OK, so this had to happen someday...
...and I guess I might as well be that unfortunate person who ends up doing this. I know this won't be popular, and that I'll get flamed for it. But seeing as PhotonLexicon is a laser site, and nowhere does it say it excludes any type of laser, I might as well take it away. More or less a word-for-word transcription from the 'other forum'.
Watch the videos, you might be surprised.
Abstract:
A controversial laser, three weeks, and a fair bit of testing. Now I present you the results of these three weeks of mucking around, burning, testing and my terrible photography. 4000 words later, you'd be wishing I offered my reviews in video only form.
Disclaimer:
This laser was supplied as a review sample, and may have been hand-picked for the purpose of this review. As a result the reviewed product and/or service may differ from a retail product and/or service.
Safety Warning:
This is a Class IV laser device. It is capable of causing permanent eye damage through both direct exposure (such as an accidental reflection) and indirect exposure (staring at the dot on a reflective surface), as well as causing severe burns to both human skin and other objects.
With this laser there are no second chances- even a split-second reflection can cause permanent retinal burns. If it can light a match, what can it do to your retina?
Always use personal protective equipment(such as goggles) when using this laser, and ensure that all bystanders have appropriate protective equipment. Take proper precautions when terminating the beam (use a beamstop such as a black, non-reflective tile) to ensure stray beams do not cause any fires.
Directing this laser at an aircraft or vehicle is also a felony in many countries. Not only is this punishable by jail time, it also endangers the lives of people both in the vehicle and outside of the vehicle.
Coherent has an excellent laser safety video regarding the safe handling of Class IIIb and IV laser light. This can be found here
1. Background
The discovery of the 445nm blue diodes in widely-available multimedia projectors caused quite a stir in the laser hobbyist community earlier this year, and brought with it quite a fair bit of LPF-bashing and a few companies attempting to build portables around this new (and extremely powerful) diode.
Wicked Lasers was one of the first companies to jump on it, and their Spyder III Arctic (simply referred to as the Arctic from this point onwards) drew quite a bit of attention from the mass media. Many were quick to order this new 'lightsabre', and the initial production was plagued by constant delays (the original launch
date was missed by 3 monnths) and quality control issues (an above-average failure rate, bad finishing, thermal grease smeared over lenses, lenses coming loose). Many members were left disappointed, and many more cancelled their orders, instead ordering from other companies.
Not long after the G1s were shipped, Wicked began shipping the G2 Arctics. These had many changes, including a simplified internal layout, a tighter lens, a more durable finish and the well-known SmartSwitch. Although the G2 was not plagued with the issues that the G1 experienced, many were nonetheless reluctant to order from Wicked after the issues they'd experienced.
Determined to turn things around and to fix their image, Wicked has organised for a handful of experienced, knowledgable forumers and myself to recieve review samples of their latest Arctic G2, and so this review begins.
2. Manufacturer supplied specifications
These are the specifications for this laser, as supplied by the manufacturer.
3. Shipping and packaging
The laser was shipped from Hong Kong by EMS Express International, and delivered by the local postal system. Shipping was also extremely fast, most of us recieved our review units 9 days after the member organising had sent our addresses to WL.
Each component had it's individual packaging. The laser and lenspen was in one box, along with all documentation, the charger and battery in another and the goggles in their own hard case.
This was then wrapped in a layer of bubble wrap and slipped into a silver plastic bag, which was heat-sealed. All relavent documentation, customs declarations, and Form #2877 were enclosed in a zip-lock bag on the exterior of the package.
Upon closer inspection there was some minor tearing along one side of the bag, however, it did not compromise the structural integrity of the bag in any way.
Upon cutting open the plastic, the first item to slide out of the bag was the goggles. The goggles came with their own hard case, along with a cleaning cloth.
The charger arrived in a white cardboard box. The battery was wrapped in plastic and fitted snugly in the charger.
