Toggling Multiple Laser Diodes On/Off

[DJ DoubleBass]

This forum rocks

Anyway, I'm putting together a VERY mild laser show soon, using multiple Green Laser Diodes and manually running the show via analogue switches. (mild meaning all lasers at 5mw) Each laser will have it's own effect. For Example: There will be probably around 3 aimed to 3 motors with an off center mounted mirror for the "Tube" effect, 3 aimed to 3 slow moving motors with Crystal balls slow turning for the "Crystal Ball" effect, (basically beams shooting back and forth) maybe a lumia wheel, among other diodes as well. Total no more than 10 diodes will be used. (since I only have 10 fingers, and 10 is a round number)

I used the search engine on here for a while but it was hard to pinpoint a great way to toggle these diodes. The diodes come with a basic driver attached....on/off. (no analogue I bet) I could just wire a toggle switch between the power and the driver, but there would be some distance from the laser and me....at least 4 of them will probably be at about 10ft....meaning that there will be about 14 feet of wire....a respectable amount of resistance.

Any easy ideas on the best way to compensate for loss of voltage?

I found a calculator for something like this here:

http://www.stealth316.com/2-wire-resistance.htm

Also, these diodes have a push button on the little driver that comes with them. Would it hurt anything to just jump the switch on the board for toggling with MY push button?

You can find the diodes here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/5mW-Green-laser-...d=p4999.c0.m14

I'll probably use push buttons like this:

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a...UTTON/-/1.html

Or this:

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a...-BUTTON/1.html

In addition, how would I go about controlling brightness?

I guess for brightness I'd have to get an analogue driver like drlava's flexmod?

I studied the manual on drlava's site but I'm still shady on wiring an analogue potentiometer somehow to control it. (since I've never done that before)

I'd LOVE to have sliders (instead of knobs) for any of the brightness control that I'd be using. Actual sliding potentiometers are tiny, have high resistance and look like they'd break easily:

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a...N-FRAME/1.html

ANY suggestions on sliders that could be used for brightness with lasers would be awesome. I've thought of house hold dimmer switches, and audio sliders, but I'm not sure if either would work.

As always....LOTS of questions.

Thanks to anyone willing to chime in on this. Did I mention that this forum rocks?

[lasersbee]

The resistance of 14 feet of wire will be small... The bigger the guage of
the wire... the less the resistance.
The LD Drivers are usually regulated... meaning that they should take an
input voltage variation and still supply enough current to your LD.

If you find the 14 feet of wire lowers your Laser's output too much.
Then increase the input to the driver..

another solution would be to put a relay contact (or electronic switch)
at the laser's location and control the relay from a distance.


Jerry