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Solid State Lasers and Laser Diodes from RPMC Lasers Inc » Products » Range Finding Lasers

Range Finding Lasers

What are Range Finding Lasers?

Range finding lasers are the laser source that drives a range finding system.

These lasers are designed, manufactured, and tested to be resistant to harsh environments, with a wide operating temperature range, shock and vibration hardened, and low SWaP (size, weight, and power) characteristics, enabling lightweight, handheld, portable range finding devices.

Typically, range-finding lasers have a wavelength of around 1.5µm to be considered “eye-safe.” The term “eye-safe” is often debated. This term is used because wavelengths around the 1.5µm range are strongly absorbed in the cornea and lens, making it much more difficult to reach and therefore damage the retina. Of course, the wavelength is only part of the equation, as power level and optical intensity are significant factors in the level of safety for any laser. The main takeaway here is that lasers with a wavelength around 1.5µm and with an appropriate power level (e.g., laser sources utilized for range finding devices) pose significantly less risk to the eyes of people in the surrounding area when properly operating the device.

So, what is Laser Range Finding?

Laser range finding is a term used to describe the process of determining the distance to a fixed object.  This process is essentially a simplified version of laser radar, and therefore has many of the same requirements as LIDAR lasers.  Since we are only considering stationary targets and distance is the only thing being measured, range finding lasers are always pulsed to measure the roundtrip time-of-flight and calculate the distance to the target.  An additional constraint on laser range finding that not all lidar systems have is the need to be very careful about eye safety since they are typically operating over shorter distances and in more populated areas.  As a result, most of these lasers operate around 1.5 microns in wavelength, which is considered to be “eye-safe” because of the extremely high-water absorption, useful for protecting the sensitive retina. These lasers are typically OEM versions designed to be easily integrated into your final package or system as a laser rangefinder (commonly misspelled as laser rangfinder) for the military, golf, hunting, shooting, construction, forestry, and many other industries and applications. On this page, you will see a list of all of the range-finding lasers for sale, including both passively and actively q-switched Er: Glass lasers.

Deeper Dive into Range Finding Lasers

Range Finder Application Examples

Range finding applications include surveying, navigation, focus assistance photography, help in determining the proper golf club, construction and surveying, correcting the aim of a projectile weapon for distance, and many more.

Golf: Laser rangefinders are utilized on the golf course, allowing you to determine the distance of a particular shot and even gauge the slope and wind. It has been debated as to whether or not range finders should be legal in tournament settings. As of now, range finders are banned for professional golf events, but their use is perfectly acceptable for amateur play.

Ballistics: Rangefinders are utilized for various ballistics and projectile weapons to be deployed over long distances. These devices allow for highly accurate measurements to help ensure accurate delivery of the weapon on target, allowing for projectile drop. Electronic range finding devices were not developed until WWII. Up to that point, military warships had to rely on large, cumbersome optical range-finding equipment.

Forestry: Forestry professionals utilize rangefinders for surveying, mapping, etc. These devices are typically equipped with anti-leaf filters, allowing the range finder to “see” through the dense foliage.

Virtual Reality: Range finding devices are even utilized in virtual reality systems, detecting operator movements, object locations, and virtual mapping of your surroundings.

Ruggedized, MIL-Spec Er:Glass Lasers Tackle SWIR Challenges Head-On

Short wavelength infrared (SWIR) applications like laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), night vision, range finding, and time-of-flight (ToF) LiDAR benefit from the utilization of rugged, low SWaP (size, weight, and power), q-switched Er:Glass laser transmitters. These applications often require the associated hardware components to be resistant to harsh environmental conditions in the field. Operating temperature range, shock and vibration, and size, weight, and power constraints are among the critical considerations when choosing the right laser transmitter, and the OT series of Erbium Glass lasers, offered by RPMC, checks all the right boxes.

Read the full article here.

How Can We Help?

