FREE stuff for the smiles of laserists - Pittsburgh, PA

[mixedgas]

I'll shoot some pictures of the projectors and the peg programmed digital touch pad beam table controller (YES, DK, I got you your dream toy, with some reluctance from its older lover!) Someday...


I need to shoot pictures for the Virtual Fenning Museum before this stuff gets in use or scattered to the wind.

One of the prototypes, not shown is one of the original Image Engineering DACs using STDBUS, one of the first digital graphics generators for laser shows. I need to see if ILDA wants this piece of history. There is a reason the ILDA award for technological development is the Fenning award.


The split rail scanner amps are amazing technology.

For those of you who requested specific pieces, ie rack case, pcaom driver, remote scan head with driver, projector case, G120 amps, beamtable controller, and barrel scanner controllers, I'll be in touch.

There are really some significant pieces of technology in my pile, including models that let AOM/PCAOM play back recorded shows designed for galvo blanking. One box uses a single prism and galvo to synthesize time multiplexed RGBCMYW from a Ion Laser with a single 0-5V signal. For magenta for example, on one scan it will show red and on the next scan it will have blue there, somewhat randomized for even colors. It does this with no microprocessors and NO AD converters of the conventional sense.
With six chips, some TTL, Some Comparators, that's it!

Steve

[lightwave]

Steve,

Appreciate your 'sensitivity' to the procedure. It's a bit like helping clear the house of a deceased relative. A great deal of memories and emotional attachment, so it was very difficult to see some of this go.

@Crazy: I have a special place for the hobbyists. I was especially reminded this weekend. I started at 11 years old working as a volunteer at our science center. My family was painfully broke, with my overeducated father losing his teaching job due to school budget cuts. Can't afford teachers with masters degrees? Easy. Fire them and hire new BS graduates. At that time in my life, as I use as a key example, I had never even seen a MOVIE in a theatre. But some super cool people at the science center, one who became my mentor, snuck me into my first laser show: Pink Floyd : Dark Side of the Moon. As I told Steve, prior to this time I thought that Pink Floyd was just a type of shirt worn by all of those 'bad kids' you see off in the corner smoking at recess. No I was not that naive, but there was a stereotype. Moving on. This show changed my life. I was instantly addicted and decided I should build a laser. Hah... I talked endlessly about how you might build a projector and how you might control it. I had nothing to work from, nothing to copy, and nobody to talk to. There was no internet, no forums, and no lasers companies in our little town.

Said mentor above was building interactive museum exhibits with Commodore Amigas. He opened the Amiga world to me --- through his kindness, generosity, and donations. He wanted nothing but to help a child pursue an interest. Nothing more. Later he went on to work at Commodore and was there for the fall of that company. One day I received a call "How soon can you get to Westchester? I mean today. How fast? " No other communication about what or why. When I arrive, my beat up old truck is packed beyond capacity, Beverly Hillbilly style, with pallets of Amigas. He had apparently secured a huge lot for almost nothing as an employee. As an exaggeration, the DC coupling caps were shorted before the truck was even unpacked. I had a farm of laser signal sources!

It is a very long story connecting those early days to current day, but it will be impossible for me to pay it forward in the way that I received generosity. I look for any opportunities to repeat this. If you read my first post with this in mind, it might make more sense. The real value of this equipment is not what it cost, but what it can provide and how it could plant a seed or change a future. That's dreaming on my part, but every small seed counts I hope.

I am confident that Steve is equally benevolent. The way I see it, he dedicates his life to the community on this forum. There is a great personal cost to this. In fact, his taking this equipment could be a burden in that sense. So hopefully he and everyone that receives some of it has some fun, learns something valuable, and in turn are able to pass the goodwill forward yet again.

/ rant. I could go on for hundreds of pages and still not communicate all that I wish I could!!

So, thank you PL, and thank you Steve and everyone who came to visit this weekend. It was a pleasure to meet all of you. There will be a round two, and I will also be looking to fill the requests that came by PM.

I am disappointed that, for me, the necessities of work pull me away from the being 'close to the metal'. It was a pleasure to talk with those that are so incredibly intimate and close with the technology and get to play with it every single day as their hobby. I always say that tomorrow there will be more time to play, but I guess I must wait until retirement. Until then I live vicariously through this forum and all of the great things taking place here. Thank you!!

George

[Photonbeam]

Look at those insane G120PDT scanner mounts and ultra-beefy driver card. All this IEC rack gear was from my era. Cutting edge in 1982 but junk today. If it ever has any historical value, it won't be in my lifetime. But you know what they say - "One man's junk...." Someone is gonna be thrilled to have this equipment. Lightwave George has built up enough good karma over the years with his generosity to last several lifetimes. Payin' it forward! Keep it going! Fred Fenning would be proud.

[mixedgas]

That beefy scan mount has adjustments for rotation in two axis, plus beam height. Makes aligning it a dream.

Steve

[rMuD]

Try to keep the screws in these Steve

[mixedgas]

Much of this is going to good homes. For example, some of the cable will be reused at the local university by the chemical engineering department.

Much of the rest of the pair shielded cable is going into a local church to add 48 channels to the sound board instead of just eight.

Ok, for a planetarium or academic use only: There is a supposedly good KR only Purelight head, which I might just get to test in a few weeks. Last ran at 1.5 watt / 40A. If you are a planetarium needing half of a tandem pair, or a grad student/professor using it for legit research, drop me a PM about the laser head. It will be a pay the shipping sort of situation. Do not apply for this laser "grant" if its going to set on the shelf as a spare. I haven't checked yet, but the part number suggests 647/676 only sealed mirror or sealed mirror /one Brewster for polarization. The power supply would need repair by a board level technician comfortable with three phase power. I have the full service manual for the PSU. I want to see professional credentials or published papers, not just "hey I think I have a use for that..."


And the guy who got me started with lasers worked in the same Science Center that "affected" George's life. I got to attend his last public dome show by accident.
I was depressed one night and went to go see some photons, which is a four hour round trip. I had no idea it was the retirement party.
Thank you Andrew Carnegie and Buhl Planetarium..

George will probably remember the Lissajous Hene Display in the lobby as fondly as I do.

Steve

[Crazy]

@lightwave
As someone who has no money, I can certainly resprct you paying your fortune forward- you have gained a lot of respect in my book! I can only hope that someday I will be in the position to do the same.

@mixedgas
Glad to hear people aren't being stingy- that would be unfortunate. Glad to hear its going to good use!

You both certainly have my respect. It's always refreshing to know your fellow hobbyists are in it for more than money