Laserman532 7 Watt White Light Projector Circa 1990

I was digging through a few old pics and thought this might be of some interest to you guys. A system I built around 1990. Feel free to copy it.

Lasers - SP 2011 -8 watt argon (blue & green)
SP 2011- 2 watt krypton (red only)
Lasers were doing total of 7 watts of balanced white light
208 vac three phase @ 80 amps - 8 GPM Water Cooling @ 60 PSI

(there were no DPSS LASERS back then)

2- independent sets of g120pd scanners with blanking doing FM Modulated 8 Track Laser Light Shows with music (pre programmed)
2- Sets of dichroic color modulation boxes for RGB & W to each galvo set
1- Fiber optic remote set of XYZ Scanners fully color modulated
2- remote controlled fiberoptic laser cone effects
10- GM-20 actuators 50 50 split to make total of 20 off table static beam positions
40- remote beam bounce mirrors

System could fully automated or manual DJ Controlled!

total price?????? $95,000.00 (us of course)
Installation...Daddy-O Disco Cancun Mexico

Damn those were the good old days-
It is just an example to show you...There is NO END TO THE MADNESS!!!!>:)

I am cleaning out my shop, if I find more pics i post em...if ya want...:eek:

more...MORE...MORE!!!! :)

any pics of this in action in the club??

seems like a BAD ASS laser!

-Marc

Pat
Not that I would expect anything less - but that is a damn fine piece of work. Pix in action would be awesome, but in their abscence you can post as many pix as you find, I know I for one will be very happy to see anything of your life in lasers.

Rob

rob you need to upgrade ;)

mental bit of kit

Hmmmmmmm - yeah i just need to get some....
No No No No
but then if i sell the car and remortgage
No No No No

stop it

Rob

hahaha .

anyway - it would just be more kit for you ....erm erm...I mean us to lug up them stairs :)

Rob

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gottaluvlasers

more...MORE...MORE!!!! :)

any pics of this in action in the club??

seems like a BAD ASS laser!

-Marc

---

Keep in mind that any video camera of the era was propped upon your shoulder. There were NO digital cameras. Any photos that I might have of the system in action would have been taken probably with a kodak disposable camera and put in a box somewhere. These B & W photos were for my portfolio to show potential clients (they didnt know what they were looking at any way, I just asked them how much they wanted to spend and I built the system custom for them)

Keep your eyes out for my post of the "Ferrari System" I built a system for a guy and he tossed the keys to his Ferrari 308GTS (the same one Magnum PI drove but mine was silver $80,000.00) across the table to me at lunch. (you don't believe it, but it is true)

How do you manage to focus the light from the ten gas powered lamposts along the back .. is it something to do with polarization ?

Awesome peice of kit ,and a toms rate of inflation calculator ,courtesy of google ,brings that guys spend in todays money terms to $200, 000 ..serious cash man , serious cash !

PaUL

Magum versus V Gas powered laser

Ya takes ya picks and live with the consequences !

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stanwax

Pat
Not that I would expect anything less - but that is a damn fine piece of work. Pix in action would be awesome, but in their abscence you can post as many pix as you find, I know I for one will be very happy to see anything of your life in lasers.

Rob

---

Thanks rob, I prided myself on custom manufacturing Almost EVERYTHING personally. I rarely made a bunch of money on each system because I invested in NOTHING BUT THE BEST, Absolutely State of the Art for the time. All custom welded steel was powder coated, all custom allum. breadboard and other parts were black anodized, all exterior surfaces were custom painted with baked on enamel texture finish paint. I made my own silkscreen art and silk screened each piece personally. Everything was NEW nothing Surplus or second hand. I would manufacture, install, train, pickup the final payment, and buy drinks for the entire group...because thats how I roll.:)

Found a picture of the laser(S) mounted below the optical breadboard. This thing was 4 feet wide, 2 feet deep, and 2 feet high in the back 9" high in the front. Weight??? Crap im not gonna even guess...lets say it was a bunch. Lasers were combined below and shuttered below and pumped up top. Lasers slid out the end on rails for easy service. Lasers were also electrically isolated to eliminate noise being induced into the image electronics. peace out!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Laserman532

...because thats how I roll.:)

