OK, my first RANT (other than all my other ones ;)

[MechEng3]

It would seem that they are not the smartest....there is enough specular radiation there to make me blind from here in that vid! I bet they all have those black spots in their field of vision......this is the activity that seems harmless,but....not to mention it is probably a Q switched Yag. Not the best thing to be up close and personal with and no eye protection. Just an opinion from observation.

[mixedgas]

quote
Personally, I prefer the approach where unsafe companies are taken down and prosecuted. If there aren't suitable laws in place to do it then there should be.
end quote

wARNINg sTEVe In sARCASTIc mODe

Me too, but... Maybe you could get our congress to spend some bailout money on the CDRH and US Customs?, we cant. But they like foreign lobbyists in DC, much more then our own citizens! Give it a whirl!

I have a new proposal for the group: LAZER LYNCHINGS!. Show us your show report you scraggly varmit or we will put you on this hoss under that truss and string you up with a fiber noose! Oh heck, that tain't even funny, tis it now Roy?

( Has Steve been watching too much Quigley down Under?)

Quote:
BTW you can audience scan safely with multiwatt systems, its just a case of how its done and at those powers I agree its best professionals only.
end quote

I know it can be done safely too, and I've sat through more audience scanning shows then you might think a few hours north of here with two 450 mW scan heads maybe 7 meters away from the front row. ( Play Laser Dance Party (tm) theme song: Oh, Canada!) its just here in the states, we are in trouble. Our trouble is static scans by idiots with 200 mW pointers. Hell, we have LEDs here that are approaching class IIIB. I'd be willing to bet UK customs is 500% more effective in intercepting illegal junk just because you cousins have been a small maritime nation since, oh , Stonehenge?

We also have this big island problem, and that is our version of your local councils cannot enforce Federal rules, only the Feds can, and the FEDS need to SEE the violation in person, unless your money laundering or drug dealing or computer criming with porn. Its a constitution thing. You have it nicer in a way, the HSE rules can get enforced by the locals, albiet unevenly.

They can give warnings about laser based web sites, if your selling lasers and don't put a Danger logotype by your product, they warn you and then they can fine you. That is about it unless they see it misused in person.


I love it, as I'm typing this some Chinese guy I've never met or heard of PMs me using Skype " I make the package laser, please to talk business with you"
And I AM NOT making that up. Talk about your proliferation issues. LASERS, the new crack cocaine. Imagine Nancy Reagan saying "Just say no to 532!"
I just had the chance to start selling 532 junk on the cheap and I passed it up. Hum, I wonder whyy???? Better to be poor and have integrity, I guess.

LOL! BUT ITS NOT FUNNY!

Steve

Note: Laser Dance Party is a trademark of my Mentor, L. Michael Roberts, no relation.

[White-Light]

I've heard rumours the greens in my video above were 2W's each.

Just thought I'd add this one as well as another example of how high powers can be managed safely.

Same club, I'll let you guess at the powers but look how the DJ releases far too much smoke, enough to diminish most lasers and enough to make 1,000's of watts of the most powerful moving head PARS barely visible behind yet these just punch through and are so bright they cause an overall green haze for metres around the beams!!! This is INDOORS as well.

I should add that this was overhead only and the building is large - 100 metres by 30 metres by 30 metres (300 feet x 90 feet x 90 feet)!!!

http://vimeo.com/3253275