery, just like RPL. It has nice rotating shutter by the front much like PGL lasers. Momentary ON button is located right behind little blue LED hat lights up only when laser is engaged. Battery comes with the laser, as well as a case strategically labeled "Green Laser Pointer"

It has 3 pin T-3 connector on the back which is necessary for engaging the momentary ON/OF button. There is no delay in diode engagement, so it outputs the moment you push the button. I think that is great thing, and I'm glad they didn't copy that delay feature from CNI's models.

Here is quick pros/cons/specs i discovered so far.

Pros:
-Looks and feels good!
- Cheap and powerful, with quite stable beam ( read more on this below)
-Adjustable focus feels good and it makes sense in my opinion. Makes 2.5 turns!
(when ring is turned all the way in one direction it is best collimation, so you don't have to look for best collimation somewhere in the middle when you want it.)


Collimation:
(my measuring is not 100% accurate, but it is in this range ! )

Min. beam divergence measured at 25m = 1.1mRad-1.3mRad
Max projected dot size at 6m = 20x25cm
Convergence : yes!


Beam diameter 1mm-1.2mm

Dot at close range (6m or less) appears to be perfectly round, and very nice, with very clean lens. No scatter what so ever. However, when I twist the ring all the way to the other side and make dot as big as it can be, it is noticeable that it is oval. It measures 20cm x 25cm at distance of 6m. See the photo. It does not appear to be changing as in -mode changing. If it is slight mode shift, it is very slow and minuscule, and it never splits the dot. I will report here if I notice any other related things.

I had the laser for 1-4 minutes at the time. Here are some power measurements:

Tools used:
-Brand New Coherent Laser Check (CLC)
-Kenom Thermal Power meter (KTPM)
-10x10cm IR filter from Dragon lasers

Both units agree: Without external IR filter:
150-168 within first 60sec.

with external IR filter
148-158mW

Power drops down after 2-3 minutes with fresh battery to 70-80mW, and then I turned it off. Same happens sooner (about 40-80 sec.) if battery isn't fresh or isn't rested. Heat sink doesn't get warm, which can mean it is inefficient!

This IR is puzzling me as I expected much lower output measuring with external IR filter.
It this unit seem to output only ~10mW of IR ! I tried two different IR filters from DL. Unless DL IR filters don't block IR :-) I doubt that!
I visually compared my 75-80mW Executive pointer (with iR filter)from WL and this laser, and there is noticable difference in beam visibility. Kaido150 has much brighter beam.

Cons:
No IR filter - as advertised.
Beam comes out of the laser under slight angle. Its not very noticeable, but its there
Front rotating shutter is not as tight as everything else (being little too picky here :-))
No ability to converge the beam for increased burning pleasures. (This is also a very good feature as you don't need to look for best collimation point)
Heat sink questionable so far. Not getting warm much when laser exhibits tiredness after longer ON period.

very good deal in my opinion considering safe and free shipping, and price vs. power/features .

Novalasers Alpha 125 Baseline Laser Review.

Ok...
Here is my promised review of the Novalasers Alpha 125.

A while back, I decided that I was going to try and conduct a few more reviews of various lasers to try and help people make informed decisions about the products out there.

My first laser review turned into an absolute NIGHTMARE with my review of the Destructive gear Pyro 100.

I made a decision that any further reviews would require me to have a single Ref. laser to use as a baseline for comparison.

I contacted Novalasers, and informed them of my requirements.

I asked them for something special.
True TEM00 mode.
Good (Low) Divergence
Average and peak power to be High..but most important..these two numbers were to be as close together as possible.

Stability was the goal here!

I told them that I was willing to Wait as long as needed for a laser that met those specifications.

You may be asking me why I didn't simply buy a lab laser for stability.
2 reasons for not doing this.

First, I did not think that it was fair to compare a Labby to a portable.
I wanted to have a level playing field, and the one thing all portables have in common is that they have no constant power supply to keem them lasing!

I felt that how any individual laser handles the limited capaciity of their batteries was a factor that needed to be compared, when discussing Portables.

If I were planning on reviewing Labbys..I would have bought a good labby to compare them to.

Secondly...Since I was spending my own money...I wanted a Portable!.......



After many contacts with Nova..they finally told me that they had found the laser I had been waiting for.

135.8 average 138.6 peak with a very LOW divergence, and perfect TEM00 operation!

With this information in hand..I locked in the laser, and ordered it that day!

I again used TNT shipping...and can honestly say..that for 26 bucks..I have no idea how TNT can deliver a laser from Toronto Canada to Oklahoma City in 22 hours!

If tnt shipping is ever an option for you..Take it...Worth every penny!

When the laser arrived, the very first thing that hit me was how much larger the case of the Alpha was over the case for my X-105!

I knew the laser was bigger..but until I had the thing in my hand, I really had no idea how much larger this laser was!!!

