Listing claimed MPO brand, model SD5 and 90 day warranty with Blue Microfiber optical cloth. I checked MPO's website before ordering and read the claim that this model had a Japan made laser that was superior to the Chinese models.
What I received was a generic model with 30 day warranty and a Beige cloth. Because of the high number of the negative reviews on these green laser pointers, I decided to test it before the 30 day warranty ran out. I turned it on about 30-40 minutes a day for a number of times from a few seconds to a few minutes. It was excellent initially, but after a few days it got dimmer and dimmer. Replaced the batteries with good fresh ones and tried it again. This time it went downhill even faster and finally it was completely dead. After that, I checked the batteries with a voltmeter. They were completely drained after only a couple of hours of operation, maybe indicating an internal short.
I contacted HDE and received a polite e-mail saying that all of these lasers were actually made by the same manufacturer and there was no such thing as MPO or HDE brand. Also received a bunch of instructions to try out, none of which worked. Then I asked why this particular listing specifically gave a model number and claimed 90 day warranty. I didn't get an answer to those questions.
A quick search of Amazon revealed that the same item was listed about a dozen times, 5 of them by HDE. If they are all the same item, why bother to list it multiple times?
Finally, HDE gave me an option of returning or replacing the pointer AT MY OWN COST. This is how it works with them. According to the disclaimer, under no conditions, HDE is responsible for shipping charges. That means even if they send you a defective product right out of box, YOU are responsible for shipping charges. I elected to return it (by wasting $6 during the process) since I wasn't sure the second one would work based on the others' reviews accross all those dozen listings.
The lesson from this experience: Only order the items with FREE shipping. SD5 Silver Dimple 5mw Green Laser Pointer
I was skeptical of reviews and the description of this and similar laser pointers. I thought the claims of being really bright, too bright for a presentation laser pointer were just marketing hype. But it's true! This is a BRIGHT unit. With a bit of effort, I could actually see the beam in the sky from my front porch, in town, with a 100 watt halogen porch light glowing directly over my head and two more 100 watt halogen lights nearby. In a darkened area suitable for astronomy this is going to be awesome.
I tried it inside on surfaces approximating the reflectivity of projection screens and office walls where people aim projectors. Long story short: it's too bright for use as a presentation pointer, just like others have said.
One small quirk, perfectly harmless. The batteries go in "backwards" from usual convention...negative side upwards. No biggie, but since it doesn't say anywhere on the pointer or on its instructions which way the batteries go, I can see someone putting them in "the right way" and deciding their pointer is defective.
In summary, a good outdoor pointer, well worth a mere $18. It really blows away my last laser pointer, a top of the line $100 unit from the 1990's.
I ordered this laser for my son who's teaching Astronomy to scouts at a Boy Scout camp in the Oregon Cascades & had it sent directly there. He emailed me today that it "works amazingly" and he's VERY happy with it (and he's hard to please.... 16 yrs old and PICKY).
I'm so impressed with the quality and function of this device, I'm getting another one for the car. They are great for signaling and back-woods emergency uses if one gets into trouble. Liked the little extra flashlight and lens cloth - good value!
It took less than a week for my 5 star to go to 1. The exact thing happened with this as the other one star review. I used to have a $100 5mw laser that worked fantastic for over a year before it fizzled out (beam gets weak, eratic and scattered, and is of no use whatsoever). But, it only took this one about a week, or 15 minutes of actual use. It's not the batteries, it was never dropped, it is just low quality. This KILLS me, because when I first got it, I thought I was ready to order more for two family members. Plus I really wanted this thing to work like it did the first 10 minutes I used it. I could care less about the microfiber cloth and led light that didn't come as described, but some of you might.
I bought this laser pointer on January 11, 2010. It worked great up until about May 2010. The problem is not the beam, as it is very easy to see in a lecture hall. The problem is the button that one needs to press to get the green laser to shine. By May this button became very loose on my unit to the point where the laser comes on even with the slightest touch. If you hold this in your hand you will find the laser light coming out at times when you really don't want it. My unit is so sensitive that I basically don't feel comfortable using it in a lecture or presentation where other people are around (including me). Note that when I first got this pointer the button had a very definite and secure feel and there was no need to worry about accidentally engaging the laser.
The pros of this pointer are:
1) Very bright and easy to see beam.
2) The body seems well constructed.
The cons of this pointer are:
1) Apparently the button wears out with typical usage over a several months
2) It doesn't like certain types of rechargeable batteries (I had problems with some brands)
My search continues for a decent laser pointer.
I use it for professional presentations (and my dog also loves to chase it around the house).
This pointer is pretty bright. From my office, I can easily shine it on buildings at least a block away, during the day time. This is a great thing, because the pointer I had used previously had an anemic, red spot that was hard to see from the back of the room. The green light looks great and shows up well.
Another advantage is that it has a simple design, with just one button. This means I can hand it off to any visiting presenter to use and not worry about explaining what all the buttons do, then inevitably have the presenter confuse the slide advance/pointer buttons.
Finally, this thing takes AAA batteries and the case it comes with has space for any extra two back-up batteries, so you don't have to worry about the batteries dying on you while on the road, etc. and struggling to find watch batteries for it. - Laser - Green - Laser Pointer - Astronomy'
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