Wholy crap! I did not understand what I was purchasing. I mean, seriously, I thought I was getting a very nice, super bright green laser pointer that I could perform cool tricks with, and still use while giving a presentation. I expected this pointer to be about the size of a Mini-MagLite, maybe slightly larger.

Instead, received a large device, about the size of three “C” batteries placed in series, and wrapped in duct tape. This <50mw green laser pointer is so bright, you cannot use it indoors. At least not safely. Anybody who may be around is going to get back-scatter off of whatever surface you decide to lase. Yes, you can get safety glasses (and this particular laser came with a pair) but it is a little rediculous to ask an entire audience to wear the safety glasses during a presentation. Not to mention, if the presentation is longer than 10 minutes my arm will get tired of using this hefty beast.

All joking aside, I got exactly what I ordered from Wicked Lasers. I did think I was getting a much smaller laser, and I had no idea of the power of <50mw. I mean, I understood that the dime store laser-pointer keychains are usually <1mw, and a good expensive laser pointer can be around <10mw… I think I just wasn’t prepared for what <50mw really equaled, in terms of brightness and blinding energy.

I love this laser, it is well made and super great. But I am not sure what I am going to be able to do with it. I mean, aside from retinas <50mw won’t burn much, so I don’t have to worry about setting the world around me on fire. I stood on my roof deck tonight and shined it on the side of my friend’s house, 738.2 meters away. He said that there was a 7 foot diameter green dot on the side of his house… 738 meters away!! Wait, just so you get the gravity of 738 meters, let me convert it something you might understand… I mean we are in the USA right…

• 403.6 Fathoms (for my sailing friends)
• 7.80257e-14 Light Years
• 14.76 Olympic Swimming Pools
• 2.09248e+6 Points (for Andrew who only understands PostScript)
• 433.71 Smoots (for anybody who has ever lived in Boston!)
• 0.399 Nautical Miles (also from my sailing friends)
• 1383.83 Mesopotamian nil_cubits (for Tom Collins, my wife, and social studies folk)

Oh and for the rest of you…

• 807.3 Yards
• 0.46 Miles

I have no idea what to do with this thing… It might actually be less useful then it was in my dreams.

UPDATE - 2010-06-09: If you want to try out blindness, at least throw some cash my way and use this link. http://www.wickedlasers.com/index.php?refer=61013

Don't burn your eyes out!