---

Hey Dad! I mmean, Pat! :D (can't see me right now, but I am bowing down in front of my screen again.. Om... Om... Om...) ;)

...Ah, the Old Skool.. 'I love the smell of freshly-anodized-breadboard in the morning'... :D

God! Why could I have not met you in '94 instead of going to work for Stone Mountain!!! Dude, I would have soooo been your lasermonkey! ;) (still would!) - well, who knows, the 70's 'came back', the 80's 'came back', and the 90's are just about due... maybe we'll get to 'reign again' one day - eventually, the DPSS vs Ion 'playing-field' will level out, and it will come back to it being, not 'the watts of your wand that counts, but the MAGIC it performs!!!' :D

True artistry and craftsmanship with lasers will NEVER DIE!!!!! You rule, Dad...P-Pat!!! :D

- J

Clandestiny had one of these old-school projectors at the original FLEM that we had back in January of 2007. *Very* cool stuff. (And *stupidly* expensive, at least back in the day!) Basically the same design too; a Krypton Argon pair underneath, with a bunch of GM-20's sending the beams topside. He also had a pair of scan heads on the far end (G-120's of course), and it looks like your rig has the same set up. About the only difference I see is that Clandestiny's projector was larger (2 ft by 3 ft by 7 ft) and used turrets for the bounce mirror ports with the GM-20's mounted underneath.

He put a little Lexel 88 (or was it an 85... I forget) inside the thing, and the projector just swallowed it. It was designed to house much larger lasers - Lexel 95's, Coherent I-200's, that sort of thing.

Still, it was a work of art, and when those beam turrets were firing (all 20 of them), it was a sight to behold!

Unfortunately, I think that a projector of that scale is beyond the reach of most hobbyists. But thanks for sharing your pics, Laserman! (Now I need to go wipe the drool off my keyboard...)

Adam

We did scanner beams from the beginning of time (as most of you guys do today) Everyone should build a rail of actuator beams because the "look of the effect" (especially for a stage with remote bounce mirrors) can not be duplicated by scanners IMHO.

(keep in mind when you read my post out loud to yourself...talk like a grumpy old man, it makes reading my post a lot more fun):D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Laserman532

Everyone should build a rail of actuator beams because the "look of the effect" (especially for a stage with remote bounce mirrors) can not be duplicated by scanners IMHO

---

Stunning looking rig that Pat, love it... a real "hairy armed" mans laser :D
With you on the wide actuated beam table... add a few flat gratings (can't say starburst any more ;)) and nothing looks more stunning in full flight.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Buffo

Clandestiny had one of these old-school projectors at the original FLEM that we had back in January of 2007. *Very* cool stuff. (And *stupidly* expensive

---

Hey Adam -

Wondering if Clan's box might of been one of these-style (First pic: System was designed by Terry Michaels of Laser Artistry, (now, 'OOB' :() and is his pic as well - a very fine example of 'old-skool' (just teasin, Pat!) ;) craftsmanship!

...And as to the 'rationale' for these types of systems, the rest of the pix are for all of the dpss-shoebox 'nu-skoolers' here ;)
**NOTICE: NOT AN INSULT!!** I've made my share of 'shoeboxes' too, and they're fun!) as a wise-old 'old-skooler' once said to me: ..."this is how it's done, son!" :rolleyes: :D

The advantage multiple-position-projectors give you is the flexibility (with 50/50 splitters) to 'share' and do both beams (which are HIGHLY underappreciated in the PL-arena, in my opinion! ;)) fx (like machita) and graphics/aerials/atmospherics- at the SAME TIME..
keewwl, eh? :D - and as the next batch o' pix will show, (along with 'proof' of some of my 'shoebox' werk :rolleyes:) these beam-position systems need-not be GIANT - all depends on the 'size of the wand' you're using to make the magic with... :D

njoy...

