Laser Pointers

[toryglen-boy]

Howdy

I was at a dark sky night on Saturday, and had a blast, several people had green laser pointers, and they looked awesome, and where a great help in finding things, with a 16" Scope ;)

We can i get them? i looked online ... but cant seem to find them?

i take it they are goverened by tight laws?


thanks

[erick]

If you just want one for its "awesomeness", please be careful. If sharing the field with others who are imaging, you might fray some tempers flashing green light through their frames!

But they are very useful as an educational/pointing tool and and a convenient way of pointing a telescope to the target.

Each State varies in the laws applicable to hand-held lasers. Victoria is particularly strict where a hand-held laser pointer of greater than 1mW is a "prohibited weapon" requiring a licence. NSW is not as difficult. Importation is also now difficult. Customs will detain and only release is certain conditions are met.

Please search for laser pointer threads that were all the rage on this site in recent years - you'll find all the information you want.

To buy, try here:-

http://www.telescopes-astronomy.com.au/green-laser-pointers-international-supplier.htm

By the way, you don't need more than 5mW if you are in darkish skies.

And also, none of this ====>:fight:

[marki]

You have to jump through hoops to import them, I know, Iv'e done it. Not too sure about buying them locally though. Eric is right, you do not need more then 5mw.

Ciao Mark

[Omaroo]

Duncan - here's a laser use policy we put together for our NSW-based club. It'll give you an idea of the restrictions.

http://www.macastro.org.au/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=115

[mozzie]

im pretty sure sirius optics still sell them they are a great tool to use wilst showing friends and family what part of the sky your in
mozzie

[tempestwizz]

I bought mine from Jaycar. They are in component form, and you have to add your own housing and power leads/supply. They are nominally 10mW, but typically about 7mW. Not cheap at about $130ish from memory.
I have mine fixed to each of the two dobs, and use them as the initial coarse aiming device.
I noted with the first one that it would not turn on when the ambient temperature got too cold. I have built a thermostatic heater around the second one to bring the temp up to about 8C, and that problem is solved.

I figure with them hard-mounted to the scope, it would be difficult for anyone to argue that I could use them maliciously.
BC

[MrB]

Yeah, 10mW module. It's designed as a replacement to slide into a laser-pen, but can be mounted to anything really.
They were only $79 last month but prices are going up tomorrow, weak dollar and all.
Cat# is ST-3117 if you wanted to do a search for it on the Jaycar website. Oh man its bad when you can pull cat-numbers out of thin air!

Will do a price-check tomorrow and repost.

[Davekyn]

I paid $110.00 for a 10mw at www.aoe.com.au , but find it to be very tempramental at times, like many others. Needs to be constantly replaced with fresh batteries and kept warm & needs a wack from time to time!

When it works, it is extreamly efective! :)

[vespine]

If you live in victoria, do not buy one on fleabay. I had a thread going here probably over a year ago about how nearly a year after buying a green laser from hong kong i was contacted by the federal police and told to hand over my "prohibited weapon" over to the nearest police station. And no I'm not kidding, it wasn't a practical joke, I'm as skeptical as they come and I even rang the AFP switchboard and asked to speak to the agent who emailed me. From memory, i think he even logged onto here and posted in the thread.

[micko]

Just ordered a 1mW greenie from the link below (telescopes-astronomy.com) and the guy was very helpful. Basically in Victoria you can only have a 1mW without a permit. he emailed me the link to get a permit if I wanted a 5mW but I must say I don't think I'll need it as my usual sky is semi-rural, and all the reading I've done points to 1mW as good enough for me. Also giving Vic police any reason to be interested in me is not on my agenda...

[dannat]

I agree, ring MAt lovell at telescopes_astronomy.com.au, find his website in the links section on this site

[erick]

Hey Michael

I would be very interested in how that 1mW laser performs. Let us know, please.

Eric

[MrB]

RE Jaycar 10mW module:


Back up to the $99.95 they were at a couple of months ago.

[Calibos]

I've got a 10mw but even at that power I found that in the cold its barely visable On-Axis. Invisible 2 or 3 ft Off-Axis. When its warm its decently visible out to about 10ft Off Axis.

I'm in Chilly Ireland though. About to mod it though. I recently purchased a Dewbuster Controller and DewNot strips. The Dewbuster is very customisable so I got Ron Keating to fit 1 Temp controlled heater output for my secondary heater, about 6 standard heater outputs, 4 12v power outputs for powering my new JMI TNT motor system and a few other 12v gadgets..........and........a regulated 3v ouptut to power my laser. Basically I'll fabricate a dummy battery for the laser out of a wooden dowl and some connectors and wire to replace the 2 AAA's and the 3v cable from the dewbuster connects to this via an On/Off Thumbswitch. I also purchased a dewstrip for .925" EP's. I'll strip the fabric sheeth of this strip and the uncovered heaterstrip will slip under the laser barrel in the enclosed scopestuff laser mount. All my problems will be solved.

All this is for a 10mw remember. I don't know if I'd be bothered with lasers at all if I could only get a 1mw. I'd be happy with a 5mw though.