With many years experience providing low SWaP, shock and vibration hardened, and “eye-safe” laser sources to researchers, OEM integrators, and the military, we have the experience to ensure you get the right laser source for your range finding application. Working with RPMC ensures you are getting trusted advice from our knowledgeable and technical staff on a wide range of laser products.  RPMC and our manufacturers are willing and able to provide custom solutions for your unique application.

If you have any questions, or if you would like some assistance please Contact Us here. Furthermore, you can email us at info@rpmclasers.com to talk to a knowledgeable Product Manager.

Alternatively, use the filters on this page to assist in narrowing down the selection of range finding lasers for sale. Finally, head to our Knowledge Center with our Lasers 101 page and Blogs, Whitepapers, and FAQ pages for further, in-depth reading.

Finally, check out our Limited Supply – In Stock – Buy Now page: This page contains an ever-changing assortment of various types of new lasers at marked-down/discount prices.

 

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Picture Part Number Type Wavelength (nm) Output power (W) Mode Output Linewidth Pulse energy (uJ) Pulse width Rep rate
GBS-C: Broadband Light Source 1.5um Broadband CW Fiber Lasers CW Fiber Lasers 1529-1610 0.160 Single-Mode Lasers SM Fiber, PM Fiber Broadband
LRL 1.5um NLW CW Fiber Lasers CW Fiber Lasers 1530-1564 1.0 Single-Mode Lasers SM Fiber, PM Fiber Narrow
LGK 7627 HeNe Lasers 633 0.005, 0.010 Single-Mode Lasers, Multimode Free Space
Quantum Cascade Lasers - mirSense Product Family PowerMir 4.0um Quantum Cascade Lasers 4000 0.100, 0.450, 1.0 Multimode Free Space
Quantum Cascade Lasers - mirSense Product Family PowerMir 4.6um Quantum Cascade Lasers 4600 0.100, 0.450, 1.0 Multimode Free Space
Quantum Cascade Lasers - mirSense Product Family PowerMir 4.8um Quantum Cascade Lasers 4800 0.100, 1.5 Multimode Free Space
Quantum Cascade Lasers - mirSense Product Family PowerMir 9.4um Quantum Cascade Lasers 9400 0.100, 0.300 Multimode Free Space
more more

FL CW/CW Modulated Series

FL CW/CW Modulated SeriesThe FL CW/CW Modulated Series offers a variety of standard and custom CW fiber laser options. Available in both OEM and Turnkey formats, our 1um, 1.5um and 2um fiber lasers are manufactured to Telcordia standards and can be modified to meet your applications requirements. With available powers up to 100W at 1um, 30W at 1.5um and 40W at 2um, our CW fiber lasers are suitable for a wide range of applications. Available options and configurations include narrow linewidth, single frequency outputs, C and L-band broadband sources, PM fiber options, power tunability and high-speed trig./mod. Customized configurations are available upon request. 

LGK Series

The LGK series of HeNe laser modules boast an excellent TEM00 beam, robust mechanical design, a long service life of up to 30,000 hours, and are available in 543nm, 594nm, and 632.8nm wavelengths, with output powers up to 20mW. Choose between standard and customized models, with options for single or multimode, random or linear polarization, Brewster window tubes, and fiber coupling. Designed for long life, low noise, and high stability, with many customization options, these HeNe lasers are perfect for applications including spectroscopy, interferometry, holography, medical, and more! 

PowerMir Series

mirSense Product Family

The PowerMir series is a line of high-power pulsed Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCL) based on our proprietary technology. Various integration levels available, including plug-and-play benchtop turnkey systems, OEM driver + laser modules, or just the HHL-packaged lasers. QCW operation allows for increased wall-plug efficiency and thermal dissipation. The PowerMir series incorporates high-powered diodes emitting in the main transmission bands of the atmosphere and offers ITAR-free technology. The TEM00 Gaussian beam allows for high-quality performance, and the user-friendly Windows software streamlines operation.