- J

(but sorry, Pats' still wins...:D)

OK, a few of my sorrya$$ 'shoe-box' DPSS projects of the past...did an RGY once, but holding off on RGB till the lasers 'ripen' just a weee bit more ;) this has been a great forum, cause I get to learn from all the 'crash and burns' at a distance.. HAHAHAHAHAhahahaa - sorry, that was mean... :D

Intent was to enter the 'mini-unit' market (largest of these was 6" x 6" x 12"!), and make units for store-fronts, dynamic in-store 'laser signs', DJ-units (a 30K graphics-capable 'PRO' unit to rival all the 'what's-the-point-outside-of-your-bedroom' lissajous-boxes) etc, but with the new wave of chinese stuff coming out, the 'narrow-to-begin-with' profit margins just made it seem like a great big...WHY???... so, it was fun while it lasted..:D

peace...

- J

that is amazing, its laser sex!!!

Hey Pat, ya got any old shows on tape?
we should get together and show these guys a tapefest.

by tape I mean FM-multitrack or Adat.

I have ADAT

Steve

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mixedgas

Hey Pat, ya got any old shows on tape?
we should get together and show these guys a tapefest.

by tape I mean FM-multitrack or Adat.

I have ADAT

Steve

---

Funny you should mention that steve. I have and soon to be for sale. a teac 48 & a teac 38 8 track reel to reel FM mod/demod with probably 15 preprogrammed shows to music. push one button and sit back with a big splif and watch pink floyd the wall. As far as taking the time to actually put light on the wall, no chance, BTDT and got the t-shirt.
I got the award winning shows from LFI and used them at the DeAnza Planetarium in Cupertino around '90 or so. Me and Floyd use to be good buds.

pat b

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dsli_jon

OK, a few of my sorrya$$ 'shoe-box' DPSS projects of the past...did an RGY once, but holding off on RGB till the lasers 'ripen' just a weee bit more ;) this has been a great forum, cause I get to learn from all the 'crash and burns' at a distance.. HAHAHAHAHAhahahaa - sorry, that was mean... :D

Intent was to enter the 'mini-unit' market (largest of these was 6" x 6" x 12"!), and make units for store-fronts, dynamic in-store 'laser signs', DJ-units (a 30K graphics-capable 'PRO' unit to rival all the 'what's-the-point-outside-of-your-bedroom' lissajous-boxes) etc, but with the new wave of chinese stuff coming out, the 'narrow-to-begin-with' profit margins just made it seem like a great big...WHY???... so, it was fun while it lasted..:D

peace...

- J

---

Hey wait a minute there grasshopper, you never told me you did these things. "that right thar is some fine work youself thar" DAMN FINE WORKMANSHIP (and really that is what I like) VERY NICE SHOBOX!!!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Laserman532

push one button and sit back with a big splif and watch pink floyd the wall.

---

Now that is my idea of heaven!

Rob

Jon, yes, they are terrys tables,- I don't know how many he built, but in the end- I still have 5
and yes, one of those made an appearance at the first ever flem-
they are works of art-

they handle a pair of small frame units, you can combine output of the two, or use one laser for a scanner plus turrets- and the other for a second scanner- they have a cool old school programable console that goes with em-

for large frames- ie innova 400's i have a collection of laser media tables- although they sport fresh electronics for the gm20's- lots of cool stuff on those- imparticular the all in one color box/galvo blanking boxes- scanner blanking and dichro flags for color are stll alive and well in 20 to 30 watt ion systems-

if your using ion lasers- you still need a way safely mount/transport/and align the laser- so beam tables make alot of sense for the ion user- plus everything is safe and secure under the table to deture enquiring minds

the second item, which i have discussed elsewhere in this forum- is that for me, i dont like the single source look of just a scan head/ box
yes its true , alot of the big money effects are lauched from a set of scanners-
but I always liked the look and function of a full table-
a single scanner set to me- has a cheapend disco light feel to it-
but a four to seven foot long table with 20 or so output positions- with 50/50 or 25/25/25/25
splitter per position sweeping back and forth through the various positions-
is very tough to beat,
I think the fact that beams are launching across such a wide area gives the impression to the audience that their getting their moneys worth LOL
a beam table will give the veiwer the impression he is seeing lots of different lasers-
rather than all the effects appearing from the same wiewing source and projection cone/area

beam tables rule- It's to bad many have quit using them-

2nd item that completely rules- diffraction grateings-

I think Allwhich-zurcher- or maybe buffo can direct you to some video they may have taken of it in action at flem

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by clandestiny

Jon, yes, they are terrys tables,- I don't know how many he built, but in the end- I still have 5...they are works of art-

they handle a pair of small frame units,...

