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Thread: First Ever Laser Project

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Portland, Oregon
    Posts
    2

    Post First Ever Laser Project

    Hello,
    My name is Blake and I decided to join the forums after seeing all the helpful information and input. I decided to build a laser projector after building a 4-channel color organ for my school dance. Now I want to try something a bit of a step up. I am fairly new to all of this but this is what I am planning on starting with:

    -A PT-20k Scanner system from SpaceLas Co.Or the Scanpro 20Kpps
    -A laserboy DAC correction Amp
    -A USB 6 Channel 5.1 External Audio Sound Card from ebay
    -Starting with some free LFI software(considering upgrading after a few uses)
    -Not decided on the laser yet..

    If you have any suggestions from me or see that I am missing something it would be greatly appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Sacramento, California
    Posts
    608

    Default

    Welcome to the forum.
    A suggestion for yah laser wise. start small. a laser pointer or a cheap low power He-Ne from Ebay. practice with that and see if your feeling like your getting drawn into the hobby, then go for a bigger unit. reason im suggesting to start small is 1. Safety. get experience using a low power laser. get a feel for how it acts, play with it indoors reflecting it off objects & thru items.See what it does. Get some experience, then go bigger.
    2. cost.
    some of the higher powered lasers can get expensive! They also can be more easily damaged,knocked out of alignment or just plain destroyed by a small mistake.
    By buying a low power laser thats surplus/used, you are out less money if you do have an accident.
    Hope this helps some & good luck with your project!
    Will there be three phase!!!!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Maryland
    Posts
    1,691

    Default

    Well you seem to be going the standard hobby starter route.
    Scanpro 20s are fine little units, I have owned them myself. The LaserBoy correction amp and sound card work quite well also. you may want to check out the laserboy.org forum if you need help with that setup. DrLava can also assist you with getting that set up.

    As far as lasers go, its always fun to do it yourself. I agree that starting with a low power pointer is a good choice from a safety perspective. But once your done with that and have purchased a pair of safety goggles, go over to deal extreme and buy a 150mw green module and hook it up to a DrLava FlexMod. this is a good cheap solution for a hobbyist.
    Quis custodiet ipsos custodies?
    Solid State Builders Group

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Portland, Oregon
    Posts
    2

    Default

    I actually have a 5mw He-Ne laser, but I am wondering what kind of laser is good for beams shows?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Sydney, Australia
    Posts
    156

    Default

    You will need a laser which can be blanked.

    Laser modules that have blanking will state "modulation: TTL (or Analogue)".

    TTL is on or off
    Analogue is on and off and all intensities inbetween (i.e. can ramp from completely off to full power).

    For a full colour system, go analogue, you'll get 16.7 million colours instead of just 7

    A laser pointer wont do blanking, unless you insert a transistor in place of the switch somehow - this will give it a pseudo TTL type blanking.

    As other posters have mentioned - once you start getting over powers of 5-10mw, saftey goggles are a must. Welding glasses/sunglasses etc wont do. They range from cheap $10 to majorly expensive $100's - but thats just a bit of cash compared to the physcological trauma and physical truama a laser to the eye will give you.

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