My 1,2W in action on a LanParty (Warning: lots of pictures!)

[hobbybob]

Ok, today was my first big event with my 1,2W projector. For years i have been the MC / Presenter on a LAN Party. For those that don't know, a LAN Party is a big gathering of people bringing their own PC's to a big hall with enough juice to power all the PC's. Then people play games against/together with other gamers and there are prices to win.

But enough about the gaming part, let's talk lasers.
I brought both a FB3 and the Easylase DAC , my projector, enough ILDA and powercables.
I just wanted to run a final test before i hanged up my projector to the truss , 5 meters above me, it was quarter to 3PM with people coming in at 3. Powering on the projector with FB3 connected to my PC i noticed something strange, a white beam of light exited the projector. I had place a large garbage container in front of it (which started to melt in 20 seconds or so hahaha).
This wasn't like it used to be, no beam may enter with my approval... Trying to use another USB port didn't work. Damn, it worked yesterday.... On the same ILDA cable, same DAC same computer...
Then i thought ok let's try the Easylase when disconnecting the USB cable from the FB3 the white beam disappeared ! Connecting it again resulted in a white beam (all lasers on maximum).
Stupid me, i have 2 FB3's and i brought just one, it's a 200km drive. Aaaaaaargh.

Starting up Quickshow works, but only projects in White and shows blanking lines.
Choosing a color effect results in the white that tries to change color but still stays whiteish...
But since it was even during booting of the pc that removing the USB cable also resulted in a strong white beam disappearing (so no OS/software loaded!) i suspect an error in the fb3. Which is strange because it worked like a charm yesterday. Just bad luck i guess, the FB3 must have died on me, but it's hard to believe, i transported it in a flight case and the FB3 is a strong product.

To rule out a fault in the projector (loose wiring etc) i connected the Easylase DAC.
Connecting the Easylase gave a working solution, no white beam when connecting or disconnecting a cable and fully nice colors. I have a lot of shows for Mamba to play, but i miss the convenience of Quickshow, much easier to create a scrolling text, trace a sponsors logo... arggh i Want Quickshow to work !!! It has so much easy features to project quick some scrolling text, cool effects etc.

Ok i switched to the Easylase and luckily it worked and i was able to play some shows so i didn't come here for nothing.
It's not common to use smoke since people come to game (we have 11.000 EURO in prices/money to win!) and want to see what's on their screen. So i was curious if it worked without smoke, it was just a try out.
Here's the hall, 721 Gamers are inside. 3 generators running consuming liters of Diesel fuel, gigabit network , 10Gbit cores (HP stuff) and if you look carefully you see my projector hanging in front of the central beamer, on a 1meter piece of ally truss.



There a 36 rows of 22 places for gamers. You see half the room here.
Ok now i turn on the default shows with Mamba. My friends were on a platform that can be moved up 8meters in the air and took some pictures.
On some pictures it might look that i hit the audience, this is not the case, i project straight forward and up, 5 meters from the ground, the pictures are taking from 5 to 8 meters high:

















Well, tomorrow evening some more pictures.
When i wasn't so low on cash (spent everything on FB3, blue module, Lasercam Software , Color correction board from DZ etc) i would have driven home to collect my second FB3.
Wise lesson for next time (always bring spare). Too bad it doesn't work ok, if someone has suggestions, i am here till sunday and lights will go on at 4PM sunday, so until then i have a 90x55meter hall to play ;-)
It's kind of hard for me to go up and open up the projector. And with Easylase it works, so the problem is a white beam emitting from the laser, when the USB is disconnected from the FB3 the white beam goes away.
Any help is appreciated.

Maybe next year a little hazer, but i am quite happy with the result with no smoke ! It's just the dust that is in the hall that makes it look this good already.
The pictures are taking from 75 meters (other side of the hall).

Bye from the Netherlands !

[Stuka]

Cool add-on for the Lan Party!!

Did you ever figure out the issue with your FB3?

