8th annual South Eastern Laser Enthusiast's Meeting, Aug 14-17 2014. Sign up now!

[Stuka]

Any videos or photos of the Newton show?

Sorry I needed to bail before the show, but it was great to see everyone at SELEM this year!

Randy

[lulighttec]

Any videos or photos of the Newton show?

Sorry I needed to bail before the show, but it was great to see everyone at SELEM this year!

Randy

Yes, I took a brief 30 second video from the audience perspective which I can post later today, as I'm about an hour away from home, and eating lunch. :-)

[Lazerjock]

Thank you all for a spectacular SELEM. I enjoyed catching up with old friends and meeting new one's.

I landed the Cessna at 4:30 yesterday after an uneventful flight home (the way I like it). I enjoyed taking people up for rides on Saturday and plan to do it again next year over a two day period. There were several people that missed out since we went in the morning. Maybe we'll do a night flight next time so more can go.

I ended up buying a 500mw 532 to replace my 225mw that's on its way out from over driving it. I should have over 2.5 Watts once it's installed! I also bought an APC 40 console after being corrupted by Adam at club SELEM. Those things are amazing!

Wow what a trip!
I can't wait for next year.
Chris

[lulighttec]

Well, after dropping Anthony Garcia off at CLT to catch his flight, I made the drive back home, with a brief stop for lunch and to stretch my legs. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing everyone again, and meeting new people, to leave with my love of lasers refreshed for another year. I have to say a huge thank you to Dave Kumpula, without whose generosity my attendance simply would NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. There are others to whom I owe thanks, for helping me out when I needed it, so, Sean, Mark, Rodney and Brian, THANK YOU! Brad and X-Laser, thanks for the delicious food! I learned things this year, as I do every year, and grew in my appreciation of the knowledge around me shared by many many people. As we drove this morning, I was talking to Anthony about my first SELEM, and how overwhelmed I was by all the knowledge and camaraderie, and from the effect on my brain of meeting people who had only previously existed as nicknames on a screen, and he remarked how it was very much the same for him. I am happy we have a place where we can come together to share what we love with each other, learn from each other, and perpetuate this art form. Now, as promised, here are a few pics and vids I snapped last night at the public show (which, I might add, was great fun, and to see us all working together as a unit to make this happen for the town of Newton was a very exciting thing.)

-LULightTec


Myself with Discothefunkyhippo

[SoulFeast]

Ah. I never knew I could LUST for sleep. Last night was astounding.

As for SELEM, what a gnarly trip it was, as always. The people, the shows, the learning, the fun, and the radical food? Loving it still.

The thing I love so much about this trip, and this society, is that it's very "hive mind" in behavior. There is NOBODY that won't talk your ear off if you simply walk up and say "wutcha doin?".

This is always so exciting for me because I come from a different point of view. Everyone else is very show and projector oriented. I love to watch, and see the internals, but I'm more of a physics nerd than a building shows nerd. I love to study cavities, and resonators, what makes them work and not. So I no shit had to have someone explain to me in very basic terms, what a color board was.

During some downtime, I had a lot of fun learning about the Laserscope, and how it operates. As well as learning a good bit about solid state as a whole. I cannot wait to dive further into solid state and DPSS over the next few months, and even came home with a nice haul of equipment to really jumpstart this project

Who knows, maybe next SELEM if I get good at this, I'll have a 50-75mW 488/510/561/594/607nm DPSS head. That'd really be something, wouldn't it?

carpe Diem, PL, I hope to see you all in a year, I had a blast Thank you, and God bless.

[lulighttec]

This is always so exciting for me because I come from a different point of view. Everyone else is very show and projector oriented. I love to watch, and see the internals, but I'm more of a physics nerd than a building shows nerd. I love to study cavities, and resonators, what makes them work and not. So I no shit had to have someone explain to me in very basic terms, what a color board was.

I have to agree: the magic of what happens on an atomic and subatomic level is quite beautiful. Just wait until you get into the science of solid state lasers - your hed will assplode!! :-) Some of us show builders haven't forgotten how exciting the science can be. ;-)

[icecruncher]

Thank you Adam and everyone else for a wonderful show and learning experience - AGAIN

I always feel guilty about not setting up and tearing down. But with the pacemaker and other health issues it's not possible. I know it's lots of work and I felt obligated to at least show my appreciation on here.

I'm terrible with names and faces, but I finally feel like I'm remembering some of the people and recognize a few faces.

I prefer to sit and take it all in, which my wife always does. I did more of it this year.

I also love the shirt and logo this year, the shirt feels lighter weight than past years but fits better, which is a big plus for me

Every year my attention shifts a little when I come. Last year it was totally gas. This year I learned a bit more about scanners and projectors. I'm back to wanting to build one, but I'm picky enough that I won't be happy with cheap. There in lies the problem.

Again, thank you everyone.

[tribble]

Got back after the six-hour drive spent reminiscing and dreaming and thinking of what the beam show for a particular song playing would look like, and reality hit as I pulled in the driveway. Mow the lawn, change the furnace filter, change the litterboxes, feed the cats, chase the kids to bed, and crash before getting to post on PL!

How to encapsulate my first SELEM experience in words? Photongasm? It was AWESOME beyond words! I enjoyed every moment I spent talking to or kibitzing each person I met. I too feel guilty about not having the schedule to help clean up, but I'm thinking about how I can extend my stay next year. Do we know the dates yet?

A GREAT BIG THANKS to everyone who helped make SELEM possible. I'm hoping next year I can contribute more help, and if I get luck with time and resources, contribute some hopefully enjoyable pieces.

[SoulFeast]

I am getting there. Having to fund vacations can be a royal chore, however. I think I will finally be able to get into it by mid-September. I will be able to get my pump diode, and crystal. Then I'll really be cooking

I never said it before, but thank you, thank you to all the folks that really got this cooking. Adam, you get a lot of thanks as well of course.

As a side-note, thank you to Steve in particular for as usual, taking me under his wing and not holding back on the knowledge. He, like most, feels just fine with teaching. Other than the laserscope safety (which was greatly needed) there was no hesitance to taking a moment aside a teaching a thing or two.

Definitely a man I look up to, and enjoy attempting to replicate in my own teaching. During the rare chance I get to do so.

[Bradfo69]

I have about an hour's worth of footage from the Newton show although, it could stand some editing prior to trying to upload it somewhere. Thanks to Steve and Mark for walking around with it a bit during the show since I couldn't see much from where I was running the Plutos. That was my first ever, outdoor show experience.

I've done the math on the drive home and have determined that since last Tuesday morning until now (Monday night/early Tuesday morning) that I've gotten just about 18 hours of sleep. Four days of SELEM is just about perfect but, that extra day of the pace we run, did some people in. The positive is.... it makes you a little more relaxed but the negative is... it makes you more relaxed. We didn't have that sense of urgency to get anything "done" and in the end, omitted a number of things we planned to do. Such as the aformentioned scanner shootout or, "laser rain". The show I was going to do Sunday never really came into being
and we didn't stay long enough to have played it anyway.

More to be added.... I need to leave for work.