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Safety
warning for the "DVD Laser Flashlight Hack"
In
August 2007, text and video instructions appeared on the Internet,
telling how to "turn a regular MiniMag flashlight into a cool 'burning
laser pointer'." The basic idea is to remove the laser from a DVD-burning
drive, power it with a commercially available laser diode driver, and
insert the assembly into a MiniMag flashlight cell.
The resulting laser is claimed to be 245 mW,
which is just about 1/4 of a watt. If this claim is true, the "DVD Laser
Flashlight Hack" is about 50 times more powerful than the 5 mW U.S.
limit for legal laser pointers.*
Be
cautious with high power laser pointers
In the video, the laser is shown lighting a
match at a distance of a few feet, and popping a black balloon. As you
might expect, a 245 mW beam is definitely dangerous, primarily to the
eyes.
For most people, we do not recommend that
you build this unless you really know what you are doing. For example,
this would not be an appropriate science project for most
schoolchildren.
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This is not a toy,
and this should not be used like a conventional (legal) laser
pointer. In other words, don't use it in presentations, or to play
with pets, or allow children to use it.
It should only be operated by responsible
persons who understand and respect the potential laser safety
hazards. |
These hazards include the
following:
-
SEVERE EYE HAZARD A visible beam of this power could cause instant,
permanent damage to the retina, literally quicker than "the blink of an
eye". Therefore
-- Do NOT aim the beam at any living thing.
-- Especially, NEVER aim the beam in or near
anyone's eyes.
-- Do NOT aim the beam on or near reflecting surfaces,
when you don't know where the reflected beam could go. A reflected beam
can be just as dangerous as the direct beam.
-- Do NOT aim the beam when you don't know whether
there is a person at or near the other end. Always be able to see the
beam endpoint.
-
SKIN HAZARD The beam also can cause skin burns. If the
beam does stay on your skin, it causes a small, painful burn similar to
hot wax.
-
POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD A fixed beam on a dark surface
could cause smouldering or even fire. (Recall that the video shows the
DVD laser lighting a match a few feet away.)
-
POSSIBLE
INVISIBLE BEAM HAZARD
Some
laser diodes emit invisible infrared (heat) beams. These may be in
addition to the visible light, or the laser may emit only invisible IR
beams. Because you can't see the laser dot or beam to avoid it,
an invisible beam
can be more of an eye safety hazard than a visible beam.
Therefore, if you build any kind of do-it-yourself
laser device, assume there is a strong, invisible IR beam at first. You
can check in a number of ways, including using camcorders which can see
the IR from a TV remote (if they see the remote, they probably will see
the laser IR beam). You can also use IR-blocking glass, so that only the
visible beam comes out.
-
POSSIBLE STRONGER-THAN-NORMAL BEAM Laser diodes are tricky.
It is all too easy to drive one with so much current that you get a
strong beam which lasts only a few seconds or minutes. If you do use too
much current, you may also get a stronger-than-normal beam. Therefore,
be extra careful until you have finished your project and had a chance
to test out the final (hopefully current-stabilized) laser.
Other
potential hazards
-
POSSIBLE AVIATION HAZARD Do
NOT aim any laser beam at an aircraft in the sky, no matter how far
away. Do NOT aim the beam over a heavily-traveled area such as above an
airport or takeoff/landing path. Do NOT aim the beam in the sky without
first checking that there are no aircraft (no moving lights or moving
"stars").
This is not so much for pilots' eye safety as it is to
prevent the more likely hazard of distracting a pilot during critical
phases of flight. Much more info on laser-aviation safety is
here.
-
POSSIBLE THREAT HAZARD Do NOT aim the laser at people
or (especially!) law enforcement in such a way that they may perceive a
threat, such as a laser-aimed weapon. There has been at least one case
of a person being fatally shot by police, because a laser beam was aimed
at them and the person did not stop. Also, a number of people have been
prosecuted for aiming laser beams at aircraft.
-
ILLEGAL FOR USE IN A LASER SHOW OR DEMONSTRATION In the
U.S. and many other countries, lasers above 5 mW cannot be used in a
public demonstration or display, without special permission. This
applies whether the demo/show is for profit, or is simply part of
another event such as a concert or rave. If you are in the U.S., contact
the
U.S. FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health for information
on the "variances" (permissions) you will need.
A final
warning note
As the video demonstrates, a
laser of this power (around 250 mW) is not a toy. While you certainly
must keep others safe, you the experimenter may have the largest risk.
Most laser eye injuries happen to the laser experimenter or user. And it
takes only one stray reflection to cause a permanent blind spot.
If you have any questions
about laser safety, feel free to contact us.
While everyone at ILDA enjoys using high-powered visible lasers, all of
us are also very careful to use them in a safe way, to avoid any
injuries to ourselves or others.
*It is
possible to buy "laser pointers" with powers greater than 5 mW, but
these are not recommended for average, everyday laser pointer use.
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