Stupid wannabe laserists in Belgium

[FourDee]

I'm getting a bit annoyed about the so-called laser companies here in Belgium.

On the ilda website, there are 2 registered members for Belgium. Those two look quite professional. If a perform a search though, there seem to be loads of 'companies' that offer a 'laser show'

Most of them only have 1 laser. Generally this is a 1 watt 532 laser. Because they believe that green is by far the coolest color for a laser and thus the only color they need. They buy a 1 watt version because 'brighter is better'.

When you read their websites they don't know the first thing about laser safety. Belgium (as i have recently learned from B.Benner) has not got any requlations towards laser safety, but i just would like to go up to those people and smack them in the face for audience scanning an entire evening with a 1 watt laser from 5 meters away.

I would also like to start working with lasers (freelance for other lighting companies). But i guess it will be so hard to convice people to hire me when those other (unsafe) guys will probably do it for a lower price.

[Things]

Hey atleast they have 1W greens! People here think the little 5mw red spiro's are awesome!

But yeah, you will always get idiots like that. Though when you are mad, just think about us, we have very strict laser laws here! If you are caught with a laser on-hand, you get like a $5000 fine or like 5 years jail or something. Not sure if that applies to modules aswell (Doubt it), but it was still a couple of idiots that decided to shine them at planes!

[Diachi]

I think one colour can be very boring, I like seeing RGBs with all the colours all mixed in, its more spectacular.

[Things]

Very true! But it is much more expensive and complicated. Even 1 colour can be spectacular, it all lies in the hands of the show designer!

[thesk8nmidget]

i slightly disagree with your post. but not really.

just the green part.

i think you can make some amazing shows with a 1 color (usually green) but adding the red and the blue make it much more spectacular!

and i completely agree on all the other levels of your post.

[Diachi]

Yeah your right, I've seen some rather boring RGB shows, and some great Green shows, it just depends on the show, and what you like I suppose.

[Things]

Green's are popular because of thier visibility. In my mind, i'd rather have a 1W green lasershow than a 1W red, simply because of the visibility. Once you have enough money for a full blown RGB system, then theres no goin back!

[Diachi]

Yeah your right there.

[JeroenVDV]

Here in the Netherlands even RGB is old-school.. The Coherent OPSL-lasers (high power blue, yellow and green available with beam-specs you won't believe) are being used on the bigger events, and if you've seen the golden-yellow colour combined with the deep-blue colour to an amazing white, you'll never want to go back to RGB.

It's about 5-10 watts per laser-source (blue/yellow combined in 1 projector, and projectors with blue/yellow/green combined).

However, what's wrong with laser companies starting with 1W 532nm lasers? As long as they invest time and money in safety and making GOOD LOOKING shows instead of some random flashing beams..

[FourDee]

That's just my point.
The problem is not that they only use a 1W green. I'm just bothered by the fact is that the operators have no prior experience with lasers and have not got the first clue about laser safety. Some of them just run those things via DMX.

ps: Jeroen did you get my PM?