The laser itself arrived in the signature WL black box, with silver lettering. The cardboard hinge that held the lid to the box was almost completely detached when it arrived; it wouldn't have made for a good first impression.
The laser itself was held in the box with foam, along with the lenses. The laser arrived fully assembled, with the high-powered lens attached.
The lenses arrived clean, and free of scratches. All lenses had a small sticker denoting the lens's respective functions, except the galaxy lens.
4. Overview
First thing- the laser's a lot bigger than the pictures make it look. Despite measuring 23cm/9 inches long with a lens, it still remains incredibly comfortable to hold, even for someone with relatively small hands. The flat sides and raised section where the SmartSwitch is positioned make it very comfortable to hold and operate in one hand.
Unlike the G1, this laser has a much flatter finish which does not scratch as easily. However, there were minor imperfections in some parts of the finish- not enough to warrant a refinish, but large enough to be noticable. The WL and Arctic logo are not stencilled on, instead, they are engraved straight into the body.
You can see that the paint on the SmartSwitch has begun to come off after a period of normal use.
The laser breaks into three parts: the tailcap, the body, and the lens. The tailcap thread is extremely smooth, and is lubricated. The lens thread, however, is not as smooth as the tailcap thread, and often requires a few attempts before the thread 'catches' and screws on. I suspect with a bit of use this will wear down and the lens thread will smoothen out.
At this point, a minor nitpick- I would have preferred if the SmartSwitch was located closer to the battery indicator LEDs, or at least have the SmartSwitch LED blink in sync with the battery indicator LEDs while entering the code.
The tailcap has the interlock pin required for FDA compliance, however, said pin is stuck firmly inside the tailcap and is not removable without considerable force. I believe this was a fix for the loose interlock pins in the G1 Arctics, however, the pin is too tight and is almost useless as a result.
5. Included Package
The included package arrived in individual packaging in the same satchel, there was no larger box that held everything (as is with other WL products). The extended lens kit gets it's own subsection later on, there's too much to cover. This section covers the three accessories that were part of the review package- the goggles, battery/charger and lenspen.
a. Goggles.
There were quite a few complaints about the goggles that shipped with the G1, with most being described as grossly overrated and ineffective. Unfortunately, nothing has changed with these goggles, and they offered nowhere near the amount of protection required (estimated at OD1). Leakage at both 445nm and 532nm are both well into Class IIIb territory. Unlike higher-quality goggles, the plastic does not melt, but instead chars when hit by a focused Arctic.
I have a pair of $6 goggles which almost completely attenuate the Arctic's beam (leaving nothing but a faint purplish spot more akin to 405nm), and which do not char (melting instead) when placed in the focal point. I do not have an LPM, but here are pictures of the Arctic against the beamstop.
Perhaps what's worse is the number of people out there who will be depending on the supplied goggles for protection against the Arctic's beam. It'd be easy for a beginner to assume that the goggles are offering enough protection (despite the light leakage). As a result, it is possible that these goggles may well be a safety risk, with users expecting adequate protection not offered by these goggles.
Although it may be obvious for experienced laserists that the goggles are not up to the standard required, it may not be so apparant to many beginners who know next to nothing about lasers (the target market of Wicked, it appears). The end result? You have a bunch of people who know nothing about lasers or laser safety, working with a Class IV device with inadequate eye protection.
The verdict? The goggles are here to deliver the verdict:
On the upside, the hard case had a rather nice look, and would fit other goggles too, if you chose to keep it. The cleaning cloth is not lint-free either, and is unsuitable for cleaning fragile optics.
b. Lenspen
One of the pleasent surprises in the package was the included lenspen. Being smaller than most commercial lenspens, it can easily fit into smaller spaces (commonly found on laser lenses).
The brush tip is retractable, and this helps keep the tip dust-free and clean when not in use.