i have a collection of laser media tables- although they sport fresh electronics for the gm20's- lots of cool stuff on those- imparticular the all in one color box/galvo blanking boxes- scanner blanking and dichro flags for color are stll alive and well in 20 to 30 watt ion systems-

if your using ion lasers- you still need a way safely mount/transport/and align the laser-

but I always liked the look and function of a full table-
is very tough to beat,

I think the fact that beams are launching across such a wide area gives the impression to the audience that their getting their moneys worth LOL..
It's to bad many have quit using them-

---

Hey Paul - TOTALLY WITH YA, DUDE!!!

Yeah, Terry made some primo kits... sadly, by the time I met him, most of his L-A stuff was gone - he only had one projector left, and it had been scrapped for parts - no GM20s, no electronics, just a shell - almost bought it, but didn't happen to have the cash that month, so...bought a bunch of hose / feeder / couple of roadcases / few mirrors from him- great guy - too bad he decided to cash-out :rolleyes: ...
I seem to remember him saying they were 'designed' for Lexie 95s (size-wise) - would love to see yours 'kickin it out', some day...;)

RE: Laser Media - yeah, another 'blast from the past' :) - first 'Pro' Co I worked with was Stone Mountain, for like 2 yrs (seasons) ~94-95; learned a LOT studying / aligning those LM tables - studied EVERY INCH - made little drawings...yeah they were cool...
and I had to learn ZAP (!!) cause that's what they used for the sho, there in Rochester - every few weeks, they'd send new EEPROMs with updated animes, etc, and we'd have to get out the little 'burner' and dupe em for all the 'slaves'...regardless of how 'mundane' much of that seems, now, I was super-stoked, and learned a LOT... I just offline-sold one of those old GS 120 'TurboBlankers' - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=330200781345 - still have a couple, and at least 2 LM color-boxes - smart, cool stuff...;)

Here's an 'old skool bad boy' we acquired in '07, (see end-of-post...)- this is an old 'IIC' projector, and it does NOT go out on the road!- destined for a permanent install in SoCal, after some mods / updates... for the road, we use the 'mini' table-systems for our 'Greenies' and/or can take one of our Purelights, 171s, (or bigger (ie: x-rented I-400 or Sabre, etc), if need be) and just park 'em up to 'em on a table, with pre-registered mounts, etc...for smaller gigs, we use an 'LT-1000'-style, and have 2 with 'fx' (machita) and/or fiber launchers...and yeah, ya gotta pack them 'big guns' right...:D

And yeah - table-systems - even our 'mini' ones...http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...1&d=1200645693...just make for a more 'immersive' experience - and for gigs like THIS CONAN ONE WE DID NOT... OK Ok ,I'll stop..:D it is safer with 'performers', having 'predictable' beams / mirrors - great thing about beams- they are very 'obedient'! :D and just plain make for a kickin-lookin' show! :cool:

You should enjoy this clip - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJfKvLT1F6w - yeah, it's just a 'spazzy' little demo - NOT A 'REAL' SHOW!! ;) - but that was the point - just a 'quick-n-dirty' with all-in / all-out to show Clients what a multi-system set-ups' potential is - just too bad we could not rent the Continental Arena or HSBC or et al. to show what these can REALLY do! :) - 'biggest' indoor gig we ever did was in Continental, there, 18K people - a 171 WL RP thru a DMX-controlled waterscreen (x-rented, not ours :rolleyes:), and a center-house SP 2000 WL for FP animes on 2 SL/SR video screens, flown to ~75', and a 5W table-Greenie for beams to truss / stage mirs - out to the house...(sorry, zero pix or video - that was one of those 'nightmare' Clients - story for another time...;)) - that's where my 'profile pic', there, came from - load-in, 3 all-nighters, load-out, drive home- I had one SMALL glass of 'SoCo', and it was, 'yeah, later, taco'! :D

Anyhoo, I'm rambling, so I'll shut up now...:D

PAT - Thanks! coming from you, that's a real compliment, Kaptain! :) - yeah, the shoeboxes were fun, but we never seemed to gain much more than being able to buy the parts again... I'm gonna try and make time to put up a 'Gallery' before I am out on the road for 8 weeks after the 26th...I'll put up all my 'goodies' / 'scratchbuilds' / prototypes / systems as I find the time... LOVED seeing all the work up there - very cool stuff...

peace..

