I'm Back

[wolfblue]

After not being a laser hobbyist for a few years, I recently noticed a new color (405) in my price range on eBay. I always liked that color, but did not like the thought of killing a $1200 diode in the first few minutes I own it. I ended up on the other forum five months ago because Google put me there looking for the I and the E. I like some people over there. I don't like lasers that can roll off the table. And I like lasers that can run all day. More and more this seems like the place that I should spend most of my time. Since I'm more interested in projectors and deeper tech discussions than dangerous flashlights.

Not lurking anymore SPEC.


--John

[DZ]

Hi John, another floridian I see. Do you know about the laser enthusiasts meeting just outside of Orlando next weekend? May want to check it out if you have the chance. What part of florida are you in?

[wolfblue]

Do you know about the laser enthusiasts meeting just outside of Orlando next weekend? What part of florida are you in?

The first I've heard about a meeting. I would like to go, I may be able to. No doubt some interesting people with cool toys. Is there a thread about it? If I can think of a way to get out of what I was supposed to do next weekend. Its nor far, I'm in Jax.


--John

[wolfblue]

Hey, I saw a NEFAS link?

--John

[DZ]

Ha! Yep, I'm a member of NEFAS, on and off since about 1992. I'm in Mandarin, the laser enthusiasts meeting, which I think is FLEM6, is in Tavares, north-west of Orlando. Here's some info: http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...ead.php?t=7508

Sadly, this will be the first one I'll miss as I'll be up in NewJersey next weekend. They are alot of fun and worth the drive. This one will be a rather small one since we just had FLEM5 back in March, here's some video's of that event: http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/...ead.php?t=7375

[buffo]

Hi John;

Yeah, this next FLEM is going to be a smaller event, but that will probably work to your advantage, as it will mean there will be more time for you to poke around inside people's projectors and ask questions.

We'll have at least 4 full color RGB projectors present, plus a couple other toys. We'll be running shows pretty much all day, and we'll also be playing around with a couple new software toys, including Pangolin's LivePro software.

I'll be driving down from Charleston on Friday the 15th. The event is scheduled for Saturday the 16th. We'll probably get started around 9 am or so, and we usually run until midnight... If you're going to be in town Friday night, give me a call on my cell phone (843) 324-0735. A group of us are going to try to meet up Friday evening for dinner. (Thinking about Outback Steakhouse, but that's not set in stone yet.) So if you can make it, give me a ring and I'll give you directions.

By the way, guests are welcome if you've got someone you'd like to bring along. Teenage children are OK, but it probably won't be appropriate for younger kids. Wives / Girlfriends / Significant others are also welcome, assuming that they like lasers that is! (There will be one or two other wives present.)

If you've got any lasers you'd like to bring just to play with, then by all means do so. We'll have a pretty decent sound system set up, and we'll have a fogger and a hazer present as well.

Adam

[wolfblue]

Ha! Yep, I'm a member of NEFAS, on and off since about 1992. I'm in Mandarin

I'm near JIA, but I ate lunch at Sonny's in Mandarin today. I was NEFAS in 2007, but it makes me sleepy,and I only had a 640x480 CCD. I ended up back on lasers before I could buy a bigger camera. Attached is a LRGB 41:16:26:48 done with my Meade LXD75-SN8. At least I know where I'll be getting galvos and amps now. After I finish the RGV I'm about to start on. The dichros came this week. But I still need to order more stuff.

And those FLEM videos... WOW. If she wont let me bail on her thing next week, I may just get a new her.

If you're going to be in town Friday night, give me a call on my cell phone. By the way, guests are welcome if you've got someone you'd like to bring along. Teenage children are OK,

Most likely I would just come down early Saturday, with my 14 year old son. My 15 year old would like it too, but he'd get bored in a short time. The other boy and myself would never get bored with these type things around. I don't really have anything all that impressive, but would bring a couple things to show my handy work. I'm really looking forward to this meeting. But it may cause a showdown with my future X girlfriend


--John

[buffo]

Hi John;

Nice deep-sky image there. You need to get with DX and Astroguy here on PL and compare notes. They're both big astronomy buffs. David used to have a nitrogen chamber for hypering his film before shooting. He's done some pretty cool shots that way. I think Fred still has most of his gear too, though I don't remember the last time he took any pictures through his 'scopes. Fred will be at FLEM next weekend though, so you can chat him up. (He'll also have his RGB projector with him.)

RE: FLEM... Early Saturday is fine. We'll probably get started around 9 am, but you're welcome to show up whenever it's convenient for you. We'll be there all day and well into the evening. (Last time we didn't leave until 1 AM.) Give me a call on my cell phone if you get lost.

Sorry to hear that your G/F isn't into lasers though. That's gonna be rough. Sure hope she doesn't blow a gasket if you attend FLEM. (Maybe you cn make it up to her by taking her someplace the weekend after?)

Adam

[DZ]

Nice photo John, I only tried CCD astrophotography a couple times. Just about all my other pics were with emulsion film. There was an amazing difference between hypered and unhypered film, see attached pics, both were about 30 minute exposures, one hypered and the other one isn't. The real pain about the emulsion film, is you never know if you have a good shot until a day or two after shooting. And, I would typically take about 8 or 10 pics a night and would usually get maybe 1 or 2 that were decent. Certainly a labor of love. One of the guys in the club back then starting shooting with large format film and would pump nitrogen through the camera durring exposure, some of his photos were amazing... All the photography I did was manually tracked on a fork mount C-8, which is a real pain to get polar aligned, always wanted a German Equitorial mount. Oh well, one day I'll pick it back up and lasers will be on the back burner.

Well if you need help putting together a new projector, give me a call sometime!