[hobbybob]

No not yet. Will try again in a few minutes, but since it worked with the ILDA cable that is now running up towards my projector, i use the same USB lead (i tried changing both!) i am out of luck i guess.
After phoning Francesco I tried:

Different USB ports
Different ILDA cable
Other keyboard (sounds strange but at home i don't use my Logitech G15 USB gaming keyboard, but a ps/2 keyboard so i wanted to replicate the working solution like i use my pc at home...)
Using the USB loopthrough on my G15 Keyboard for the FB3 (a message popped up that the power on the hub wasn't enough. OK connecting to one of the USB's on the back and front then).
Turning off and on the projector.
I don't get it, with mamba/easylase it does work Full color and all. Yesterday it has played fine for 2 hrs in a row.

It looks just like last week, i projected stuff in QS and everything looked white. The test pattern in QS with the RGB colored word T O P in it, was also white. I thought Strange what is that.
Then i noticed the software was on Single color projector, changing to RGB immediately fixed it.
But now it IS on RGB, three color projector. i only use zone 1, everything is on allowed there.
No beam attenuation maps. I project straightforward, not down maybe 1 meter to 4 meters height.

Suggestions are welcome.

[ElektroFreak]

that's pretty sweet! What are the specs on the lasers?

[Stuka]

Have you tried reseating the memory card?

I've seen mine do strange things when it wasn't seated.
(Mine is an "old" 2007 model with the SmartMedia card.

[hobbybob]

This is the case i brought of Edison and have upgraded with a Blue RGB Lasersystems module.
It has:

Laserwave green 500mW doing 690mW
Kvant Red 600mw doing 640mW
RGB Lasersystems Blue 510mW

Total output measured on my Laserwave LPM-2 is 1205mW measured from Pangolin Quickshow, using Quicktarget beams on 100%.

I have not entered a palette of turned down power on any of the lasers.
There is NO smoke used in this hall, but it is always a bit dusty. They also have horse shows in here (dump in a few tons of sand) so there is always some leftover dust.
Luckily i have fitted the 92mm dustfilters just in time ;-)

[hobbybob]

Have you tried reseating the memory card?

I've seen mine do strange things when it wasn't seated.
(Mine is an "old" 2007 model with the SmartMedia card.

Have taken out the card and reinserted.
Will run the Pangolin program to see what's on the card (if i can read it in livequick its seated ok).
BRB

[Things]

All the FB3's firmware is on the card, if you remove the card it won't do anything but show the power LED.

Maybe the card is faulty?

[hobbybob]

That could be possible. Have no means to check it here but have sent an email to Bill @ Pangolin.
It's really strange.

[White-Light]

This is the case i brought of Edison and have upgraded with a Blue RGB Lasersystems module.
It has:

Laserwave green 500mW doing 690mW
Kvant Red 600mw doing 640mW
RGB Lasersystems Blue 510mW

Total output measured on my Laserwave LPM-2 is 1205mW measured from Pangolin Quickshow, using Quicktarget beams on 100%.

I have not entered a palette of turned down power on any of the lasers.
There is NO smoke used in this hall, but it is always a bit dusty. They also have horse shows in here (dump in a few tons of sand) so there is always some leftover dust.
Luckily i have fitted the 92mm dustfilters just in time ;-)

Not trying to be pedantic here but isn't that 1.84w not 1.2?

Very good result though to say there's no smoke for the beams to reflect off.

If the firmware is on the flash card, have you tried getting the firmware off Pangolin and reloading it onto the flash card, maybe its corrupted. For what they cost, Things suggestion of a new card may be worth a try also with firmware from Pangolin (i wouldn't copy it across fromt he supplied card otherwise if it is corrupt you're copying the corruption).

[hobbybob]

Could you help me through this procedure ?
There's 721 pc users in here, i'll bet someone has a xD card in here (also 2 shops around here).

Where could i locate the firmware / how to get it on ?
Do i need the livequick to load the workspaces ?

I am not quite sure how to proceed from here, i see a format option in Livequick.

First will try to get an xD card here....

The next 4 hrs i will have a security shift, any directions on how to load new firmware on a new card are appreciated.

[Doc]

Very nice Hobbybob!

Re FB3 problem; thinks hmmm, cross phases in venu causing differential voltage between computer and projector?

Did you try unplugging the laptop from the ac outlet?

Ian

[hobbybob]

Not trying to be pedantic here but isn't that 1.84w not 1.2?