- J

How about instead of turrets you use all galvo sets? I mean like a 8 foot table with 20 pairs of 20 or 30k scanners :)

By the way, while I know there are many ways to do this, but how do you get more than one beam at a time? I'm not entirely familiar with an Ion setup so here is what I assumed happens

Hope my crappy diagram makes some sense... ok the --- is the laser beam each \ is a gm20 or beam splitter (particularly on the first one). The x is a scanhead.

>---\---\---\---\---\---\---\---\---\
|_X

The beam starts on the > And each GM20 would activate one turret... How would you get multiple beams then.

Also just to clarify, Jon, while I agree with your statement below about the whole grating thing not being too big with others... I have to say... I think they're awesome!

By the way, I haven't forgotten about the phone call... I'll PM you in a moment.

-Max

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dsli_jon

Hey Adam -

Wondering if Clan's box might of been one of these-style (First pic: System was designed by Terry Michaels of Laser Artistry, (now, 'OOB' :() and is his pic as well - a very fine example of 'old-skool' (just teasin, Pat!) ;) craftsmanship!

...And as to the 'rationale' for these types of systems, the rest of the pix are for all of the dpss-shoebox 'nu-skoolers' here ;)
**NOTICE: NOT AN INSULT!!** I've made my share of 'shoeboxes' too, and they're fun!) as a wise-old 'old-skooler' once said to me: ..."this is how it's done, son!" :rolleyes: :D

The advantage multiple-position-projectors give you is the flexibility (with 50/50 splitters) to 'share' and do both beams (which are HIGHLY underappreciated in the PL-arena, in my opinion! ;)) fx (like machita) and graphics/aerials/atmospherics- at the SAME TIME..
keewwl, eh? :D - and as the next batch o' pix will show, (along with 'proof' of some of my 'shoebox' werk :rolleyes:) these beam-position systems need-not be GIANT - all depends on the 'size of the wand' you're using to make the magic with... :D

njoy...

- J

(but sorry, Pats' still wins...:D)

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mliptack

How about instead of turrets you use all galvo sets? I mean like a 8 foot table with 20 pairs of 20 or 30k scanners :)

The beam starts on the > And each GM20 would activate one turret... How would you get multiple beams then.

Also just to clarify, Jon, while I agree with your statement below about the whole grating thing not being too big with others... I have to say... I think they're awesome!

By the way, I haven't forgotten about the phone call... I'll PM you in a moment.

---

Hey Max -

RE: 20-galvo 'beam-table'... well, cause 'Hugo Bunk' has already done that for us! http://youtube.com/watch?v=DSnsTZw80iU:D

Serious answer is #1 - defeats the purpose of a beam table, #2 - not nearly as 100% accurate as MM-1s for long-throw mirror-bounces, #3 - not nearly as 'flexible' in terms of 'range-of-motion', #4 - would be a NIGHTMARE to keep working perfectly / possible major signal-boost challenges (if you were splitting, etc) - just all around a major headache...#5 - failure-rate - 20 GM20s have much less chance to 'take a dump' on you during a show, than 20 X-Y pairs... guys? more ideas? (I think you get the picture, but COOL idea!!:D)

RE: multiple beams are achieved via beam-splitting and/or color-separating dichroics (in a WL-sys) - these can be split 2-way (50/50), to 2-positions, 4-way (25/25/25/25) to 4, or other ratios for an 'fx' module - like, ie: 75% to galvos / 25% to a lumia-wheel - to make scans in a cloud (ie: you could make some pretty cool 'space' sims (like those hubble shots over in the other thread :cool:), where you have a lumia doing 'nebula' fx, and your scan head doing starfields, the 'Enterprise' (or X-wing / TIE fighters ;)), etc...

Somewhere, I've got a cool 'gif' animation showing this concept - I'll dig it up later and post it, but I gotta SLEEEP soon, here...

