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Thread: Preserving Laser Show History: Video/Laser III

  1. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by dsli_jon View Post
    Indeed, it deserves to be in the Smithsonian... http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibi...=38&exkey=1460

    ...their answer to requests for discussion about this legacy? "info@smithsonian.com" (aka: take a number, don't call us, we'll call you...) ..Anyplace else is, well, 'local'...

    The Exploratorium, up in San Fran, CA, here, would also be a great home, but alas, they're 'moving' inside of 2 years, and it's chaos, right now, for them...
    they said "call us in 2.5 yrs..."

    We'll keep after the Smithsonian... I mean, sheesh - http://americanhistory.si.edu/news/p...9&newskey=1255 I'm all-about a great deck, and all - I always cherished my 'P+P' / Bones, but come-on - laser shows are cooler than skating, ok?

    We'll get there...
    j
    I personally think the Smithsonian is a terrible place for these old lasers to go. They apparently haven't got a clue as to their value. I've heard from very reliable sources that they have one of the three Hughes/Maiman lasers built after the very first (which Kathleen Maiman has). Nowhere to be seen. Not even a picture is available from them. Same with one of the very first commercial lasers, a pulsed ruby system sold by Raytheon in the first half of 1961. Nowhere to be found, and certainly not available and on display this past 50th anniversary year. WTF?!?!?

    I'm hoping to change that situation, in the long run. Skateboards ... give me a freakin' BREAK!!!!

  2. #22
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    The Smithsonian was quite a let-down for me when I visited DC last spring. The American History Museum in particular was very disappointing. It felt less like a museum and more like a tour of a game show set. And even the Natural History Museum was much, much smaller than I expected it to be.

    I agree that this laser projector would be best displayed in a smaller, regional science museum that would be willing to keep it running. Given that the projector itself is in such good condition, I think it's entirely reasonable to restore the rest of the system to full functionality.

    Even if the final caretaker has to replace the laser itself, it's still a worthwhile project. But if you give this to the Smithsonian, they will stick it in an attic and there it will stay. The Smithsonian only displays a fraction (less than 10%) of the artifacts that it owns.

    Adam

  3. #23
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    Wow! Very nice find! I'm amazed at how clean the insides look!

    The X and Y galvos are Genneral Scanning G060's Anyone got some of these? We're missing one.
    I've not heard of a G060 before, but they appear to be very similar to a G124, just a simple open loop scanner. The torsion bar on a G124 sticks out about an inch whereas this one stops at the end of the post just like a G120.

    There's a slim chance that I have an old G124 somewhere, I'll look when I get home tonight. If not, they show up surplus now and then for very cheap.

  4. #24
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    06s are VERY rare in the surplus scene.

    If it is what I think it is, I'm not sure, I've had one 060 in my 20 year history, and Bill Benner knows a bit about them, having searched for them at one time for his collection. With a thinned Torsion bar, they are rumored to be the fastest open loop scanner ever made, for very small angles. However, and Dr Cross cautioned me on the phone about this, they like very small angles, about 6' optical and are fragile, due to possible long term corrosion of the T-Bar.

    I sold my one and only one once to a customer, told him not to overdrive it, he hooked it to a accelerator 124 amp, did not listen, oscillated it by mistuning, wrapped the T-bar into a twist, then snapped it within 5 minutes of receiving it. I examined the remains, and they have a very thin torsion bar.

    The reason for the long T-bar on the 124 is so it is fast and has a wider angle, and thus its adaption as the open loop scanner of choice.

    I have lots of G-124s, as well. G124s are very tough and will be working after a nuclear war. (Note to Cambridge /GSI, THAT IS INTENDED AS A COMPLIMENT) So G124 would be a good choice and there are lots of them out there. Just about every long term professional laserist has some in a drawer, I have enough brand new ones for four XY heads, pulled out of unused x-ray printers, with recent date codes. I have 20 year old G124s that I could install right now and use. So if the unit is to be reactivated, G124 is a strong choice. G120s run open loop as well.

    Remember, the only reason to re-activate the projector is if a host institution wants to. This is a sensitive issue, and we would be wise not to assume it will be done. It is however good to plan in case the need arises.

    In other news, I just had a LONG chat with the ILDA Chairman.

    Steve
    Last edited by mixedgas; 02-01-2011 at 12:23.

  5. #25
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    Just a quick note. I'm posting from my phone. I just received an email from mr. Cross and he indicated that part number is also known as G0612 as well. This might help in the hunt.

  6. #26
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    That projector is possibly one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. The amount of work which went into that is quite unbelievable.

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    Bumpity any update?
    leading in trailing technology

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by mixedgas View Post
    I have lots of G-124s
    IIRC I gave you a few at SELEM 2010 no?

    not sure how I missed this thread all this time but man that is a beautiful piece of machine work/engineering

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by flecom View Post
    IIRC I gave you a few at SELEM 2010 no?

    not sure how I missed this thread all this time but man that is a beautiful piece of machine work/engineering
    I can only agree with that, and then some.

    For some reason it makes me realize that we're kind of spoiled here in 2011, with multi-watt, razor sharp graphics projectors the size of a shoebox.

    It also makes me realize those multi-watt vector projectors and beam throwers are missing something... call it 'magic', but for some reason a fan of pencil beams, some tunnels and cartoons projected on a screen don't enchant me anymore like they used to.

    Over 3 decades ago, lasers were "special" because only the most expensive concerts could afford them and they were one of the magic moments in the show. The music would fade, lights would dim and a few Watts of laser light would enchant an audience of thousands. Something that's hardly conceivable today -- if the mobile DJ across the street has a couple of 1W full colour projectors in his setup as standard for his $300 a night show, what can we do to make people feel the 'wow' effect again when a laser is turned on, instead of going 'hey, here's another one of those cheap Chinese gadgets again...'?

    To me, one of these units embodies what we as laserists have been looking for. It's insanely complicated, but once it's turned on and used as a tool for an experienced artist and technician, it can only be described as pure magic. Anyone can slam a few frame buttons in Pangolin Quickshow, but creating a stunning effect with something like this is nearly impossible for the untrained eye.

    On the technical side: Is the system basically a collection of (semi-modular) analog synthesizers which generate signals for the galvos? I'd be interested in how the signal flow is in a 'projector' like this, I guess there are some interesting things we can learn from it and maybe even build something like a DAC/analog hybrid system out of it. Should give a lot more creative options than a simple 'dumb' vector frame projector.

  10. #30
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    .... So any updates on this beast........?
    10W RGB
    2x 5W RGB
    2x 3W RGB
    2x 1W Green
    ---------------------------------
    QM.NET, 2x FB3, LivePro, Beyond, APC40,

    kgblasers.com

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