We are using a focusable LED flashlight intead of a laser pointer -
http://www.amazon.com/My-Pocket-Lite...led+flashlight
It gives a bright, easy to spot beam a few inches in diameter from a distance of about about 10 feet. Beam diameter increases as you increase the distance, but it is definitely more than focused for our needs. It was pretty straightforward to wire it to either a relay or directly to the PD panel.