RE: gratings??? I think you mis-read me, buddy ;)- gratings are WAY-COOL!!!!

http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...1&d=1200741336

..we sometimes use gratings in place of a 3rd scan head, (when 'Ma Budget' says no..;)) just to make it 'appear' there are more 'points of origin' - I was saying I think BEAMS are underapreciated, here, on PL - this, only judging by how few of the 'nu skoolers' have made or are making/incorporating 'table-based' projectors - even IF using DPSS lasers in their projects..wha..
...what was that, Buffo?...'Boku-bux', you say? :D..just teasing...) WELL, last I knew, you could get an 'OEM' (no laser) 8-position, DMX-controlled, 'pretty-decent-for-hi-grade-hobby / lo-grade-Pro' beam-projector, from Co's like http://www.lumalaser.com/ - for like $1500. or so (but don't quote me - that was a few years ago...), and integrate your own DPSS-lasers / scan-head (custom build, yeah, but you guys can do it!!!) and possibly, other fx (machita / lumia, etc) - models with analog actuator-control even support 'fading', so LOTS of COOL stuff you can do, if you don't have the bux to build one of these little babies... http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...1&d=1200645693

RE: call: cool, well, I should be around later today... MUST Sleeeeeeepp...

till then... Zzzzzz....

-J

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Laserman532

Funny you should mention that steve. I have and soon to be for sale. a teac 48 & a teac 38 8 track reel to reel FM mod/demod with probably 15 preprogrammed shows to music. push one button and sit back with a big splif and watch pink floyd the wall. As far as taking the time to actually put light on the wall, no chance, BTDT and got the t-shirt.
I got the award winning shows from LFI and used them at the DeAnza Planetarium in Cupertino around '90 or so. Me and Floyd use to be good buds.

pat b

---

Hey Laserman532,

I have a lasershow tape that I bought from Terry Michaels years ago that
runs on the Teac 38-8 and was wondering if it could be transfered to adat. I have a FM Mod/DeMod setup but no 38-8 track to run the tape.
Any Ideas?

Best Regards,

Mark

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ImageLight

Hey Laserman532,

I have a lasershow tape that I bought from Terry Michaels years ago that
runs on the Teac 38-8 and was wondering if it could be transfered to adat. I have a FM Mod/DeMod setup but no 38-8 track to run the tape.
Any Ideas?

Best Regards,

Mark

---

not being completely sure. so you have the tape but no tape deck right? My guess is that info can be encoded t adat but i know NOTHING about that system. I didnt think anyone wuold be interested in such old playback technology so i didnt think it had much value. I have a 38 & a 48 that have been in road cases unused for years so not sure of condition of belts and such so what would be your ideas? do you have any disposable cash?:D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dsli_jon

Hey Max -

RE: 20-galvo 'beam-table'... well, cause 'Hugo Bunk' has already done that for us! http://youtube.com/watch?v=DSnsTZw80iU:D

---

heh... ahhh yes

Quote:

---

Serious answer is #1 - defeats the purpose of a beam table, #2 - not nearly as 100% accurate as MM-1s for long-throw mirror-bounces, #3 - not nearly as 'flexible' in terms of 'range-of-motion', #4 - would be a NIGHTMARE to keep working perfectly / possible major signal-boost challenges (if you were splitting, etc) - just all around a major headache...#5 - failure-rate - 20 GM20s have much less chance to 'take a dump' on you during a show, than 20 X-Y pairs... guys? more ideas? (I think you get the picture, but COOL idea!!:D)

---

Yeah I get it :) I would think as far as signal splitting for something like that would be a waste, it would be awesome to have all separate control :D

Yeah I was almost positive the accuracy for bounce mirrors would become the major challenge. And all those scanners would make for one crazy scanner failsafe system!

Quote:

---

RE: multiple beams are achieved via beam-splitting and/or color-separating dichroics (in a WL-sys) - these can be split 2-way (50/50), to 2-positions, 4-way (25/25/25/25) to 4, or other ratios for an 'fx' module - like, ie: 75% to galvos / 25% to a lumia-wheel - to make scans in a cloud (ie: you could make some pretty cool 'space' sims (like those hubble shots over in the other thread :cool:), where you have a lumia doing 'nebula' fx, and your scan head doing starfields, the 'Enterprise' (or X-wing / TIE fighters ;)), etc...

---

Thats what I figured, but if you use dichros wouldn't you be limited to only that one color per turret?

