Wicked Lasers S3 Spyder III Arctic Laser

Dissatisfied with your feeble red dot laser pointer? Unimpressed by it’s light sabre-less looks? Then try this monster on for size. Wicked Lasers has recently made available a 1 watt blue diode laser called the Spyder III Pro Arctic Series Laser. 1 watt may not sound like a lot, but it is when you’re talking about handheld battery powered lasers. This one can burn through materials and cause irreparable eye damage if used incorrectly. A direct quote from the product description page at Wicked Lasers states:

Don’t let the Arctic name fool you, this laser possesses the most burning capabilities of any portable laser in existence. That’s why it’s also the most dangerous laser ever created.

And they’re not kidding. This is not a laser pointer and don’t use it like one. The laser comes in a nice box. It’s sturdy with a magnetic seal on the flap for easy opening. Inside is the laser, a set of instructions, and the “full power” lens. The “practice” lens is installed by default and is used to reduce the power until Yoda says you are a Jedi (he’s a little touchy after the “Anikan” incident). Yeah, and it looks cool. It’s made of mostly metal and has a solid, weighty feel to it. It’s 9 inches long (~23cm) and has a matte black finish. Wicked lasers doesn’t mess around. They strongly suggest safety goggles specifically designed for the blue laser beam emitted from the Spyder and they include a free pair. Wicked packed the goggles, battery and charger in a separate box apart from the laser. I have a feeling the battery was deliberately packed with the goggles, and separately from the laser, so you don’t rush in and fire this thing up without taking the proper precautions. The battery goes into the back of the laser by unscrewing the rear cap off. The battery is a 3.7v Li-ion type 18650 IMR type rated at 1300mah. This is not your everyday battery and is usually found inside laptop battery packs. They can be found on various sources on the internet or ebay (see links below) for reasonable prices. The small “pin” device is a safety mechanism, that when pulled out of the rear cap, prevents the laser from firing. If you’re next stop after reading this is a visit to Wicked Lasers to order one of these, a few words of caution. As you might expect, response to this laser has been overwhelming and Wicked has not been able to keep up with demand. Expect a long wait. The Wicked Lasers website has always listed it as in stock, but it isn’t. A lot of people are suspecting scam, but I did get mine and apparently so have others. It just takes a loooong time. Also, there are two versions of this device. Version 2 has a new power adjustment switch to vary the laser power and produce some pulsing effects. Version 1 does not. Expect to wait even longer for version 2. As stated on Wicked’s website, here, and on the products warning labels, this is not an ordinary laser pointer. This is a high-powered Class IV laser device that can cause instant, irreparable eye damage if mishandled. Always wear the safety goggles when operating, never point at the sky, never point at aircraft, and never point at anyone. Now the battery is charged, so let’s burn something! Here’s a short video I took of the Arctic burning through some plastic! [wordbay]18650 battery[/wordbay]