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Thread: Noobie advice

  1. #1
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    Default Noobie advice

    Hey guys.

    I've just started researching lasers and opened up a whole can of worms apparently. As a hobbyist I am interested in getting an RGB laser for home and small party use, and ofcourse don't want to spend too much (initially at least).
    I was looking at these:

    http://excelighting.com/affichage_pr...=233&idcat=100
    https://www.laserworld.com/shop/lase...d-es-400rgb-qs

    Does anyone know if they are any good for the price? Only one has ILDA mode. Wondering how they compare otherwise?

    Thanks for any advice / suggestions you might be able to offer.

    Justin
    Last edited by junglejuz; 05-01-2017 at 22:08.

  2. #2
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    Hi Justin,

    We get these types of requests frequently here, so there are many recent thread with advice for an initial laser purchase. I would highly suggest reading a few of those threads, but the bottom line usually ends up being safety advice to protect yourself and others as well as specific recommendations for companies / lasers that are of higher quality.

    Both of the units you linked are very cheap entry level lasers and likely to be a disappointment, although we don't know you specifically want to do with it (graphics, beams, ILDA show playback, etc.). It would also be useful if you added your location to your profile so people can point you to the best vendors / people in your area.

    -David
    "Help, help, I'm being repressed!"

  3. #3
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    Hi David,

    Thanks for taking the time to reply. I am in Melbourne, Australia. I understand you must get a lot of these kinds of posts. I have been looking for some kind of FAQ for beginners or sticky thread but haven't had much luck.

    I realise those units I linked are probably on the lower end of the market, but that was the price point I was hoping for to test the waters. I don't have any particular use in mind other than home entertainment to accompany my song writing and DJ sessions mainly, and I may end up using it at the occasional party too. Hence I don't need anything too powerful but I would like something that does the entire spectrum vividly, and is smooth in motion. I'd also like it to be somewhat programmable. Generic patterns are great but if one gets bored of them quickly then ILDA is something I could see myself looking into eventually, with the purchase of an appropriate DAC. If that is prohibitively expensive to begin with I'm happy to forgo that functionality in favour of quality output.

    Obviously I would rather avoid any disappointment, so any recommendations or insights into what's possible for the lower end of the market would be most appreciated.

    Justin

  4. #4
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    Look at the "scanners" used... it said stepper. 3-8k... those will be loud and horrid

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by 10Fenny View Post
    Look at the "scanners" used... it said stepper. 3-8k... those will be loud and horrid
    Good to know. What should I look out for instead?

    - - - Updated - - -

    If anyone can point me to a beginner's guide to this stuff I'd really appreciate it.

  6. #6
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    So I started going through the "Lasers All Kinds" and "The Lounge" categories looking for similar threads and didn't find as many as I thought, but here are a few:


    What I would do in your place is look at three companies (in order from lowest quality to highest quality in my opinion):

    The first one is more of a fun, self-contained toy that does laser visualizations to any music and will soon play pre-programmed shows. It does not allow you to program your own shows with laser software, however. The other two companies are also Chinese so near to you and have received widely positive reviews from people in this forum. You should feel generally confident that you'll get what you pay for between these two sites. I'd look at a few particular models and ask some questions. Also ask them for price lists, of course.

    There are several companies that I left out that sell quality lasers including http://x-laser.us/ and https://www.laserworld.us, but due to their location and specialty in selling to the much more regulated US market, they are likely much more expensive for what you are looking for.

    Last, but not least; Safety! These things aren't toys. Aiming them into an audience without knowing a lot about what you are doing can result in permanent eye damage. I recommend that you read as much as you can about safely using a laser before attempting anything like this, despite your likely having seen it done in just about every club in the country. Lasers can even set things on fire when used incorrectly, so keep that in mind as well. (Many people on this forum have burn holes in their curtains, couches, walls, etc. but I don't think anyone has set their house or venue ablaze just yet.)

    I hope this helps.

    -David

    <Edit> For any Australia specific questions you may have, consider reaching out to Dave (username "Dave" here on PL) and owner of Lasershowparts.com. He's located in Melbourne as well and is an all-around good bloke.
    "Help, help, I'm being repressed!"

  7. #7
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    Everything dkumpula mentioned is spot on. I was going to reply to the thread as well and didn't have time and, Dave gave you even more information than perhaps I would have. All good stuff.
    PM Sent...

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    Thanks so much for all that information David! Yes. Safety is a concern. I've been wondering how it's even possible to put on a show in a house or small venue without it coming down to eye level!

    I will spend some time going through those links you provided and if i have any questions I'm sure I'll let you or Dave know.

    Justin

  9. #9
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    I was disappointed with my first 3 chinese lasers. My fourth was good. Only because I completely gutted it and remade it my self.
    My 5th laser is going to be in edisons sealed enclosure projector case. That will be the laser I will keep long term.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by junglejuz View Post
    Thanks so much for all that information David! Yes. Safety is a concern. I've been wondering how it's even possible to put on a show in a house or small venue without it coming down to eye level
    Assuming you have control over your audience at home (i.e. no children and no . . morons) you can mount low and point up or mount above eye level and mask the bottom portion of the projection using physical masking or projection zones. You can also employ safety scan lenses to diverge the beam to safe levels if you know what you are doing. I have a home environment and generally use BAM (Beam Attenuation Mapping) and physical masking to keep the beams safe at eye level, but I used to depend on safety scan lenses and projection zones that kept things above eye level for a seated audience. Here's an example of that later approach:



    -David
    "Help, help, I'm being repressed!"

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