I really want one that is slaved to a visible laser I have a maximum of 1000$ to spend

I got a CQBL for just over $600 and really like it.

If $1,000 is what you consider "inexpensive," and you absolutely must have a slaved VIS laser, I'd honestly say save an extra $150, and wait for an ATPIAL-C.  

They're coming up fairly regularly at that price as all the clone guys realize that having an ATPIAL is nearly useless if you don't have an NVD.  

I think I saw one go for $950 not too long ago, though it didn't last long at that price.  

Your only other option within that price range that I'm aware of off the top of my head is the CQBL-1, as was already suggested.  

...Here now, I clicked to recommend the LaserMax UNI-IR if no one else already had.  

~Augee

what do you guys think of this

http://tnvc.com/shop/ldi-dbal-i2-class-1-ir-laser/

The 1000 is a hard celling for me I have a hunt coming up and am not gonna be able to scrape up the extra money in time for the ATIPAL

Where did you get a CQBL for $600?

DSG

The lasers on that model are non-slaved.  

If I were going to go with a DBAL-I2, I'd probably want the single-spectrum version with a built-in illuminator over the non-slaved lasers.  

~Augee

This.

 

If I needed a "pointer-only" (no illuminator) device with slaved lasers, I'd go with a CQBL. However, I do not require a vis laser whatsoever. I have had a DBAL I2 for a couple of years and have used the visible laser approximately 2-3 times. I have an ATPIAL-C and have used the vis laser exactly one time to see that it worked.


If you're needing something now to be ready for your upcoming hunt and slaved is a must, CQBL is your answer. If you don't need the vis laser, you can go cheaper and get an OTAL with IR only laser. However, I think these have been hard to come by in the past couple of months- I have two friends that have recently ordered them. one took over a month to get and the other is still waiting.


Good luck in your decision and I don't think you'll go wrong with any Steiner/LDI model as far as quality goes.

Slaved laser are no where near necessary.

1. Sight in red dot at known distance of choice.

2. Adjust visible laser to line up with dot in scope at same distance.

3. Waiting until night and ashuts IR laser to where the visible laser is hitting. Or to where you red dot is pointing.

This process is incredibly easy and also has the advantage of having two different zeros for lasers. Such as supersonic .300 rounds for visible laser and subsonic for IR or vice versa. I don't personally do this but could be neat. Especially since I have a eotech 3-2 where I can have a zero for supers and subs using the same dot at a certain distance

Have you thought about renting one?

Ok this doesn't seem like it's too bad

If you move it from gun to gun, it will be a PIA.  I'd get a CQBL now or wait for the new DBAL A3 if possible.

After using the Crimson Trace IR and the Laser Max UNI-IR for several years, I broke down and got hte CQBL and came across a guy on here that had a snap on LDI neutal density filter for it. If you're going to move it between guns, the CQBL is the way to go.  Red dot, day scope, thermal scope, NV scope- just slap it on and match the laser to your zero.  (Bit tougher with thermal scope).  If you're going to mount it, zero it and leave it the hell alone, the UNI has worked great for me if not hunting in heavy rain.  On the CQBL, the dual lasers don't seem to take up much more room that the IR-only ITAL/ OTAL, so I don't understand why there isn't a setup with slaved lasers on one side and an illuminator on the other.  Or is that what the ATPIL-C or DBAL-A3 is?

It's going to sit on one rifle

Maybe I should rethink the dual lasers?

I'd be better served with an ir laser and ir illuminator

600 dollars for an IR laser doesn't seem inexpensive to me...

I purchased something along the lines of this:
IR Laser diode

and I retrofitted it inside a 15 dollar red dot laser like this:
Cheap Red Dot laser

At full power I can see the line as far as I can actually see with my NV.. but since I use a variable potentiometer I always run it at the at very low duty cycle so it doesn't burn anything; including my eyes.

G.

How are you dialing that down to something safe and useable? Or what is another diode to get that would be lower powered? (less than 0.7mW ideally) I'd be up for building a couple of these but civillian-legal power is more than powerful enough for me. This would be a good option for .22 plinking.

 

I disagree. I went with just IR, then dbal-i2, then CQBL. For most units you can't use the vis laser and ir laser at the same time.

Also, if you have a magnified scope it is almost impossible to zero using just your nods and IR laser. At least with visible you don't have to try to center a pvs behind it.

I used to play the whole zero the ir laser game....and it takes time to do it right. With the vis you just zero, make your adjustment (the vis laser is always offset from the IR laser)laser, you and are good to go. For minute of man most the time you can just adjust the vis laser and your ir laser will be close enough.

Are you happy with the cqbl??

I was not happy with it for many reasons.

For its price it should have a hi/low function or at least a neutral density filter attachment.

The adjustment ?knobs? were mushy and didn't even click when turned...although it never lost zero in the few hundred rounds that I shot with it.

It is nice and low profile but that I would rather it sit a tiny bit higher and have a qd mount. Again, for its price it is kind of a one trick pony.

I HATED the functionality of it. For night shooting you really need ir illumination to flash the target and cut down the bloom of the laser....but activation was awkward at best. Even with a dual pressure pad it was activate laser, move thumb to activate light.....very clunky. Hopefully the TAPS will fix that though but that will be more money on top of an already expensive laser.

I contemplated the A3...I was really close to pulling the trigger on it but for the price I didn't really feel it offered anything ground breaking. I ended up finding a used DBAL-D2 for less than what a new A3 costs.

My rationale is that an A3 is $1200 or so but the illuminator is kind of weak so if you want to shoot longer range you will still need a torch-pro or similar...but for 150 yards and in it is fine. A used CQBL is $600...and if you go with a budget ir/white light like the m952v that is another $150...plus the TAPS which is another $200...so you are close to a $1k for an arguably less streamlined unit than an A3 (plus the m952v ir illum only goes out to 200 yards or so).

So then you have the D2 which can be found for $1k used. Heavy sumbitch. Big sumbitch. Short battery life on high, But it has all the features you could want. IR led illuminator that can stretch out 800 meters. Slaved lasers. QD, so you don't have to keep it on your rifle 24/7. Just toss it on and recheck zero with the slaved lasers when you want to night shoot.

My advice is to get a Crimson trace rail-master IR and go night shooting with it. It is a great little laser, small, and lightweight. Start out small in the laser world and decide what your needs and uses are.

My first contraption originally used a small potentiometer to get the voltage/current to get around 10mW from a CR2032. Around 1.4 volts produces around 10mW power, or at least that is based on the manufacturer's datasheet for the diode. I soldered a small resistor in there and took the pot out. But later down the road I decided to direct drive the laser from a 1.5 volt AG13 button cell, so the laser is super small now and I can attach it to my night vision to point at things with simply the push of a button.

This is my latest IR laser contraption; cost I think it was 12 bucks for the diode; again, this one uses a small AG13 button cell which is ~1.5 volts so the laser is around 10-20mW worth of IR power... which is more than adequate for tinkering around. The white cap is press fit and if you open it the battery comes off.

You press that button and the laser turns ON


Here is the laser after pressing the button, barely visible to the webcam CMOS since it has an IR blocking shield... (you don't want to point the laser @ full power to the webcam... it cuts through electrical tape like a hot knife through butter.)




G.

Sorry for posting a picture of airsoft marker


3.5mw 850nm IR laser with APC, and a ir block filter to reduced the output.

9v battery integrated in the foregrip.

The housing ain't exactly perfect, but it works.

Superb, where did you get it?

G.

You got IM.

For those interested, DVOR has the black CQBL on sale for $589.  You have to sign in to DVOR to get to see it.