I'm looking into getting a green laser pointer for camping this summer (not only are they good for pointing at stars, but it might also come in handy if I got lost. And believe me, I'm pretty good at getting lost.)

For those of you who have one, what kind would you reccomend and where would you get it? I've been looking at the ones on Ebay but some of them appear to be illegal.

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One nuclear bomb could wreck your whole day.

http://www.bigha.com/sky/index.php

That's one I found in a quick search. If you still EBay it, be sure to check for Class IIIa/5mW compliance or less powerful. That seems to be the maximum power legally allowed.

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The last time I felt a warm fuzzy feeling, I was informed by my doctor that it was just gas.

If you point it too near an airplane, it can be a terrorist act!!

Just a note, if you use this thing to point out stars, make absolutely certain there isn't anything in the air nearby. I'll bet dollars to donuts its the green lasers the FAA and airline pilots are having agita about right now.

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The last time I felt a warm fuzzy feeling, I was informed by my doctor that it was just gas.

Don't worry. I would never use one in a populated area. Like I said, its for camping. :)

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One nuclear bomb could wreck your whole day.

There was some concern a month or so back that sale of green lasers would be monitored by Homeland Security... don't know if that ever went anywhere though.

Green lasers are banned at many star parties. Not good for night vision.

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When I am done here I think I will go create something from metal.

or astrophotos

I think Space cadet just wants to point out stuff to friends and family...

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If this writing is blue you're going too fast!

Having never tried it myself, I'm curious about how one would use a green laser to point out stars. What is the laser supposed to reflect off? The sky?

dust in the air :wink:

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If this writing is blue you're going too fast!

The celestial sphere!

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The meek will inherit the earth ... the rest of us will go to the stars.

Epicycles.

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Anyone who believes in the warning of the bible (prophecies concerning the end time which is now) shall be benefited from my invention. Because they won't be stupid enough to pass this! -Alex Chiu

Aether?

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Some try to tell me, thoughts they cannot defend,... - Moody Blues.

Neptune- The original Dark Matter.

The author feels that this technique of deliberately lying will actually make it easier for you to learn the ideas. - Donald Knuth

It actually works pretty well -- it extends a green line up to the sky far enough so you can point to a star or object and others can see what it is you're pointing to fairly easily.

Why don't Homeland Security and the FAA like powerful green lasers? :-?

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Happiness is the Earth in your rear view mirror.

Blinding pilots and stuff.

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Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.

Not powerful green lasers, ANY green lasers. Green lasers can be aimed at objects with far better precision than red ones... you can see the beam as well as the dot.

There have been a number of attempts lately to laser blind pilots on commercial airliners. At least a half dozen that I've heard on the local news here in DC.

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The last time I felt a warm fuzzy feeling, I was informed by my doctor that it was just gas.

I've been wondering about this. Should we necessarily assume that these were all intentional, malicious acts? I can easily imagine someone pointing a laser at an airplane for fun without realizing that it could be dangerous.

There have been hundreds of incidents. I expect we will see a ban on the sale of green laser pointers shortly.

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0105/012805c1.htm

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When I am done here I think I will go create something from metal.

Doubtful. The buzz about the lasers has completely disappeared except for here on the net.

For the most part that's true, however this weeks CSI: Miami episode had a man using a green laser that blinded the flight crew and brought down a cargo jet.

I'm doubt there will be a total ban, but I wouldn't be suprised if there is increased regulation.

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"A mystic is a person who is puzzled before the obvious but who understands the nonexistent." -- Elbert Hubbard

Actually, media coverage has virtually ceased but the incidents are continuing and are still causing serious concern in the appropriate places. And, I might add, still being investigated. At the moment its unclear how these incidents are divided out. Some may be genuine accidents, some may be malicious vandalism, some may be sheer stupidity and there may be a residual number from all that which are the result of terrorism.

Frankly, I think shining lasers skywards at this time would not be a wise thing to do/

From the link above dated Jan 28-05:

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When I am done here I think I will go create something from metal.

Don't they have blue lasers and blue LEDs coming out?

Blue LEDs are common, blue lasers exist but are very expensive. Green is the best suited for a night sky pointer because that is where the maximum sensitivity of the human eye is. Red makes a lousy sky pointer because it isn't well reflected by the average particle size of dust and smoke in the atmosphere. Blue wouldn't be very good because the eye isn't very sensitive to blue.

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When I am done here I think I will go create something from metal.

But when blue lasers do become cheap, look out!

It's going to be Laser TV!!

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MrObvious

NORAD has found a use for (presumably weaker) lasers:
"...its laser-based warning system designed to prevent innocently errant pilots from being shot down in the hypersensitive restricted airspace surrounding Washington, D.C. ...will get "illuminated" with alternating blasts of "safe" green and red laser pulses..."