Hi guys, I'm a 38 y/o and new to lasers. Located in the police state of Australia, so not sure what I'm stepping into. Kind of feels like a landmine, but hey, what can you do?
The last experience I've had was a decade ago playing with a laser pointer in an ink pen and driving my cat crazy, so nothing like the powerful handhelds you get these days. Hoping for some pointers (no pun intended) to getting my toes wet. I know good goggles for the appropriate frequency is a must for anything >5mW really.
I'll let you in on some newbyness. WL pulled my interest, and some of their products still do, like the LaserSaber and Phosforce, but obviously after reading some I'm aware there are better companies to deal with like JetLasers, LaserGlow and Optotronics to name a few, not to mention the custom builders on this forum.
So, point an Aussie in the right direction please? What should I know when ordering a pre-built or do I build from parts? I've done a bit of soldering before, but would need advice if that's the way I go.
At the moment, I'm primarily interested in green and blue lasers like what WL makes in their S3 series.
The last experience I've had was a decade ago playing with a laser pointer in an ink pen and driving my cat crazy, so nothing like the powerful handhelds you get these days. Hoping for some pointers (no pun intended) to getting my toes wet. I know good goggles for the appropriate frequency is a must for anything >5mW really.
I'll let you in on some newbyness. WL pulled my interest, and some of their products still do, like the LaserSaber and Phosforce, but obviously after reading some I'm aware there are better companies to deal with like JetLasers, LaserGlow and Optotronics to name a few, not to mention the custom builders on this forum.
So, point an Aussie in the right direction please? What should I know when ordering a pre-built or do I build from parts? I've done a bit of soldering before, but would need advice if that's the way I go.
At the moment, I'm primarily interested in green and blue lasers like what WL makes in their S3 series.