Green Laser Pointer Common Specs

Green laser pointers are DPSS lasers (diode pumped solid state frequency-doubled). They are much more complicated and intricate than the common red laser pointer. Laser diodes at the green laser pointer's wavelength (532 nm) are not commonly available to manufacturers, so this technology is implemented to get the same effect. The light in a green laser pointer is developed in an indirect way. What basically happens is the laser light is created by a 808 nm diode, which by further processes is lengthed to the wavelength of 1064 nm. That wavelength is essentially cut in two by another process to give the desired green light of 532 nm. It so happens that this wavelength is the brightest light to the human eye. That is why the light from the green laser pointer is visible through the air and can be directed many miles away.

Some Great Uses of a Green Laser Pointer

Green laser pointers are extraordinary, and have many uses. They can be used as tools, experiments, or for fun. The fact that a green laser pointer's light is clearly visible in the air at night makes it a great pointing tool for star constellations and individual stars. It definitely would be a great tool for any astronomer looking to teach or lecture on the heavens. The green laser's visible light also makes it extremely useful in physics and lab experiments. You can use a green laser pointer to test light refraction, reflection, and perform different experiments with light passing through solids and liquids. Also, green laser pointers can be used as an effective signaler. Wouldn't you feel better taking of one these with you when your hunting or hiking in the mountains? Planes and people could see your signal for tens of miles. Just be careful though. With all its many uses you may find yourself beginning to fall in love with your green laser pointer.

Exciting Green Laser Pointer Facts

Now you might be asking yourself why anyone would purchase a green laser pointer over a cheaper red laser pointer. Well, here are some interesting aspects about green laser pointers that make them a great purchase for any laser pointer geek or aficionado. First of all, green laser pointers have an extreme range of vision. They can be seen clearly seen up to five miles away from the pointer, and have a range of many tens of miles from a receiver's point of view (just like car lights may only point thirty feet ahead of you, but it can be seen from miles away). The also been known to exceed the visability range of the curature of the earth! How cool is that? They also have a brightness of 35-50 times that of a red laser pointer. Probably one of the coolest things about a green laser pointer is the fact that its light is clearly visible in midair, especially at night or low-light conditions. You don't need a foggy night or heavy snow to see a green laser pointer's light through the air!

What Makes a Green Laser Pointer so Bright?

If you've ever seen a green laser pointer before, you have probably noticed it is astonishingly brighter than red laser pointers. This is for several reasons. First, green is the color that is most visible to the naked eye. Don't believe me? Take a traffic light for example. Do you ever notice that when the light turns green, there's more reflection off the pavement and cars than when the light was red? How about grass? Doesn't well-watered green grass almost shock the eyes from its color? Green laser pointers thrive off that law, giving it far superior brightness from other colors of the same power. Most green laser pointers operate at 5 mw, but yet the beam can be seen for up to 5 miles or more. Some of the more precise and powerful green laser pointers out shine the curvature of the earth they are so bright. If you purchase a green laser pointer, try it once. Have a friend stand on a flat road a mile or two away and shine the green laser pointer in his general direction. It will by far be the brightest light on the horizon than any other tower light or house light.

Why is a Green Laser Pointer Green?

Green laser pointers are suprisingly fresh and novel when compared to the normal red laser pointer. What gives the green laser its color? Well, it is the wavelength of the light. Red laser pointers have a wavelength of 650 nm (nano-meters). Green laser pointers have a far superior wavelength of 532 nm. This means that the light is closer to the violet spectrum of light (400 nm). Visible light to humans is from 400 nm to 700 nm, with red being closer to the 700 nm mark. Green laser pointers

Pricing of Green Laser Pointers

Green laser pointers are the newest in personal hand-held laser technology, and are now widely available to the public. When they first came out, just like red laser pointers, they were extremely expensive. It was not uncommon to see prices of up to $500 or more for a green laser pointer. However, as with all consumer goods, technology decreased to the price so a normal consumer is able to purchase one. There still is a wide range of prices. The amount of money you want to spend depends on how high of quality you want your green laser pointer to be. For as low as $59.00 you can get an entry level green laser pointer, which provides acceptable brightness and the normal 1-2 mile range. If you want an industrial level laser, then you will have to pay a little bit more, I'd say around the $100-150 dollar mark. If you really want to go all out, you can pay $199-$350 for an extremely well-built and professional green laser pointer with ranges up to 5 miles. These models are the ones used in the U.S. military.