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Lasers / Re: Suggestions for purchase of decent RGB safety glasses?
« on: July 06, 2010, 04:33:06 pm »
How much power are you running at each wavelength?
Typically for white light lasers you need what is called neutral density filters. Otherwise known as dark glasses.
I have found that any safety glasses that completely block a beam from your vision can be dangerous since it means you can no longer see the beam at all! But especially with WL glasses you would see nothing!
Now if you are talking about low powers in the 100mW range. This is bad for your eyes.
But the danger is in the use, not the beam. Just like you don't let someone untrained in driving take your car on the road. Driving is dangerous (very), but if you are well trained it is a safe (mostly) activity.
Using powerful lasers is also safe with good sense.
I work on 5 Watt lasers daily and do not use safety glasses at all. But my eyes NEVER go near the laser plane! Just like I don't drive my car into a phone pole.
Now with laser shows you have a beam that is flying around. But this is actually a safety benefit since the eye exposure is reduced vastly with a moving beam. (I'm talking about 5 Watt CW laser shows, not 20W or Q-switched pulsed. The latter should NEVER be used when directed at people for any reason)
Beam safety in laser shows is about power density. If you get it low enough it is quite eye safe. Audience scanning has been done for many years at quite high powers and you just don't hear about problems.
The closest I came to damaging an eye was out on a show gig. I was in FRONT of the projector with my face right where the beam was too be, then I opened the damn shutter. I got a nice burn on my forehead for the trouble. Do your adjustments from a safe place. Never put your face in a beam path whether the beam is there or not.
- hastypete
Typically for white light lasers you need what is called neutral density filters. Otherwise known as dark glasses.
I have found that any safety glasses that completely block a beam from your vision can be dangerous since it means you can no longer see the beam at all! But especially with WL glasses you would see nothing!
Now if you are talking about low powers in the 100mW range. This is bad for your eyes.
But the danger is in the use, not the beam. Just like you don't let someone untrained in driving take your car on the road. Driving is dangerous (very), but if you are well trained it is a safe (mostly) activity.
Using powerful lasers is also safe with good sense.
I work on 5 Watt lasers daily and do not use safety glasses at all. But my eyes NEVER go near the laser plane! Just like I don't drive my car into a phone pole.
Now with laser shows you have a beam that is flying around. But this is actually a safety benefit since the eye exposure is reduced vastly with a moving beam. (I'm talking about 5 Watt CW laser shows, not 20W or Q-switched pulsed. The latter should NEVER be used when directed at people for any reason)
Beam safety in laser shows is about power density. If you get it low enough it is quite eye safe. Audience scanning has been done for many years at quite high powers and you just don't hear about problems.
The closest I came to damaging an eye was out on a show gig. I was in FRONT of the projector with my face right where the beam was too be, then I opened the damn shutter. I got a nice burn on my forehead for the trouble. Do your adjustments from a safe place. Never put your face in a beam path whether the beam is there or not.
- hastypete