Quote:

---

Somewhere, I've got a cool 'gif' animation showing this concept - I'll dig it up later and post it, but I gotta SLEEEP soon, here...

---

I look forward to seeing it

Quote:

---

RE: gratings??? I think you mis-read me, buddy ;)- gratings are WAY-COOL!!!!

---

I think you mis-read me! haha, I know you think they're awesome, I was trying to say that there are definitely a few people who appreciate them, me included. It might have not come out that way at 4am! :rolleyes:

Thanks for the help.
-max

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mliptack

Yeah I was almost positive the accuracy for bounce mirrors would become the major challenge.

Thats what I figured, but if you use dichros wouldn't you be limited to only that one color per turret?

I look forward to seeing it

I think you mis-read me! haha,

---

Hey Max -

RE: Beam tables vs galvos - yeah, and range of motion - study the pix of Pats' work-of-art, there - I am sure you can imagine / visualize the HUGE 'range of motion' - well, maybe more correct to say 'range of POSITIONING' :rolleyes: but I'm sure you get the point..

RE: dichros, well yes, IF you were ONLY sending a non-color-modded beam down the 'rail' - IF you had an additional color-control (like the 'color-box', seen below) you COULD, with specific wavelength or 'angle-tuned' dichros, introduce some interesting color variations from the same positions...

RE: beam-table operation anime - still looking for it, but I think, from this color-box anime (IMAGE COURTESY of and © LMR, Laserfx.com :)) you can likely imagine / visualize it - imagine these dichros are, at angles, reflecting ONE line (color) from the WL beam to one position (MM1, out to the 'house' or bounce mirror, etc) and passing another line (color) to a second - or to 3 or 4 more - gets pretty cool, pretty fast! :)

RE: beams vs gratings - LOL - yeah, I think we were both on 'late-nite' frequencies, there :D my original comment was not about gratings at all, but BEAMS :cool: I think BEAM-work (like from these types of table-projectors) is underapreciated by a lot of - certainly not all - PL-ers, just cause I don't see a lot, if any, of these types of projectors being built / worked on, by many of the 'nu skoolers' around here.... anyhoo you get it! :D:D

Talk to ya soon...
- J

Heh yeah I get it, I knew you were talking about beams but you also mentioned machito gratings and such...

Are you at all familiar with moving lights? Particularly the Vari-Lite series of fixtures? In a situation like the image above illustrates, something like the dichroic wheel in the newer VL fixtures would be a great option. Just much smaller. In addition to that flag system you posted. The resultant combo would be a fast color changing system that would be able to change to any color in a short frame of time.... just not as fast as a PCAOM or Analog modulation...

Quote:

---

RE: beam-table operation anime - still looking for it, but I think, from this color-box anime (IMAGE COURTESY of and © LMR, Laserfx.com :)) you can likely imagine / visualize it - imagine these dichros are, at angles, reflecting ONE line (color) from the WL beam to one position (MM1, out to the 'house' or bounce mirror, etc) and passing another line (color) to a second - or to 3 or 4 more - gets pretty cool, pretty fast! :)

---

I don't have a photo or video of this in action, but here's an old photo from a previous projector I had. I had not aligned them properly when I took this photo, but its close and you get the idea.

i just sold three of these mounts for gm20 with shutters on ebay last week they went for 1.00 ea.. you guys need to watch my auctions!

woops forgot the link

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MESO:IT&ih=004

Hi Pat ....

I am now fitting some GM 20s into my new projector to be used as beam diversion and shutters ..... is there a prefered method of driving them ? ... position is not critical ..... can i simply drive them direct from a 12V supply with a limmiting resistor in series ?

any help much apreciated ...

All the best .. Karl

Someone correct me if necessary, to my knowledge you need something better to drive them so that they can be damped because of the mass you could get ringing of the long arm Unless you dont care about sequencing speed. We had a circuit card that would drive 8 gm-20's an i am pretty sure you will need a bit more sophistication. If you are just using them for a shutter your plan might work...expensive shutter tho. jon will know for sure.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Banthai

I am now fitting some GM 20s into my new projector to be used as beam diversion and shutters ..... is there a prefered method of driving them ? ... position is not critical ..... can i simply drive them direct from a 12V supply with a limmiting resistor in series ?

