KALEIDOSCOPIC GREEN LASER PEN
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Kaleidoscopic Green Laser Pen, retail $6.49
Manufactured by (Unknown)
Last updated 08-25-21
This is a green DPSS (diode pumped solid state) portable laser.
But what sets this portable laser apart from most others you can get is that moveable holographic diffraction grating optic on the unit's "business end" that allows it to project "stars" when the button is pressed, rather than just a single dot like most other portable lasers. This grating can be rotated to project any of quite literally HUNDREDS of different patterns.
It comes in what I believe is a brass body.
SIZE
Feed the portable laser two AAA cells that you furnish yourself (see below), and then you'll be ready to rock.
To use the portable laser to point something out, unscrew & remove the diffraction grating tip, aim it at something you wish to point out, and press & hold down the button on the barrel for as long as you need the laser spot. Release the button to turn the portable laser back off. Yes, it really is as easy as that.
To use the portable laser as a "star" projector, do exactly as above except do not remove the tip. Rotate (turn) the tip clockwise (as though tightening it) to change the pattern of the projected "stars".
The portable laser comes with a pocket clip, already attached. You know what it's for.
If not, slip the portable laser into a shirt or pants pocket, and slide the clip over the outside of the fabric of the pocket when the laser is being inserted into the pocket.
To change the batteries in your green portable laser, unscrew the two halves of the laser, and set the part with the "business-end" aside.
Tip the two used AAA cells out of the barrel and into your hand, and dispose of, recycle, or recharge them as you see fit.
Insert two new AAA cells into the barrel, button-end (+) positive first. This is the opposite of how batteries are installed in most flashlights, so please pay attention to polarity here.
Screw the two halves of the laser rback together, and be done with it.
Unable to measure cuirrent usage due to how the laser was constructed.
This is a portable laser, not a flashlight. So I won't throw it against the wall, stomp on it, try to drown it in the toylet bowl or the cistern, run over it, swing it against the concrete floor of a patio, use a small sledgehammer in order to bash it open to check it for candiosity, fire it from the cannoñata, drop it down the top of Mt. Erupto (I guess I've been watching the TV program "Viva Piñata" too much again - candiosity is usually checked with a laser-type device on a platform with a large readout (located at Piñata Central), with a handheld wand that Langston Lickatoad uses, or with a pack-of-cards-sized device that Fergy Fudgehog uses; the cannoñata (also located at Piñata Central) is only used to shoot piñatas to piñata parties away from picturesque Piñata Island, and Mt. Erupto is an active volcano on Piñata Island {In the episode "Les Saves the Day...Again", Paulie Preztail says "Hey, ever wonder why this park's called 'Mount Erupto' anyway?", then Franklin Fizzlybear says "I think its an old native term. Means 'very safe.'"}), send it to the Daystrom Institute for additional analysis, or inflict upon it punishments that lashlights may have inflicted upon them. So this section of the laser's web page will seem a bit more bare than this section of the web page on a page about a flashlight.
Green diode lasers are a lot different than those common red lasers you see all the time.
In a 640nm red laser pointer, there's a red-emitting diode and a lens to collimate (focus) the beam.
In a 532nm green laser (pointer or larger size), there's a BIG infrared laser diode that generates laser light at 808nm, this is fired into a crystal containing the rare-earth element "neodymium". This crystal takes the 808nm infrared light and lases at 1064nm (yes, deeper in the infrared!). This 1064nm laser light comes out of the NdYV04 (neodymium yttrium vanadium oxide) crystal and is then shot into a second crystal (containing potassium, titanium, & phosphorus, usually called KTP) that doubles the frequency to 532nm - the bright green color you see. This light is then collimated (focused) by a lens and emerges out the laser's "business end". Just before the lens, there's a filter that removes any stray NIR (near-infrared) radiation from the pump diode and the neodymium crystal. You don't want that stuff in your green beam, trust me. :-)
This is why green diode lasers are so much more expensive than red ones (though the price differential is decreasing!). Lots of itty bitty parts, and they all need to be aligned by hand. If the polarisation is "off", one or both crystals need to be turned. With red diode lasers, you just slap in the diode and slap a lens in front of it.
