Z-5 Analog Abstract Generator

[Bradfo69]

The "history" on my Z-5 unit just keeps getting better and better. "Used at Fiske". (I'm really not worthy of this but, I'm sure looking forward to it.)

[AshMcFadden]

I should have my own T-shirt that says "Used at Fiske". I saw more old laser show posters than I could count on the shop wall, all of which I had something to do with. I worked there on lots of their projects, as well as my own and, at one time, stocked their shop with my parts bins before I had room for them in my new laser lab west of Boulder. I was in an out so much, they gave me keys to the place and a staff parking place. Yeah, I love the place.

Fiske had a water main break in the shop, once, and they made sure I got top dollar from their insurance company for a totally-used-up Spectra-Physics 2016 Krypton laser that got soaked.

Then, I finished my lab in Four Mile Canyon, took all the parts bins up there and had myself a really great laser lab, until the Four Mile Fire.

In actual fact, we used one of Fiske's oscilloscopes in the shop to play with the Z-5. The laser system they have in the dome is playback-only, using LFI shows. It does have an ILDA-in plug, though, and after seeing it on the 'scope, the laser crew at the Fiske want a Z-5 of their own.

I suppose, eventually, I should get a Z-5 to take around and show to planetariums. Might sell two or three.

[ImageLight]

Wow, this is so cool.. Love reading this thread...

[AshMcFadden]

You think it's cool to you, ImageLight? Try being me! I've been out of the laser system building game since 1992 and, since then, it's all gone solid state and completely new to me - I love it!

[DZ]

Ash! I want to thank you again for your time last week. I got back and implemented all the final changes you recommended. I also added the mods to my console so I plan on bringing 2 consoles to FLEM for folks to play with.

I was so worried on the flight back that the console wouldn't make it. Funny thing was, I was in the very back of the plane so I had to wait a while for folks to get off the plane. I looked out the window and was excited to see this:



What a relief!

I suppose, eventually, I should get a Z-5 to take around and show to planetariums. Might sell two or three.

I do want to get one of these in your hands. Give me a couple months to get thru the backlog and I'll get one put together for you. See you in a few days at FLEM!

[AshMcFadden]

I'm as excited as a kid at Christmas! Can't wait to see what everyone brings to FLEM and meet all the people! Can't wait to jam on the Z-5. (Someone IS bringing music, right?) It's been twenty years since I traded building laser display and cutting systems for drinking Guinness and playing accordion in the bars.

I've kept my hand in at the planetarium with laser shows to hot Irish music, using my old C-7 demo system: A 4-beam "classic" system with a separate RGB image.

You may find it interesting (or just weird) that I assign ADAT tracks as follows: 1 = mono audio (nobody's ever noticed). 2&3 = X&Y for the classic 4-beam system. 4&5 = X&Y for the RGB system. 6,7&8 = R,G&B (0-5VDC) for our own patented 70mHz wide-angle A/O mods, which we discontinued immediately upon the invention of the PCAOM.

Image generation is via P-4 (Serial No. 001) and Full Auto.

While I'm at it, the 4-beam part of the system has a S-P 162 Argon and a Hughes 5mW HeNe, all quite sufficient in my planetarium's 20-foot dome. Colour mod is via a G-115, fading is a Gen Scanning pen motor, images are via 4 sets of G-124 galvos. Signals are reversed and crossed so that you get four different inversions of the same image, arsewise.

The RGB part of the system uses a separate American 160B Argon and a 10mW HeNe, all strained through the aforementioned A/Os and a set of dichroic filters, into a set of G120PDs - the wide-angle version, whatever they called that. My own scanner amps and electronics, throughout.

It's all sitting in perfect working order in the rocketry skunkworks behind the museum. And I'd trade everything but the P-4 as "valuable antiques" in exchange for what I saw in Boulder last weekend. A powerful projector the size of a cigar box that was able to produce the same effects, ALL in RGB, that it takes me two systems in concert to produce. DZ said it was some LFI spinoff and they were running LFI tapes, but they had zero image generating capability at The Fiske and they were drooling on the Z-5 while I was drooling on the ILDA connector on the back of their projector.

I'm afraid to ask the price.

[DZ]

I'm as excited as a kid at Christmas! Can't wait to see what everyone brings to FLEM and meet all the people! Can't wait to jam on the Z-5. (Someone IS bringing music, right?) It's been twenty years since I traded building laser display and cutting systems for drinking Guinness and playing accordion in the bars.

Ash, you are in for a real treat! Sounds like I got into playing with lasers right about the time you got out! It's amazing how much things have changed, just in the last 5 years. There is some seriously nice gear that folks bring to this event. A guy named Aaron will likely have his KVANT 1Watt projector (about the size of a shoebox)!

What I'm really hoping for, is that you realize just how much you'll need to book a return flight to North Carolina in August for SELEM!

3 more days!!

[ImageLight]

Ash, I'm drooling over the thoughts of analog color mods... Can't wait to meet up at FLEM..

[CountFunkula]

I'm drooling over the thoughts of analog color mods... Can't wait to meet up at FLEM..

...Patience!!!

[Bradfo69]

I'm seriously not sure my head is going to be as to absorb all this in what, 29 hours? These LEM's are not relaxing vacations! Lol