Here are a few pictures comparing the size compared to my X-105

Novalasers Alpha 125 Baseline Laser Review.

Laser Pointer

Background

The laser pointer is a low cost portable laser that can be carried in the hand. It is designed for use during presentations to point out areas of the slide or picture being presented, replacing a hand held wooden stick or extendable metal pointer. It is superior over older pointers because it can be used from several hundred feet away in a darkened area and because it produces a bright spot of light precisely where the user desires. It has also caught on as an all-purpose pointing tool and has become so commonplace that laws have been passed to restrict its use.

History

Technically, the word laser is an acronym that stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," but the term has become so commonly used that it is no longer capitalized. The radiation is the light that is emitted from the laser; this light can be visible or invisible to the human eye. Technically, only some lasers use light amplification, but the name laser is still used for a device that produces monochromatic (all one color or wavelength), coherent (the light waves are similar enough to move in one direction) radiation.

All lasers have a lasing medium, a source of energy, and a resonator. The lasing medium is a material that can be pumped (energized) by an energy source (such as light or electricity) to a higher energy state. After being pumped, the lasing medium can release that energy as monochromatic radiation. The resonator is an area that allows the released energy to build up before being released. A basic resonator is a pair of mirrors at either end of the lasing medium. One mirror is completely reflective so that all light striking it reflects back into the lasing medium; the other is partially reflective so that some of the light striking it reflects back into the lasing medium and some of the light passes through it to exit the laser. The pair of mirrors causes the light to reflect back-and-forth through the lasing medium and align itself in one direction, which produces the coherency of the light.

The theory used to produce lasers was published in 1958 by researchers at Bell Labs. The first laser, built in 1960 at Hughes Aircraft, used a piece of ruby for a lasing medium, light for an energy source, and mirrors to produce a resonator. The semiconductor laser was invented in 1962. It used a semiconductor material, similar to the materials used in transistors and integrated circuits for a lasing medium. It also used direct current (DC) electricity, the current produced by batteries, for an energy source. It still used resonator mirrors. The first semiconductor lasers produced non-visible infrared radiation. Current semiconductor lasers can also produce visible light, with red being the least expensive type of semiconductor laser and green, blue, and violet being increasingly more expensive. Semiconductor lasers used in laser pointers are also known as diode lasers, because they are a type of semiconductor diode. A diode passes electricity easily in one direction; light emitting diodes and laser diodes produce light when electricity passes through them. Semiconductor electronics have become less expensive to produce since the late 1950s. They have also become smaller and require less energy. They became inexpensive enough to be used in consumer electronic devices such as laser pointers in the 1980s. Current laser diodes are the size of a blood cell. They produce light that is less collimated (moving all in one direction) than most lasers because the shortness of the resonator space. Because of this, they need some sort of external optics (lenses) to focus the light into a tighter beam. Laser diodes, like many semiconductor devices, are delicate and need to be protected from the environment and from power surges. Power control circuitry, which usually includes a photodiode (a diode that produces electricity when light strikes it) to monitor the output of the laser diode, prevents the diode from receiving too much or too little power. The diode is protected from the environment by a plastic case so that is resembles most other semiconductor devices that are used on circuit boards.

The first laser pointers cost hundreds of dollars, but the demand and improved methods of fabrication have resulted in a price below five dollars for the most inexpensive types. There are also several items which incorporate laser pointers, or at least the components, such as laser sights for guns and projectors with built-in laser pointers.

Raw Materials

A laser diode is less complicated than many types of consumer electronic equipment. It consists of a laser diode, a circuit board, a case, optics, and a case. Some of the electrical components on the circuit board and the laser diode are made of semiconductor materials, metals, and ceramics. The semiconductor materials include compounds (materials made of more than one pure element) made of aluminum, gallium, arsenic, phosphorus, indium, and similar elements. These compounds are used in a variety of semiconductor products. Semiconductors also contain metals such as aluminum, gold, and tantalum.

The circuit board is typically made of a resin (plastic) such as epoxy with glass fibers in it to strengthen it. Electricity is conducted to the various components on the circuit board with lines of metal such as aluminum and copper. Individual components placed on the circuit board include diodes, the laser diode, capacitors, and resistors. Semiconductor parts, such as the diodes are encapsulated in plastic with metal leads that are connected to metal pads on the circuit board with solder (a metal alloy traditionally made of tin and lead, but now containing less lead and other metals as substitutes). Non-semiconductor parts, such as resistors and capacitors, are made of a variety of metals, plastics, and ceramics (including glass).

The collimating optics can be glass, but less expensive acrylic plastics are used in most laser pointers. The case can be made of any material, such as metal, plastic, or even wood. It contains metal (usually brass) contacts for the batteries.

Design

The design of the laser pointer depends on the electrical requirements of the laser diode, the desired lifetime of the power supply, and the drive to produce smaller consumer products. The smallest laser pointers are less than two inches in length, but some laser pointers are designed to look like pens. The longer laser pointers can hold AAA or AA batteries, which provide a longer lasting power supply than the watch batteries used in the shorter laser pointers. Most laser pointers use two or three batteries.

