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Thread: First post, and a quick question about LaserCheck power meters

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Default First post, and a quick question about LaserCheck power meters

    Hi all,

    I stumbled across this forum a few weeks ago, what a great place
    Loads of info, debate and interesting points of view.

    If I may start with a quick question about the Coherent LaserCheck power meters? specifically where I can get one for reasonable money. I say reasonable because a quick sniff revealed that it's going to set me back about £366 (over $700) If I buy here in the UK - which seems a little compared to the $335 (£171) our US friends can pick one up for.
    I emailed RLI in the US about cost of shipping to the UK, but they seem unwilling to discuss the matter for some reason
    Any thoughts would be most welcome as I *really* want to get my hands on one without getting financially punched in the goolies.


    Ok, a bit 'bout how I found this forum, if you're interested :
    A mechanical engineer at heart, I got bit by the photon bug back in the early 90's when I saw a multicoloured beam table projector fill a club with a stunning aerial & graphic show. I woke the next afternoon(!) with an overwhelming urge to find out how it worked.
    Sooo... after some investigation and deliberation, I purchased a 60mw argon head, made a PSU and eprom based scanning system/speaker style scanners (capable of a couple of a hundred pps - at best!) but 'twas was good enough for aerial shows. I made it safe, and hired it out (with me operating) once a week to a local club promoter & it started to pay for itself. One thing led to another, and over a couple of years I had built up a collection of multi-watt, 3 phase, water cooled projectors and was lasering full time. This was all going ok, then after a discussion at a display site with the UK's NRPB big cheese, I concluded (at the time) the future looked bleak for crowd scanning with any laser, the regs were being revised to the HSG95. I should add at this point, that all my projectors and shows were very safe (interlocks, shutters, masks, sensible power levels etc etc) and I pre-obtained the necessary permission/clearance (PM19 at the time) from the local authorities to carry out public shows. As the club scene was my main business, this potential crowd scanning issue (proved to not be the case over time) helped me make up my mind to do something I had been contemplating for a while anyway, and I sold the heavy ion lasers (for which my spine was very grateful) and shifted careers into IT.
    Feeling sad, and in need of more LESER (Life Enhancement by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation) I noticed a few years ago that DPSS lasers started appearing on eBay for reasonable money, and have been collecting photon emitters and bit's and bobs ever since. Mainly Lasever stuff (I'm a big fan due to excellent service from the guys) I now have everything for a decent RGB projector. I just need the time to put it all together.

    Anyway, I hope you don't mind if I pop in to learn, and perhaps help (or is it hinder ) from time to time.

    Pit.
    A little bit werrrr, a little bit weyyyyyy, a little bit arrrrgggghhh

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
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    Default

    Welcome to the forum Pit,

    I'm sure one of our American members will be more than willing to help you out on the lasercheck
    KVANT Australian projector sales
    https://www.facebook.com/kvantaus/

    Lasershowparts- Laser Parts at great prices
    https://www.facebook.com/lasershowparts/

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Default

    Thanks Dave.

    Nice gallery on your site. What's the power of the RGB's in that luverly looking 1100 watter (assuming that's what was used) in the lasergun pics?

    Pit.
    A little bit werrrr, a little bit weyyyyyy, a little bit arrrrgggghhh

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Charleston, SC
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    2,147,489,446

    Talking Welcome to PhotonLexicon!

    Hello Pit! Greetings from across the pond, and welcome to the forum. Yeah, there's a good thing going on here - that's for sure!

    Nice to see that you're getting back into the hobby - I'm sure you'll find lots of help here. As an aside, it seems that there are more and more members joining up from the UK... Sounds like you all might want to seriously consider organising a meet-and-greet. For sure you've got enough folks that are interested now. (Hear that Jimbo? Wink-wink)

    As far as the lasercheck cost issue - I honestly can't understand that. It makes no sense to charge double just to ship the damn thing to Europe. Someone else recently went through the same problem (was it Cruch?) Anyone remember what he ended up working out?

    There is a group buy going on right now for a cheaper alternative to the Coherent Lasercheck. It's only good for up to 800 mw vs the lasercheck's 1 watt max, but the cost is half that of a lasercheck. You might want to look into that thread...

    Adam

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    North West England
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    Default

    Hi Pit and welcome aboard.
    There are quite a few of us now in England. Where are you located?
    I was after a Lasercheck a couple of months ago and found the same as you,m we have to pay double what our US friends pay .
    I asked about getting one and quite a few of the lads over the other side of the pond offered to get me one and post it over to me, in the end Marconi did a deal with me, so I am now a proud owner of a wand .

    We will be organising a laser meet over here sometime in the summer, hopefully Banthai (Karl) will be doing the organising as he lives close to Blackpool and we will go to watch one of the shows at the Pleasure Beach, followed later by a meal (maybe a special deal ) at his Thai restaurant in Lytham St. Annes.
    Active members from the UK include (in no particular order) Andy_Con, The_Doctor, Carmangary, Stanwax (Rob sorry), Banthai and me.
    Once again welcome.

    Jim
    Last edited by JimBo; 02-20-2007 at 11:53.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    UK
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    Default

    I'm in the UK too !!
    The light at the end of the tunnel. Its' a white laser.
    www.rocknite.co.uk

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    Where abouts fluff?
    We'll start calling you Alan Freeman :lol: or are you too young to remember Fluff Freeman.

    Jim

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    Default

    Thanks for the welcome and info about the LaserCheck alternative Adam, it looks good so I've enquired.

    Hi Jim, thanks also for the welcome. I'm up North of London in Hertfordshire, within range to clearly see the static YAG beam reaching out of London throughout the Christmas holidays... very cool
    I remember Fluff Freeman, just about
    A little bit werrrr, a little bit weyyyyyy, a little bit arrrrgggghhh

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Lancashire UK
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    Default

    Hi Pit and welcome

    As Jimbo said the uk members here are growing ... which is good

    Hopefully we can all get together for this meet .....

    But the likelyhood of me being there or organising is a bit slim

    A lot has happened to me in the last few weeks and all of it has been good but its going to be big changes in my life and even the building of my 1.3W RGB projector is now on hold until next year

    I will tell you all about whats happening later

    But the bottom line is that as from jan 2008 I will be living in thailand
    running the Customer support office that covers Asia, Australia and new Zealand

    Im typing this from my hotel room in Melboune Australia and hopefully
    today i will get to meet Dave and Adrian ...... so we will have to call this the AUS-POM LASER MEET


    all the best .... KARL

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    North West England
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    Default

    We know you are just moving to Asia to cut down on the postage costs for lasers
    Hope everything goes ok with your visit down under.
    As a side note, do Americans call it down under and what do the Aussies call England... Up Over?????

    Jim

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