How to choose a laser and software.

[illimaista]

Hello.
Can you help me out.im a beginner at this field and dont no what should i look when choosing a laser and software.I am interested at cheaper laser for starters that could project animation.


Best regards:illimaista

[soforene]

Hi and Welcome.
I'll beat everyone else to the punch by asking that you fill in your location details so that folks who are in your locale can offer guidance best.

To start out on this very expensive hobby you could get a cheapo projector from ebay along with a DMX controller to run through the patterns built into the projector.

After a short while you'll want more.
And that's where the ole piggy bank gets his noggin bashed !!

[illimaista]

So there´s no point to buy somekined of software in the beginning to make animations.Only dmx controller.
Most of the lasers in ebay are from china.How reliable are they?
....and i already want more.


Thanks.

[LASERGUY]

Welcome to the forum illimaista!

A serious warning that is always stated to newbies is the cost of this hobby

I am somewhat envious of others who have hobbies where new toys and addtions only cost $50-$100..

I don't think any of my upgrades and addtions ever cost less than $300 to $500

Sometimes its hard to know who you are talking to on this forum.... Are they people who just wanta kick ass laser show in their basement... Or are they intested into getting really involved with the science of optics and lasers.

All are welcom on this forum...

The DMX option above is best if you just want to see some beams and simple animations quickly...
This only requires the purchase of one of those China DMX controlled units and a DMX controll console.
Could probably pull off a cool setup for $500.. (maybe less)
How reliable are they?.... I never used these before... maybe someone else can comment..

But if you really want to get into the serious side of the laser shows.... Then this is a much longer road to travel with some serious investment. I think this is an honest question you need to ask yourself before you pull the trigger on purchases... Because if you really want one over the other... choosing the wrong course can waste you money and time.

I have to run but I will be happy to chime in again..

[keeperx]

well there are a few schools of thought..

#1 buy a cheap projectot and cheap software and make due

#2 buy an intermediate projector and good software and have fun

#3 buy a nice projector and great software and be done with it..

#4 build your own projector and use either retail software of try and get by with free software

option 4 is the most fun in the long run, but its not that much cheaper and you spend a ton of time on it.

option 3 is the absolute best route but the most expensive as well ..

no matter what route you choose, i suggest you do a lot of reading here before doing anything

[soforene]

So there´s no point to buy somekined of software in the beginning to make animations.Only dmx controller......

No point at all (unless you are exceptionally gifted).

Although there are cheaper options out there that will let you create and display your own animations, one of the best packages is marketed by Pangolin.
This is expensive software but will almost certainly "future proof" you against making further purchases to fulfill your desire to create laser art.
Yiou will need a projector which is compatable with the ILDA protocol which will also cost a lot more than a simple DMX controllable projector.

I'd suggest dipping your toe in the world of lasers by starting off with something affordable and reading up on the basics as time goes by.
We'd all love to be able to afford (and use to its fullest capacity) the best in hardware, projectors and software but natural limitations are the amount of cash we have to spare and the time to play with our shiny toys.

Learn to walk before you run.

[illimaista]

Yes this is not the cheapest hobby i know,thats why i start from cheapest hardware.I know thats not the best option and does´t give me the best pattern ,but when i realize lt´s not for me im not in bankruptcy. Still lt intrests me a lot and i have to give a shot.For that i need good advisers or i accidentally burn something down.

[allthatwhichis]

This will be the least painful path... I promise.

Take out a loan, $12000... buy a 1W Kvant Spectrum and a Pangoilin QM2000...

Enjoy...

[trwalters001]

Can I git an "AMEN"!!!

Wish I'd done that...

[buffo]

I am interested at cheaper laser for starters that could project animation.

Hello Illimaista! Welcome to PhotonLexicon. If you like lasers, you'll probably like it here!

Unfortunately, as others have posted above, this is an expensive hobby. There are a few things you can do to save some money, but always remember that nothing is ever "cheap".

Having said that, Keeprex's post is a good outline of your choices. And while I agree that option #3 (buying a top quality projector and controller right from the start) is probably the most preferable, it is also the most expensive.

So if spending that much money is just not possible for you right now, then you might want to consider either option #4 (building your own projector) or option #1 (buying a cheap projector and using free or very cheap software).

Also, if you decide to try building your own controller (using a sound card, for example), Keeprex can probably offer you some good advice on how to go about it.

If you think you want to go with a commercial solution for your software and controller, then I suggest you look at the Pangolin FlashBack3. It's a hardware controller and a complete software suite that will allow you to create and edit frames and animations, and then put them together into full length shows which you can display with your projector. The complete package costs around $600.

As for a good deal on a projector, well, that's a little harder. There are some Chinese projectors that look pretty good, but I've never actually played with one so I can't speak about their reliability or quality. There are lots of systems for sale on E-bay, but again, it's hard to tell exactly what you are going to get.

One thing I can tell you is to stay away from any LaserWorld products. They have a terrible reputation. Several respected members here have purchased projectors from them, only to find that the lasers are under-powered, in some cases less than HALF the rated power! Also, we've seen several pictures of lasers from LaserWorld projectors that have failed prematurely. The responses posted here in the forum by a company representative from LaserWorld do not make the company look any better. My advice would be to avoid LaserWorld at all costs.

Search through the messages here and you'll find lots of information about controllers and software, along with lots of tips on how to build your own projector. Then start thinking about what your eventual budget is going to be. That will dictate your next move more than anything.

Adam