New Member - Hello everyone!

[LaserLink]

Hello everyone,

Found this forum tonight doing research. I'd LOVE to attend this meeting so if you could tell me where in Orlando I'd appreciate it. I'm in Jacksonville FL and new to the laser world. I've been interested in them for a long time and own several. I'm trying to put together a little laser show for a friend who is having a car show in Kingsland GA on Sat Nov 01 2008. I quickly realized I don't know what I'm doing so if there is anyone close by or even remote that could help me I'd be real greatful.

Don't have the skills to home build a powerful system (yet) so I'm starting with ready made stuff.

So far I have the following:

Elation DMX PRO Contoller
Chauvet DMX 55RG Red & Green
Chauvet DMX LG80 Moving Yoke Green
Chauvet DMX LG80 Graphxpress Controller
Chauvet Non-DMX Abyss II Water Effects
Omnisistem DMX MAGIC Box Multicolor Laser

And of course fog machines. Looking now to buy a hazer for this show in Kingsland. It will be outside in the parking lot of the local Applebee's.

Really having a lot of problems with DMX overall. Anyone in the Jacksonville area that can offer a hand or advice?

~Link

[Banthai]

Hi Laserlink

and welcome to Photon lexicon, you will find it a great place for information

you said ...

I'm trying to put together a little laser show for a friend who is having a car show in Kingsland GA on Sat Nov 01 2008. I quickly realized I don't know what I'm doing

the only thing i can say is that as you are doing a Laser show in public ... in a public place there are a lot of rules and regulations ... and certification you have to go through if the lasers are above 5mW and heavy fines for breaking these regulations

im not from the USA so im not 100% certain of all the implications .... so i will leave it for members from your side of the big ol pond to explain

im not trying to put a damper on your efforts ... but trying to help you .... cos i would not want you to get in trouble

all the best ... Karl

EDIT ..... sorry laserlink ..... ignore the above .... ive just checked your gear specs and its all below 5mW ..... but still worth checking out about doing public shows etc

all the best .... Karl

[soforene]

...ive just checked your gear specs and its all below 5mW .....

I doubt whether that will be even viewable outside.

[White-Light]

I can't give specific advice other than to say I noticed you said "outside".

If you're talking open air, then you might have problems with beam definition as getting smoke / haze to hang around enough in the open air can be problematic. Most people doing open air shows use multiwatt green lasers (Overhead) and some serious fog machines. Even then beams going upwards are more reliant of general atmospheric conditions than any fogging you're putting out. Again there are people better to advise you on this than me as there are people here who do outside shows professionally, whereas I'm just an inexperienced amateur, but just wanted you to be aware that open air can be at best tricky and at worst (breezy to windy) impossible.

If you can put enough smoke / haze down and the winds are light it can be done but not usually with such low power.

This is a video from Dance Valley an outside event that illustrates it well.

At the front the lasers look OK but you can see the density of smoke used, literally visible white clouds of the stuff, and these are almost certainly multiwatt systems. Even then, at one or two points the tunnels look weak as the smoke fades.

However, more than that, watch when the guy pans the camera around in the 2nd half of the clip to look backwards in the crowd. Out of that front smoked area the beams simply disappear. You can see the laser light striking the crowds faces, but no beams.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hoLNKSlkpU4

Your best chance outside might be to make a graphic show rather than a beam show but without ILDA and a substancial investment in control hardware / software, thats going to be difficult as on DMX you're limited to the patterns already pre-programmed into the laser. So it might just have to be pre-set patterns animations projected onto a scrim.

Only other suggestion would be to hire a large marquee and put your show in that. With that you'd have a real chance of containing the smoke / haze.

[soforene]

Chauvet DMX 55RG = 10 mw
Chauvet DMX LG80 = 5 mw
Omnisistem Laser = 5 mw

BANG !!
The inclusion of the Chauvet DMX 55RG (>5 mw) means you'll need a variance which means lots of paperwork (and expense).

I'd tell your mate "no can do" for this occasion but hang around and slowly absorb the laser knowledge that sloshes about this forum.

[Banthai]

ahhh Mr Sofo

you may tink im a bit thick .... but i did check that after i boobed in my first post

appaently the 55RG uses the FAT BEAM technology ( otherwise known to us as smudgy fingerprints on the mirrors )

Dual 10mW, 8-channel DMX-controlled green & red laser
FAT BEAM™ laser technology produces 10-14mm beams, which complies with IEC safety standards under ClassIIIR

so you can also join my shout before you look club


all the best ..... Karl

[soforene]

Damn you Karl and your keen attention to detail !!

Oooohhh I'm in another club now.
Are there regular meetings?
With Tea and Cake?

[DZ]

Welcome to PL, Link. Sounds like you're going to enjoy this place. Regarding the meeting in Orlando, if you have any interest in lasers at all, this is the event not to be missed! The venue is located just north of downtown Orlando and right of off I-4. About a 2 hour drive from Jacksonville. Sounds like you have some nice equipment there, I'm not familiar with any of it and have a very limited knowledge of DMX, however, we'd all enjoy seeing it at FLEM. Does any of it have an ILDA in port? I'm sure there's someone that lives close to you in Jacksonville... Is Mandarin close enough for you?

[LaserLink]

I'm really going to enjoy this group. I too looked at the wattage of the lasers which is why I bought the small "Club" lasers to start with. Most of what I will train on will be inside my living room so these are OK to start with and gain some DMX experience too.

Clarification on the car show. It will be in the parking lot outside of Applebee's, but we have a restricted area and will be aiming back at the bricks of the building. I also have an 8 foot weather baloon that I hope to use as the screen. We tried a test run in my friend's garage after hours without fog and the effect was minimal, but heh, this is Kingsland GA. I plan to project his logo HOT CARS on the baloon along with projected (LCD Projector) effects such as rotating wireframe globes, flame patterns and several others just for WOW effect. The cars are the real show ( and the $10 all you can drink beer ). I'm open to ANY suggestions from anyone. We're just trying to attract as many gawkers as possible into the establishment so we'll be asked to host this again.

I'm not to far from Mandarin. I'm at Atlantic and University Blvds in Southside near the Regency Square mall. Would love to meet others in the area from some laser fun and learning.

~LInk

[soforene]

...I also have an 8 foot weather baloon that I hope to use as the screen....

OMG !!
He's gonna be pointing Lasers into the sky and blinding pilots all over the state !!

Someone call the FBI !!