Had a package from DX arrive this morning, minus the two laser pointers I'd ordered - rather than the 0.5mW in the product description, customs had tested them at 6.15mw and duly confiscated them, the limit on imports these days being 1mW.

No biggie, given that they were about $1.88 each, but I still need a new laser pointer for inconspicuous autofocus assist.

Another example of Australia's absolutely stupid "police state" style laws that are slowly being bought in day by day.
You can't even get laser pointers at cheap shops anymore! If you can get them they are great for light-painting with as well. Use one to illuminate the water cascading down steps or a waterfall in a drain.

I wish you'd be honest and admit that it wasn't the lights, but all the meth packed into them, that got them confiscated.

No, no, the meth was in the torch, and they let that through.

What's the deal with banning imports of laser pointers over a certain power?

Posted by digital_me What's the deal with banning imports of laser pointers over a certain power?

It all stemmed here from people shining powerful laser pointers at descending aircraft. Spoiled it for everyone, they did!

Posted by metawaffle It all stemmed here from people shining powerful laser pointers at descending aircraft. Spoiled it for everyone, they did!

Sorry about that!

Posted by metawaffle It all stemmed here from people shining powerful laser pointers at descending aircraft. Spoiled it for everyone, they did!

Stupid people .. taking it down a couple of notches for everyone everywhere!

Posted by Air 33 Stupid people .. taking it down a couple of notches for everyone everywhere!

I SAID IM SORRY NOW CAN WE ALL PLEASE JUST MOVE ON

Can one buy lasers over 0.5mw domestically? Surely things like...scientific research would be crippled otherwise.

Posted by digital_me Can one buy lasers over 0.5mw domestically? Surely things like...scientific research would be crippled otherwise.

Oh yeah, there are channels for buying high-powered lasers for legitimate purposes, but I think amateur astronomers were crying foul about it for a while there. I'm not sure how it ended up working out for them.

I know of several kids in my senior year who bought the 200mW varieties off DX prior to the bans, and the majority of those kids were what I'd consider the definition of "fruitloop" even before they bought/misused a laser.

They'd run around with them lighting up whatever they could, be it cranes from 7km away, or animals' eyes, or even people's faces from 10m, and thought it was a great joke. One of them even considered buying a rifle scope off DX and mounting it on a stake of some fashion so he could "snipe" people with the laser beam. This is probably how the people who targetted the aircraft started out ;)

While I've never been one to support blanket bans, I began to seriously question (based on first-hand experience) whether some people actually had the maturity to own a laser. Granted, I was disappointed when the govt decided to put those bans in, since I'd been considering purchasing a lower power one for photography - but I was also somewhat relieved that the seemingly high percentage of total idiots who used them wouldn't be able to source replacements cheaply.

This all probably sounds overly pessimistic, so I'll stop now -- but suffice to say I knew a lot of dumb kids with cash to burn.

Nah, I'm with you on that, Crumpet - those high power units are industrial tools packaged as toys

is there any hope?

Posted by thechariot is there any hope?

Not around here! I found my old keyring laser, though, so I'm pleased about that. Don't tell anyone it's rated "<5 mW" and not "<1 mW"

Posted by metawaffle Had a package from DX arrive this morning, minus the two laser pointers I'd ordered - rather than the 0.5mW in the product description, customs had tested them at 6.15mw and duly confiscated them, the limit on imports these days being 1mW. No biggie, given that they were about $1.88 each, but I still need a new laser pointer for inconspicuous autofocus assist.

I recently tried to order a 50mw green laser from DealExtreme, before I discovered it was banned. Their website actually states:

"United States Customers Only: due to new regulations enforced by the US FDA and PayPal, orders of >5mW lasers units shipped to the United States are no longer accepted. Orders that were previously accepted and unshipped will be cancelled and refunded to customers. This affects United States orders only.

Important FDA Warning for all >5mW Lasers: FDA advices all customers that these lasers may be purchased only if you are NOT a citizen of the United States and you are NOT currently living in the United States."

So I think based on this that <= 5 mw is OK to the US, but where did you get the 1mw information?

I'm in Australia, you see, where the limit is now 1mW - my customs seizure of goods notice tells me so

In all honesty, a 1mW laser would be fine for my purposes anyway, but it seems the cheapie manufacturers aren't too discriminating about output.

Huh...wonder how I never noticed you were an Aussie?

I got a green 5mw form jaycar 3yrs back. Powerful little bitch, but it just shit itself

..no longer working.