New or old Spencer unit?

[VibrationsOfDoom]

Now that many people have had time to play with the Spencer laser (and diagram it, I didn't realize my "findings" on the new vs. old models had been documented in depth and details on another post. My apologies), I have a few questions...

1. My violet laser burned out on the model I have (the older model). The lady at Spencer's told me I could swap it out for a newer model. I had considered doing this since A. it would be FREE. and B. were I to order a new blue laser (the Osram PL450B) I would have to get someone to install it for me, since i lack both the skills AND the tools to do it myself.

HOWEVER:

If I were to swap out the machines, I will lose the graphics built into the machine. Since it's been documented that the newer models won't work without the SD card in place (as opposed to mine which will turn on the built in graphics which I don't want to lose), I am VERY reluctant to give up this machine.... It still displays most of the .ild files I've grabbed here and there with the exception of anything with intense blue color.

My question is, can someone download the image files from inside the unit? If I could obtain the files that are already inside the machine, more than likely I will grab the newer model and just swap out SD cards...

Still, I've heard about inconsistencies of different SD cards in the new unit. Right now I have two different SD cards in the model I'm using, one is even a full size SD card ADAPTER that has a micro SD card residing in it!!! Yes, I'm actually using a 2 gig MICRO SD card housed inside an SD adaptor.

So that's my dilemma. Were I able to obtain the .ild files inside the machine, I would more than likely swap my unit out, since the lady said she'd do it for free. Still, since the violet laser burned out so quickly, replacing the unit with a blue laser is still a pretty nifty option... But I'm wondering: wouldn't a violet laser like the one the unit came with be a better option? Wouldn't the colors look differently? Yes, I don't know a whole lot about lasers but I have two SD cards FILLED with cool graphics and someday soon I hope to be able to make my own laser images and upload them here...

Hopefully I covered all the bases... Except should I get the Osram diode bare bones or add a copper module to it? If i have to get the laser replaced, I'd like to have to replace as little else as possible, including the heatsink...

Thanks guys for your time... I have learned so much about a machine I didn't think could do all the things it does... It FAR exceeded the price I paid for it (which was really only about $80, due to swapping it with another laser machine my girlfriend bought me for christmas. The one she bought, she knew it wasn't the one I wanted but told me it would be okay to swap it for the higher priced one... WOrth every penny... the girlfriend too lol).

[WolfMax]

You could ask Spencers if the new units supplied SD card has the old units built in graphics stored on it. Getting the data out of the old unit may not be that easy (hard coded into a ROM probably) and if you did, it may not be data coded in a format that could be used on the new unit anyway.