Pangolin Safetyscan lens mounts - pics finally (and a price!)

[norty303]

Not sure if I'm late to the party, but I've not seen an actual shot of a real mount. But now I have...

I'm sure James was going to post something himself, but as I just got his LVR mailshot, I thought I'd link this up.

http://lvroptical.com/pangolin-lens-holder.htm

At 30USD a piece (£20+vat in the UK) it seems that Bill's recent request for feedback on pricing has been useful.

Those Kvant mounts look very expensive in comparison eh?

[Pangolin]

Hi Norty,

I told Justin it had to be around $35 and that we don't need to make any money on them... I just ordered 250 pieces to be made. What you saw in the picture is real and was made in the USA. The thumbscrews are -- believe it or not -- custom made. I was amazed to not be able to find standard parts in stock, and normally each thumbscrew costs around $4. Amazing... Anyway, yes the mount is finished. If anyone wants to make their own, or base some customized version on our design (which is based loosely on Kvant design), the full engineering drawings can be found here:
http://www.pangolin.com/SafetyScanLens/

Bill

[kecked]

too bad it doesn't work in reverse for graphics shows by decreasing divergence on the wall !

[norty303]

Technically, the mount doesn't do anything to the divergence
No reason you couldn't add a positive lens to reduce divergence I wouldn't have thought. Getting the right one for your range to screen might be tough though

[norty303]

P.S. Do we order from you direct Bill or from James if were in the UK?

[White-Light]

No reason you couldn't add a positive lens to reduce divergence I wouldn't have thought.

I'm sure Bill could confirm but if you use a convex lens to converge a beam of light then you do so to a specific focal point. Once beyond that focal point the light then starts to diverge once more (as an inverted version of the original image), so I think you'd need a lens with a focal point equivalent to the distance to your screen. So, finding that might be very hard and you'd always need to have your show at approximately the same distance.




I believe Pangolin can only do what they're doing because concave lensing doesn't have a focal point by virtue of the fact that the beams are diverging.

That's probably over simplistic but its my understanding of why lensing to a focused point is far more difficult. I'm sure you'd need a series of lens as in diode correction to set the focus the beams to a point and then set the light parallel once more.

[norty303]

Yes Al, that's why I said getting the right one for your range to screen might be difficult.
In reality, a lens will probably be usable over a reasonably broad distance.
We're trying to tighten the beam at the focal point, not laser cut shapes in the screen

[kecked]

we'll that was really just a subtle joke gents

[Bradfo69]

^Yeah but... sometimes that's where inspiration and invention happens.

I had the same question... do US dealers have these? Or.. do I need to buy from James or call Pangolin directly? I know they're a little pointless in the US but, I already have a lens so I want to get at least a couple mounts. (Granted Bill doesn't monitor PL but...usually seems to find these questions quickly.)

[buffo]

That's a damned nice looking mount for only 30 bucks!

Adam