All the best .. Karl

---

Hey Karl! - yeah, like Pat said, depends on your app - if you are just using it for a shutter / perhaps 1-2 'occasionally up' fx, like a machita or lumia, etc, but for multiple actuators, we usually use this bad boy http://www.lsione.com/1602adrv.htm cause for hi-speed 'picking' you really do need the damping and offset -

Really, I know you already have your GMs and are not looking to spend more bux, but for just a simple, TTL-direct-drive shutter or 1-2 fx actuation, the STP-8x's are fine - MUCH less expensive, and a good deal smaller footprint, for 'space challenged' projectors...:) - unless you really need FAST actuation, or 'fading', I'd save the GM20s for another project, ie: http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...1&d=1200645693 :D

'HoloSpectra', here in the States, sell these, and also, a lower-cost, non-DMX driver board - 'read all about it' at http://www.lasershs.com/laser_optical_actuator.htm and you can email Bill Arkin, there, for details - over on 'your side of the pond' :D MediaLas sells em http://www.medialas.de/showlaser/kom...optomech_e.htm so I am sure your good buddy Dirk can 'hook ya up with all the 411' ;) -

One last one, is there are these Japanese 'GM20 clones', (see pic below) that, like the STPs, have driver electronics built in, so it's just 12V to power, and 3-5V to actuate, but they are 'tighter' and 'snappier' like the GM20s... I think PL-Member 'One Stop Laser Shop' MAY still sell them (OSLS) - they're not bad, and like only about $85., if memory serves...

Hope this helps - PM for more info! :cool:

Cheers! -
-J

Thanks Guys ....

im using 1 as the main safety shutter and the other to divert the beam to a Poly20 grating wheel so no fast speed required

I will look at the STPs though ... im sure mark ( fluff had some for sale recently ) ....

thanks for this interesting thread .... so im gonna jump out of it now and let you continue your journey

all the best ... Karl

the stp 8 is not suitable as a safety shutter as it lacks a return spring
its a stepper so when its not energized it will not hold a position and could just stay any where it stops

--
John
VJ AIWAZ

thanks VJ

GM20 it is then


all the best ... Karl

Karl,

Adam and I both just purchased a few of the STP 8x's from Mark (Fluff) and Adam was talking about adding a return spring to his STP. I'm sure he'll let us know how it turns out.

And I have to admit the Holo-spectra website can be a bit deceiving since it states in on the page for the STP that it is suitable for a shutter. It should also add that some modifications would be required for a CDRH OKed shutter.

-Max

Boys I have a couple of these actuators which I was thinking of using for a shutter so I did some timing mesurements

they take 30mS to operate but bounce quite a bit so actually take 70mS from signal to fully closed.

Hope this is of help

Rob

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by VJ AIWAZ

the stp 8 is not suitable as a safety shutter as it lacks a return spring - its a stepper so when its not energized it will not hold a position and could just stay any where it stops

---

Hey John -

Good call, bud! :o - yeah, we hardly have ever used them, and even then, it was only for a few fx pos'ns- machita, etc, so 'ol 'Safety Pup', here :D wasn't even thinking about that, but you're right - although I have observed that they are pretty good about staying 'home', when power is cut, (and that is, of course, WHERE you'd position the arm for 'shuttering') but yeah, laser safety is NOT about 'pretty good' :D - best to go with a 'fail-safe' design...

We usually don't even trust GM20s for our main shutters - go straight to the 'hardcore' stuff - Lucas/Ledex rotary-solenoids - CDRH love 'em and Laserscope use them for nearly ALL actuator/shuttering - they are a bit 'hungry', though - 12-15V DC @ at LEAST a FULL amp, but the trade-off is that 'hardcore-return' coil-spring will never let you down...

Anyhoo, kudos for the 'catch' on that :cool: and PS- I let Holo know that they really SHOULD revise/clarify that page... they said 'thanks!' :cool:

peace out... :D

- J

yea those are the same shutters i use
i have about 3 left (surplus laserscope)
but i know what you mean about gm20 if the torsion rod were to break then it would just stop any where while they are a lot harder to break then a 120D/124 and while rare i have seen gm20's break