This laser is lightly splatter-resistant, but it is not water- or pee-resistant, so please be extra careful when using it around sinks, tubs, "terlets", fishtanks, pet water bowls, or other places where water or water-like liquids might be found. And you'll probably want to cover it up or otherwise get rid of it (such as by putting it in a pocket or bag) if you need to carry it in rainy or snowy weather.
Although the barrel is smooth, it does *NOT* feel at all slippery; the exterior finish feels almost a bit "rubbery" even though that's not what it is. I'm not exactly certain what the exterior finish is, but it has a somewhat "grippy" feel to it.
The diffraction grating can be easily rotated by hand, but it has a stiff enough "action" to it that it won't just spin by itself or through casual handling.
The laser warning label on the product itself indicates "<1mW"; so it is ***VERY*** incorrect.
Beam photograph on a wall at 12"; diffraction grating removed.
Beam is not white like this photograph makes it appear.
Beam is also somewhat smaller than it appears;
the beam image also bloomed ***SIGNIFICANTLY*** when photographed.
Beam photograph across a room at ~10'; diffraction grating removed.
Beam is not white like this photograph makes it appear.
Beam is also somewhat smaller than it appears;
the beam image also bloomed rather substantially when photographed.
Beam photograph across a room at ~10', diffraction grating in place, and rotated while the photograph was being taken.
Beam photograph across a room at ~10', diffraction grating in place, and rotated while the photograph was being taken.
.
Spectrographic analysis of this laser.
Uh o, what's that spectral feature near 808nm?
This tells me that this laser is poorly filtered for NIR radiation from the pump diode and probably the crystal frequency doubler ass'y as well!!!
Spectrographic analysis of this laser; spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 522nm and 542nm to pinpoint peak emission line, which is 531.660nm.
Spectrographic analysis of this laser; spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 795nm and 815nm to better show the NIR emission from the 808nm pump laser diode.
The raw spectrometer data (tab-delimited that can be loaded into Excel) is at kal2.txt
A beam cross-sectional analysis would normally appear here, but the ProMetric System
that I use for that test was destroyed by lightning in mid-July 2013.
This is a video on YouTube showing the Kaleidoscopic Green Laser Pen in action.
Another video hosted on YourTube showing the laser being waved about.
TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased on Ebay on 01-08-21, and was received on the afternoon of 01-14-21.
UPDATE: 00-00-00
PROS:
Uses batteries that are common and relatively inexpen$ive
Has a "grippy" finish to the barrel
NEUTRAL:
Not waterproof -- but most portable lasers aren't. Will not affect rating.
CONS:
WAY overspec
Improperly labelled for power output (this is by far what nocked the most stars off its rating!)
MANUFACTURER: Unknown
PRODUCT TYPE: Handheld laser w/diffractive tip
LAMP TYPE: DPSS diode laser
No. OF LAMPS: 1
BEAM TYPE: Very narrow spot
SWITCH TYPE: Momentary pushbutton on/off on barrel
CASE MATERIAL: Metal; probably brass
BEZEL: Metal; laser aperture recessed into a hosel for it
BATTERY: 2xAAA cells
CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
WATER RESISTANT: Splatter-resistant at maximum
SUBMERSIBLE: NO WAY HOZAY!!!
ACCESSORIES: Holographic projection head
SIZE: 164.70mm L x 14.20mm Dia. (not incl. power button)
WEIGHT: 47g {1.66 oz.} (incl. batteries)
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Unknown; though probably an Oriental country like China, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc.
WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated
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SIZE
, fire it from the cannoñata
- candiosity is usually checked with a laser-type device on a platform with a large readout (located at Piñata Central), with a handheld wand that Langston Lickatoad uses, or with a pack-of-cards-sized device that Fergy Fudgehog uses; the cannoñata (also located at Piñata Central) is only used to shoot piñatas to piñata parties away from picturesque Piñata Island, and Mt. Erupto is an active volcano on Piñata Island {In the episode "Les Saves the Day...Again", Paulie Preztail says "Hey, ever wonder why this park's called 'Mount Erupto' anyway?", then Franklin Fizzlybear says "I think its an old native term. Means 'very safe.'"
}), send it to the Daystrom Institute for additional analysis, or inflict upon it punishments that lashlights may have inflicted upon them. So this section of the laser's web page will seem a bit more bare than this section of the web page on a page about a flashlight.
