I was wondering your opinions on this rgb laser setup off eb

[Matt]

all right

Off to bed for me but any more info and general opinions would be nice to wake up to!

[buffo]

Hi Matt! Welcome to PhotonLexicon.

The unit you've linked to looks similar to the F2000 unit that has been discussed here before. However, based on the specs listed in the E-bay listing (not to mention the higher price tag), it's obvious that the unit you are looking at is an upgraded version. For one, it has 30 kpps galvos. (The F2000 came with 15K scanners). Also, the green and blue power levels are a lot higher.

Curiously, the red power is a little on the low side - especially considering how much blue there is. I do agree that the unit would be better with 400 mw (or more) of red. But I guess nothing is perfect... Also, read the thread that Jimbo linked to; there's a good discussion of color balance there. Bottom line is that sometimes a lousy color balance can still look good - especially if you're only doing graphic images. (Bad color balance is more apparent when you are doing beam shows.)

I agree that some of the pics in the listing look like they have better than TTL color. And I've seen a few of the images used in other auctions for different projectors. (The one that stands out the most is the starburst pattern of green/teal/blue beams within a cone of perfect white... I've seen that picture *many* times before...) Nevertheless, I'm sure this projector is capable of making plenty of pretty pictures...

RE: IR filters... Some Chinese lasers omit the final IR filter on their DPSS units. This creates a safety hazard, since you aren't expecting an extra watt or so of IR to be coming out of your projector along with the 500 mw or so of visible light. Some dishonest sellers actually include this leaking IR in the total power output figure, which is outright fraud in my book.

However, the price tag on the unit you linked to is high enough that it's very possible that the unit does in fact include better-quality lasers that come with IR filters. I would ask the seller to be sure before you bid, however. (If there is no IR filter, you'll need to add one yourself - figure $50...)

As far as blanking goes, there are two modes: TTL and analog. TTL is either on or off. (Think digital.) So if you have three lasers, you have a maximum of 8 possible combinations. White (all on), magenta (red + blue), Teal (blue + green), Yellow (red + green), red, green, blue, and black (all off). With analog blanking you have (at least) 256 intensity levels for each of the three primary colors in your projector that range from zero to full power. So you have the potential to create 16 + million colors. (In fact, the human eye can't discern all those colors, but you get the point...)

Analog blanking is preferred, but you can do a lot with just TTL. Also, analog blanking is expensive. Plus, the DAC you are using (Alphalite) doesn't support analog color to begin with, so even if you were to buy a fully analog color projector you would still have to purchase a new DAC (something like the Easylase USB DAC and the Mamba Black software, or a full blown Pangolin setup) in order to take advantage of the extra color capability. So TTL isn't really a drawback for you right now.

If you are ready to spend that amount of money on your hobby, then this would be a nice laser projector. If it is right at your budget limit, you might want to consider the F2000 unit that Junktronics is selling, however. It has less total power, and only has 15K galvos, but you could swap out the galvos in your current projector. (I'm guessing that you use the 1 watt green for mostly beams anyway, and 15K is plenty fast enough for beams.) It would save your nearly half the cost that way, and you'd still be able to play around in the RGB world.

Here is the thread where Junktronics is discussing the sale of his F2000 unit.

Either way, good luck, and keep us all informed as to how it works out!

Adam

[Matt]

thanks adam!

I really appreciate the information you provided.

Like I said...

this board rox!

[buffo]

You're welcome! 8) This place really is great, isn't it? Glad you've decided to join us!

Adam