The other end is impregnated with a 'non-liquid cleaning agent', which removes oils and stains from lenses without the use of a liquid. I have no idea what the substance or how it works, but I do know it does work. The agent is replenished by replacing the cap and twisting it 180 degrees.
Thumbs up for the lenspen. If you haven't got one, go get one!
c. Batteries and Charger
The batteries and charger arrived together, in the same box. Both arrived in bubble wrap, well protected, with no scratches or visible damage.
The supplied battery is an unprotected green cell with generic markings. Although green 18650 cells supplied by WL have [link]exploded in the past, this cell is not the same generic 1350mAh cell. This cell is made by Samsung, and online sources quote a capcity upwards of 2000mAh, and runtime tests (both in the Arctic and in my C1) shows this as more or less accurate.
The charger is a generic single-cell charger, supplied by most retailers including Rayfoss. The plug is the standard US/Hong Kong plug, and the charger has automatic switching capability for 110/220V cross-compatibility. Although this is enough to keep most customers happy(being in the US), nation-specific adapters depending on the shipping destination would have been a nice touch. It's a habit for smaller retailers such as Rayfoss, and it doesn't cost too much extra too.
6. In Use
Here's where the fun begins- actually playing with the laser itself. This section is basically a braindump of my first impressions with this laser. Think it's a long read? Simply watch the video at the end of this section.
When you first pick up the laser, you'll notice it feels extremely solid and well-built. The laser weighs enough to feel solid, but remains extremely comfortable to hold. Unlike other portables (especially DIY units with large heads and heatsinks), it is very well balanced weight-wise, even with the battery.
To insert a battery, simply unscrew the tailcap and insert a 18650 negative-first. The tailcap screws down all the way with a non-protected cell, and there is 1mm or so of clearance between the body and the tailcap when using a protected cell. Attempting to screw the tailcap any further may cause damage to the laser and the protection PCB on the cell.
There is an interlock pin on the tailcap, however, for most purposes, it is for aesthetics only. As I mentioned earlier, it took a fair bit of prying with a screwdriver before it finally came loose, and took considerable force to re-insert. For most people, the better option would be to leave the interlock in the laser at all times. However, this does defeat the purpose of having the interlock pin.
The clicky switch on the tailcap is the main power switch. Turning it on does not activate the laser, it simply supplies power to the SmartSwitch circuitry. You then have to enter the code before you can continue.
The tail clicky is only a main power switch, with no other use. A keylock would have been a better idea, both in terms of functionality and safety.
The SmartSwitch is remarkably simple to use- to turn the laser on, the sequence is three short clicks followed by two long clicks. Simple enough to remember, yet complicated enough that most people won't get it through trial and error. To switch between pulsed and CW, just tap the switch. To switch between power modes, simply hold the switch for a second.
Although it may seem complicated (and indeed, that was what one of the other reviewers thought, and what I thought at first), it only takes a few goes before you can remember the sequence. Once you remember the sequence, turning the laser on in under 5 seconds is easily doable- you don't even need to think about the combination.
The laser starts in low power mode (for safety reasons) and in pulsed mode. From that point onwards, what you do with it is up to you. Just remember to be safe.
Simply hold the SmartSwitch to turn the laser off. The laser can also be switched off from the tailcap. When the laser is switched off, the combination must be re-entered before the laser begins emitting again.
The battery indicator LEDs work in conjunction with the SmartSwitch. When the code is not entered, one LED will blink. After the code has been successfully entered, all three LEDs will flash three times, before emission beings. After emission starts, the LEDs display battery capacity.
Here's a short video of everything I just said:
Cont'd next post ->
Reply With Quote
Looks like you are trying to give buffo a run for his longest post record. 
Originally Posted by drlava
, at first - thought, 'uh, whats that term, 'circle-jerk'?? 
if all they did was simply publicly-blast 'Wanton-Lasers', there, that would more likely-serve to just fuel-them to act more 'stubbornly'... 
....and armed only with his trusty 21 Zorgawatt KTiOPO4...