The Manufacturing

Process

The red laser pointer is the most common laser pointer. Other laser pointers use different laser diode assemblies, but are produced in a similar fashion, so the red laser pointer manufacturing process and diagram are used in this article.

The laser diode

The laser diode is produced in a semiconductor fab (a factory where semiconductor materials are produced in very clean and carefully controlled conditions). The substrate is the base material on which other materials will be deposited. A wafer of the substrate is produced, cleaned, and prepared. Then it goes through several steps where layers of material are deposited on it. Some of these layers are only several atoms thick. These layers can be conductive (metals such as aluminum and gold) or semiconductors (as described above). These layers can also be altered by exposure to other chemicals. After all materials are added to the wafer, it is diced (cut apart, usually into rectangular sections) into individual diodes. The diodes are tested either on the wafer or after separation, and nonfunctioning ones are scrapped (thrown away). Working laser diodes are then packaged in a plastic container with metal leads for electrical connection.

The circuit board

The circuit board contains the circuitry that makes the laser pointer function. It contains the switch, the laser diode, and the components of the control circuitry, typically a photodiode, diodes, resistors, and capacitors. These parts are placed on the circuit board, sometimes with an adhesive, and then are soldered in place. Soldering is a process where two metal objects are placed in contact and solder is melted around them so that when it cools, it surrounds both of them and holds them together. Solder is used instead of glue because it sticks to metal and because it conducts heat and electricity.

The collimating optics

The collimating optics in a laser pointer consist of a single lens that focuses the cone of light exiting the laser diode into a narrower beam that produces a narrower spot over a longer distance. Plastic lenses are injection molded, a process wherein molten plastic is forced into a mold. The plastic cools and solidifies, then the mold is pulled apart and the lens is removed. It is ground and polished to a smooth surface so that the light from the laser diode will not bounce off of imperfections on the surface.

The laser diode assembly

The laser diode and the collimating optics are put together with a plastic holder to form the laser diode assembly. Most laser diode assemblies have a metal spring attached at the back. This spring makes contact with the batteries in the laser diode and is part of the circuit that draws electricity from the batteries.

Case construction and final

assembly

The case is a tube with space for the laser diode assembly and the batteries. The laser diode assembly is pushed or screwed into one end of the case. The interior of the case is made of brass or has a brass strip (glued or riveted in place) running down the battery space. The battery space end piece also has an exposed brass area or is made of brass. When this end piece is pushed or screwed into the case, it contacts the other side of the batteries to complete the electrical circuit that allows electricity to flow from the batteries to the laser diode assembly.

The case also has a switch button (a piece of plastic sticking through a hole cut in the side of the case) that must be pushed and held for the laser pointer to work. When this button is pushed, the switch on the circuit board closes, electricity flows from the batteries to the laser pointer assembly, and the laser pointer produces a beam of light.

After the laser pointer is assembled and tested, a safety label is added. This label describes the rating of the laser in terms of power output, notes which regulations govern its use, and warns the user to avoid direct eye exposure.

Quality Control

A semiconductor manufacturer uses highly controlled processes that have been developed in laboratories and then transferred to the fabrication facility. Laser diodes are tested to make sure that they work after fabrication as well. Each other component is also tested to make sure that it works. Most manufacturing facilities will randomly test their products and use statistical control methods to provide quality products.

When the laser diode assembly or the laser pointer is finally assembled it will be powered and tested with a light detecting device, such as a photodiode, to measure its power output. Laser pointers are Type IIIA laser devices and must produce 5 mW (milliwatt, one thousandth of a watt) of power or less for the United States market. Laser pointers for the European market are typically Class II laser devices and must produce less than 1 mW. These restrictions are for safety purposes.

Byproducts/Waste

Laser pointers contain metals, plastics, and electronic parts. Each of those industries has specific waste byproducts (solvents, halocarbon gases, lead, chemicals), but laser pointer assembly has no specific wastes until the laser pointer is disposed of. A laser pointer contains small amounts of hazardous materials, such as lead and some toxic semiconductors. Like other electronic assemblies, it may be safer for the environment in the long term to recycle the components, though this is expensive and there are few programs in place to recycle or reuse electronics. This may change in the future.

The Future

Red laser pointers are the least expensive and most common today. Green laser pointers have more complicated laser diode assemblies and cost hundreds of dollars. Blue and violet laser pointers will be available soon at a higher price. Newer laser diode types come down in price as production volumes increase in order to keep up with demand, and as production processes improve. Laws that restrict laser pointer use may counteract this trend by causing a drop in demand as laser pointers are banned from public places.

http://www.beamq.com/page.html?chapter=10&id=14&zenid=4ajk629jfrtt6vkuhtii3s0l72