I've got one of the 5mW Leadlight ones and love it!!!
Its makes a great tool for showing people where things are and is a super finder, especially when you are working up near "Dob's Hole" (azimuth for you RA-Dec guys).
RocketBoy is correct with how they are observed and used:
- You only turn it on long enough to line up 5-10 secs max
- The further away you are, the less obvious it is. Someone 100ft away wouldn't ever notice.
I looked to get a bracket for mine, but I found that on my 10", I can just lay it on the OTA, up snug against the focuser, and its within half a degree or so: well within the range of my low power EP's. For my 4.5", I can do the same thing, but against the base of the finder scope mount. Doing that saved me $20-$30 for a mounting bracket and actually works out better in that I can use it as a pointer for other folks more easily.
Two things you have to be careful with:
- Aircraft - Just open your eyes and ears and make sure none are around before you turn it on. Takes all of 5 seconds and will save you a trip to the poke.
- Ground objects - When that 5mW beam hits a tree, building, bush, etc even a thousand yards away, it puts up a BRIGHT green spot. If that was next to someone that was observing, it would easily wreck their night vision. If you hit them in the eye, obviously it would be worse, but with a 5mW version, their blink reflex will kick in before any permenant damage will occur.
I think they are a great tool, and like any other tool, in the wrong hands they can be very dangerous. But if used properly, they can make observing/teaching much easier and more enjoyable.
