Will my laser cut it?

[FourDee]

I have built a RGB laser, which I plan on using for the first time on a party which I am organising. (along with some other people)

We are expecting around a 1000 people. The size of the audience area is approx 20m square.

I am still pretty unsure if my laser will be powerfull enough for the event.

Specs :

• 300mW 532nm
• 120mW 473nm
• 400mW 650nm

I know blue is a bit on the low side, but can someone please tell me so I can stop wondering ?

(ps: I'm not planning on upgrading, cause I have no money left to spend ...)
(ps2: I'm not going for the MEGA-event (awakenings, ...) kinda effect)

[mixedgas]

Pythans rule, for indoors, as told to me by Brian Bohen at Cambridge lasers, 1 watt of argon blue/green plus 5 mW for every person in the audience.

If you can strangle the lighting guy and set the lights up yourself, you'll just make it if you have a good hazer.

I'd like to teach the lighting guys to sing in deep reds and deep violets and darkness when the laser is on. Punctuated with a few well timed bright flashes.

Steve Roberts

[andy_con]

ive got a 1watt rgb.

530mw 532nm
350mw 635nm
100mw 473nm

blue is pretty much useless for all venue, except at home LOL.

red is ok

and green is fantastic

my little 300mw green projector is ok but could do some another 200mw

[Carl B]

You should be OK with the power output for that kind of area. I do a show with no audience scanning in a similar size room with 2 300mW greens and there's no problem with viewing the beam even with other lighting effects in use. Just don't allow the fog to get to heavy as this can kill beams pretty quick.

Have a good party.

Carl

[FourDee]

Sounds better than mixedgas' prediction (though he has more experience)

I will try to get the lighting guy to bring a hazer instead of foggers

And the party is planned for the 7th of March, so no fun yet

I'll try to use mixed colours as much as possible

[Carl B]

Well I only have experience with green so mixedgas may be right about the blue but give all the colours a try anyway and any colour clashing from the lighting man then pull his plug.

Carl

[FourDee]

Well maybe I have an advantage there.
Most of the lighting will come from a square truss construction in the center of the dance floor.

My laser will be central on stage, where there will be no / few lights pointed towards the audience

[Carl B]

Your should stand a fair chance of giving a good show if thats the case with very little mixing of beams and other lights and most people looking in the direction of the stage.

Carl

[tocket]

Just screw the color balance and use the green at full power and it should be OK.

Here's my 400 mW green at a party with ~1500 people, but the venue is rather large (old hangar): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGoAIYI1WtI&fmt=18

There was also 500 mW of 660 red in there, but that's hardly noticable. Might have something to do with the 20 kW of lighting in the venue though...

The hazer was kick ass though, I want one of them. Swefog is the company's name.

Oh... here's a picture as well http://tocket.mine.nu/laser/Qlaser2.jpg

[FourDee]

Yes, that seems big indeed, my venue is somewhat smaller than that.
I'm reassured a bit by this thread.

I know it will not be a spectacular effect, but we will get by
And I've already been experimenting a bit with adding some green to my blue to make it more visible. In doing so I found a shade of blue which I like very much