Just starting the hobby, anything i need to know before buying my first laser?

[swamidog]

displaserschik,

Nothing beats a good lumia show, either by itself, or used as a background for a graphics show. It's a cheap and easy effect and the results are disproportionately amazing.

I build lumia projectors from time to time, mostly for use in photography. sometimes for eye candy.

Here's some early video from the lumia projector i'm currently working on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0pjhx0ujeQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htwt_0rJqTk

@all replies-thank you all, you have been so much help!

I stumbled across something very cool last night....I have this piggy bank with this gravel like textured glass.....immediately grabbed my laser pointer and went to it....it created the most amazing patterns on my wall! I am going to take pics and post soon. Some of the patterns were HUGE! Beleive it or not, I was also able to get a pretty amazing pattern from the plastic bag I put my clothes in when I travel...very different, but very cool.

@beamann-I will keep my QQQ's to the forum, as I know you guys totally know what you are doing!

[Eidetic]

DO make a laser show module instead, DON'T make a pointer..

but really, if you MUST make a pointer, just be insanely careful.. like holding a loaded firearm careful because portables made with these new blue diodes are exceedingly dangerous. And no, I'm not overstating it.

Well said! I just took delivery of an arachnid "portable" (ordered on June 10), and will write a review soon, but it's very obvious very quickly that it really should be bolted down.

[beamann]

@elektrofreak - ok, maybe I am not ready for that kind of responsebility yet.

any laser with an open apature (laser pointers to laser projectors) require operater responcebility, Even the red dollar store Play with your pet laser pointers all fall under the FDA CDHR regulations, and make the laser operater responceble for eye damage, skin damage. All laser pointers no matter the wavelength, to be a leagel laser emitting divice, have to be no more than 5mw or less in power out put. It is ileagel to exspose laser emissions at any vehical, be it a car to air planes to a pedestrian. It's true 5mw is concidered safe for the public, they do have the tendency to leave an after image on the retina to the person exsposed and glare wind shields on cars and air planes, GREEN "532nm" is the wavelength that the human eye is most sensitive to and will wipe out the human night vission ability. Blind pilots make bad landings. Don't be afrade of the responcebility of a larger laser module, you can't beat the lighting effects that can be done with the "MORE POWER" love of the laser, we all share! just use comensence and know the basic laws on the type laser you playing with, "TYPE AND CLASS" IIIA, IIIB,IV, ect,ect. A truely safe laser power out put is to be a 0.39mw max to the human eye which will in turn be amplifided by the lens of the eye 100,000 times with out side effects. At out put of 0.39mw, thats barly a dot on the wall, more like a distant glowing L.E.D.. Some basic safety rules are:
1) never look at the apature of an emitting laser, always look at a angle point from the apature never straight on.
2) look for strey reflicted beams, Reflective objects such as mirrors, chromed or shinney objects, refractive objects or anything that may scatter the main beam line into alot of uncontroled directions of laser beams, finding a safe spot to view with out being splashed by laser light.
3) Ware protective eye protection based on the wave length you laseing.

Realisticly, most of us don't ware protective laser googles "you would not be able to see the wave length your using" and we only correct for stray light reflection/refraction If it is alot or transmitting out the bedroom window "closing the curtains is a solution".
So keeping basic safety in mind, Learn, experiment, mess around with deffrent mediams, and have fun! We all have been new to lasers at one time and all of us still play with the laser pointer on anything and everything looking for light effects.
!!IF you can't be safe with a laser pointer, your not safe with any laser!!
COMENSENCE is your best safety!

[beamann]

I found on WWW.YOUTUBE.COM a videos, 1) "DIY Laser Show:The Best Laser Effect Ever!"
2) "Laser Lumina effects" 3)"Electric smoke" to list a few of the bunch youtube videos.

the video #1 was quite unique and sparks thoughts on how to aply the effect to my laser shows. any body know what liquids to mix to creat the diffrent densities?

[Laserchik]

@beamann-man...thank you for that info! Yes, Displaser (Greg) told me about the dangers to the eye and all the risks involved. He is very careful and cautious.

As far as goggles....any suggestions on the best ones to buy?

[beamann]

@ displaserchic,
you can buy laser goggles on feebay, scambay I mean Ebay.
search on ebay for "laser goggels" or "laser eye protection glasses" be shure you look for the wavelength range of laser out put you are using, They only work for the wavelength your buying them for.
I perfer BOLLE laser safety glasses and I have had a pair of them for years, exspensive! I don't use them much out of fear of wareing them out, HA,HA,Ha.
As for buying them off of ebay, they are at good prices as little as $0.99 and go up from thair. Can't account for the quality of the glasses, never bought any and at the unbelivable prices, I have my doughts. they don't call It scam-bay for nothing!

[beamann]

@ displaserschik, spelled your board name wrong "displaserchic" oooooppppssss.

[Laserchik]

No worries beamann....changed my username anyhoo.....I am now known simply as Laserchik. I think Bolle makes ski goggles too, right?

[beamann]

No worries beamann....changed my username anyhoo.....I am now known simply as Laserchik. I think Bolle makes ski goggles too, right?

@ LASERCHIK,
Yes that is correct, Bolle seems to make daily ware suunglasses to sports glasses with eye protection glasses some where in the middle.
Did you check out the youtube videos, I realy whant to do some light effects like that using fluids displacements, as for the a LUMINA effects, I have built a Lumina projector that uses double counter rotating disks as lenes that puts out a unique lumina effect In 3-D RGB with all 3 dementions in linear motion, It was a simple build, will post a how too on youtube and PL in the future. Have you tryed a glass marble that has been heated and then plunged into cool water? It speckel cracks the inside of the marble and when a beam line is passed threw the marble the light effects are something! Lots of refraction patterns.

[Laserchik]

@beamann-no, haven't had a chance to watch the vids yet, I will hopefully get to them this weekend. No internet for the past week at home, so I can only jump on PL while at the office. I want to try that marble thing....sounds very cool....