Very good result though to say there's no smoke for the beams to reflect off.

Yup, but i have losses on the old laserwave dichros (which i will replace when i have some money) and the blue is still 2mm too high. But i agree i have some losses and i will try to improve it.
But that's the values of all lasers measured separately before optics.

[norty303]

If you run LiveQuick (and I think Quickshow too) with the FB3 plugged in, you'll be able to check for firmware updates over the net. If it finds one it'll automatically update it or ask you if you want to.

[hobbybob]

Very nice Hobbybob!

Re FB3 problem; thinks hmmm, cross phases in venu causing differential voltage between computer and projector?

Did you try unplugging the laptop from the ac outlet?

Ian

Hi Ian,

The PC and Projector are connected on the same 220V Powerbar

[hobbybob]

If you run LiveQuick (and I think Quickshow too) with the FB3 plugged in, you'll be able to check for firmware updates over the net. If it finds one it'll automatically update it or ask you if you want to.

It says i have the latest firmware installed (7.00)

[Doc]

Do you have pin 25 connected inside the projector?

My FB3 was producing some really interesting results until I tied it's ground to the projector (like no blue below the horizon etc).

[hobbybob]

Yup every GND is connected to pin 25.

[White-Light]

You'd need to contact Pangolin support to get another copy of the firmware. They might send you a new flash card with it on or just make it available as a download. TBH, an XD cards not going to cost more than three or four Euro so hardly seems quibbling about a card.

I think only thing you can do is work through all of the possibilities:

You said you had 2 FB3's originally didn't you, now you're home, does the other work ok with this projector?

Have you tried swopping the SD cards between the FB's to try to eliminate them that way?

If everything else fails I think you'll need to contact Uncle Worm for a return.

[Francesco]

I already had contact with hobbybob this weekend. Unfortunate I couldn’t help him though the phone.
All settings looked to be right and the firmware is detected..... When he is back home (i think this evening)
he will try the other FB3 to see if the problem is solved.
If something is wrong with the FB3 he will visit me Monday and I will give him a new FB3.
Sure something strange is going on here...

[colouredmirrorball]

Hi Dimitri,
Nice laser! Glad to see you have that blue built in. It looks surprisingly good with no fog, I wonder what it would look like when you add a hazer. If you don't put the hazer in the sight of everybody, they should not notice it and your projector will look much more spectacular.
I'm curious at the solution of your problem.

Cheers

[hobbybob]

After coming home tonight i took projector from the crate, used all the same cables (ILDA,USB and power) turned on projector. It worked just fine. Happy it worked, very sad that i haven't been able to use Quickshow for the whole weekend.

This really pisses me off..... what is wrong ? Now i STILL don't know.
I will solder everything directly on the ilda connector instead of using a breakout board.

I am really puzzled and feel really shitty about having disturbed Francesco and Bill for this.
It really, really did NOT work at the location and at home it works brilliantly. I feel really disappointed in myself. I do want to thank however Bill, Francesco and all the others in here for their fantastic support !

Bill even responded in 30 minutes to one of my first mails, at a time where i think normally most people sleep (around 6pm it must have been in the US). Francesco was also really helpful on the phone.

I did have a lot of fun with the projector though and the people were really impressed.
At the end of the event when people were packing i played a lot of shows with music and it looked damn impressive. At this location the use of smoke machines and hazers is forbidden because of the very sensitive firealarms (mount very high up in the ceilings so not easy to cover etc...)
Next time we will be fitting remotely controllable powerbars to shut down the ledstrings to make it completely dark. So all in all a good learning experience !

Sorry to have bothered you for nothing....

[Francesco]

Good to hear everything seems fine now. If you have again some problems and you think it might be something to do with the FB3, let me know as soon as possible!
Good luck with finding the cause of the problems you had..... Please give me a call tomorrow if you still want to visit me.

[hobbybob]

Thanks Francesco !
Probably tomorrow i will skip the trip to your shop, but i will tear apart the projector and rewire everything and double and then triple check everything.

[haymaker]

It says i have the latest firmware installed (7.00)

What version of the FB3 do you have? Mine says its up to date with only version 6.57.