In a land devoid of laser shows, there it was.

[telmnstr]

A week or two ago I was playing the game Ingress. Out around noon time wandering around downtown Norfolk. I started my trek homewards, when I ran into a friend who was heading down to the same area after seeing activity in the game. We grabbed grub, checked out a few exhibits at the Norfolk Harborfest event that was going on. There was a diving ordeal that was of a little interest to me, and he flew his quadcopter around shooting some footage of the activities.

We both started to head back, and busted a few more portals in the game. It was quite hot outside, and I stood in the shade for a minute or two near this maritime museum called Nauticus that is in Norfolk. Years ago Nauticus had a laser show projected on a water screen. IIRC it was a leased system from Audio Video Imagineering out of DC? AVI for short? It was long gone, and now they have a large color LED display sign.

So I'm standing there, and a flight case grabs my attention. Flight case nerd, yea yea. I'm staring at what is sitting on top of it, thinking, "whaaaaat? That doesn't look like a moving head. That looks like a .... laser projector?"

So I get closer, and holy hell, it's a projector. It appears to be either aimed at the building or off the side of it. There is a yearly fireworks show so the guess it it's aimed at the water.

I shot some pictures of the projector. Very nice build.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ethanot...n/photostream/

Light Vector is the brand on it. Warning sticker indicates over 20 watts RGB. Holy crap! I follow the ILDA cable over to an another area but everything is all wrapped up in tarps. I must return tonight, I think!

Roll home, shower, and chill for a bit.

Headed back as nightfall starts to set in.

Turns out there is actually 4 x 20 watt RGB projectors! Then there are 2 40 watt RGB projectors! Insanely cool! They had 3 20 watt projectors doing a 3 screen wide graphics show on the front of the nauticus building, pretty much filling it. The two 40 watt projectors were stage left and right, and used during an Eddie Money concert. I wish I would have seen Friday night, perhaps they were running it as well.

I talked to a girl from the company out of Baltimore (Image Engineering.) They build their projectors in house, and are running Pangolin. They do some pretty big events.

They did have hazers running. Here are some more beam pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ethanotoole/8993109282/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ethanotoole/8993110216/

Here is youtube video of the 40 watt projectors (1080i avail, shot on camcorder not phone):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HwETdsAKsE

It was a happy laser surprise ending to a day that I planned to use to work on the alignment of my own small time projector.

Going to drop positive commentary regarding the laser display at the event next time I'm talking to the people that work around/with the event it was at!

[steve-o]

Yeh lol VA isn't the centre of lasershow activity is it? 40W.. looking good. I could like having 1 (or 2) of those meself ..

[telmnstr]

Yea, those projectors are pretty wild. She talked as if they are pre-casio diode. The blues looked deep, not 473.

[steve-o]

Hmm, maybe OPSL? You can just about pick any hi-wattage blue you want if you got the right amount of cash ..