1mW green laser - surprisingly powerful - legal?

[marcosscriven]

I was at a little observatory in Hamstead (London) last year, and one of the members there had a green laser, which was surprisingly effective at pointing out stars.

Having tried to point out stars/planets to friends/relatives recently, I decided to get a 1mW from Amazon - very cheap, and is just amazingly bright.

Wondering where one could get a definitive answer about it's legality, particularly in areas like SW London where there's planes flying overhead?

[Capricorn]

The illegal aspect is what you do with one.

As in causing a danger to others.

What power it is the UK never really got round to deciding much about it, kind of got ignored/forgotten.

The US have a limit of 5mw for what can be sold there, but I have read of ways around that which are legal.

The often quoted 5mw is US not UK.

There is a limit of 1mw, I think for presentations but this may be for indoor presentations, this is covered under Health and Safety. Don't think it is 5mw but might be. I travelled on American Airlines and their cabin staff used laser pointers all the time to point at and to things. May have changed in more recent times but 8 years back there were red beams everywhere.

In effect if it does what you want, doesn't get people and neighbours ringing the police then be sensible and responsible and there shouldn't be a problem.

As useless information you can buy 1000mw and 1500mw laser pointers if you search round. Think someone posted the source on SGL about 3 months back, something like that will have police making enquiries. Serious enquiries.

[MarkMayf]

I ordered a 5mw pointer from Amazon last week. Again surprisingly cheap. It may have been overkill going from what you say!

If it ever turns up that is!

[Capricorn]

Don't think it will be overkill as the majority I see in use are 5mw, there is also a fair range of brightness between one 5mw and another 5mw at times. Also the location you use it makes a large impact on whether or not it is easy to see. Any light pollution and it soon gets lost in the background light.

Strangely if it is a really clear night they show up less as they rely on dust and particles in the air for the beam to actually reflect off of. What you see is the reflection of the beam off of stuff in the atmosphere.

One other consideration is they show up when in your hand and if you are looking along the beam, to someone off to one side they are not as prominemt.

[freeflyjay]

I use a 200mw, you have to be careful at that power as it will burn skin at a couple of inches and could easy blind someone at a lot greater, it cost me £16 and is usable in anything but bright sunlight, as posted above you can get much more powerful, a 2000mw can be purchased for around £120 from china, regarding legality, they are legal, but if you start pointing them at planes or cars etc then you can even receive a jail sentance and can be prosecuted even if this is not deliberate, so be very carefull where you point it and if on a flight path probably should not use one at all, i have 2 with one mounted on an adjustable bracket on my 10" dob for alighnment, a lot easier than using the spotter scope or telrad, they do not like the cold though the lazer eliment needs to be kept warm or they eat batteries so i`ve just ordered some hand warmers to wrap around the end of the one mounted to my scope, if hand held just for pointing then keeping it in your pocket when not in use should be ok, just donn`t be stupid with it and it`s perfectly legal.

[cantharis]

Like knives, it is not possession, but what you do with them that is important. When I worked at an establishment that is not on any maps we used some VERY meaty lasers to initiate nuclear fusion. But use them like an idiot and there are a whole raft of laws that can be used to nick you. Act responsibly and you have no problem - and fixing a laser to your telescope to peacefully aim it is responsible use. I have had a 300 mW on mine before now - sometimes the night air here can be so very clear that even a 50 mW laser is invisible.

[Alma]

Farnham Astronomcal Society has an excellent page regarding the laser issue on their website. I hope they don't mind me copying it here, however it's well informed and contains sensible advice.

http://www.farnham-as.co.uk/2012/02/laser-pointer-safety/

[marcosscriven]

Farnham Astronomcal Society has an excellent page regarding the laser issue on their website. I hope they don't mind me copying it here, however it's well informed and contains sensible advice.

http://www.farnham-a...pointer-safety/

Thanks - that's excellent info.