Need advice on budget RGB

[norty303]

This is where enough/the right information at the start means you get the best response.

At least there was less fighting here than on the 'how big for outdoor shows' thread..

[Dr Laser]

Ok ok lets do some math.

What we have is
green 60mW@532nm, red 200mW@650nm , blue violet 140mW @403nm

As you may know we count by greens. We have 60mw of green which is good for a small hall with no lights. To balance this green with 650nm you need ~4 times amount of red. 60X4=240. (200 they use is ok) But it doesn't mean that you will get a extra 200mw in visible light. You will get 40mw. So total visible power so far is around 100mw. Now Violet laser. You need ~12 times to balance it out. (don't have "croma" on my laptop but is about right) So 60X12=720mw. They only have 140mw. This means that you will have an extra 11mw of visible light. Total is ~120mw of visible light. A good green CNI module with 200mw power will give you (with overspec) about 270mw of visible light. Plus you will have a good base for a good RGB pojector.

PS. I forgot to add that actual output power from those noname china lasers is much less then advertised. You will be lucky to get a total of 90mw.

PS2. Does this ebay laser have ILDA port?. Nothing mentioned in description. 100 patterns and nothing more.

[ElektroFreak]

^those are all valid points, and the listing does say it has an ILDA connector (in small blue print specs at the bottom of the page). If all someone wants is a cheap laser for fun, a no-name Chinese toy laser is just the thing, but I will say that I think $480US is a bit much for that 400mW system. Most of us here love our handmade, high-powered projectors, but that's not necessarily what everyone wants or needs. For some folks it's nice just to have a cheap system to mess with.

Grix, Dr. Laser is certainly right in that you can buy the parts for a decent green scanner for the same cost as you're looking at dropping on that RGV.. if you want the maximum value for your $ that is the way to go. If you just want something quickly and you're not too serious about shows, go with the Chinese option. I'd hunt very carefully for a good deal, though. Cheap Chinese projectors can be unpredictable in terms of quality and output.

[Dr Laser]

Funny but I took one of bigger china laser projectors just to find out that ILDA connector was just a plug to cover a hole. No wires to it!

[ElektroFreak]

WOW! That's nuts, but really nothing surprises me when you're talking about cheap Chinese trinkets.

[Grix]

K I'm thinking this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/DJ-480mW-ILDA-RG...item563a3c386b

80 - 200 - 200mW
20kpps

And the seller has great feedback so if something like Dr laser says happens I think I can get the money back. Sounds good?

I'm not interested in DIY projects, because 1. I don't think I have time and experience enough to build it before the show and 2. There is no way I can afford to upgrade it with more power for many years.

[Grix]

I think I have changed my mind about the colours, I think I'll drop the RGB and maybe go for a 100&200mW RG.. Would that be powerful enough? Or should I go for a 200mW green as you guys suggested in the start even though the hall is very small? Green alone seems so dull.. I can't decide, guys, help me.

[norty303]

Green alone seems so dull.

Not half as dull as an RGB you can barely see

[LEDpaint]

Green alone seems so dull.. I can't decide, guys, help me.

Green is hardly dull. I have a low power green and everyone goes crazy over it at shows. Plus, if it looks good, you can rent it out and use the money towards a really nice laser.

[ElektroFreak]

Many, many, many shows are done entirely with green-only systems. Try to look through the eyes of the average audience member because your tastes are jaded by the fact that you are a laser hobbyist. To the average viewer, ANY laser is neat as long as it's bright and easily seen. Green lasers are always the brightest and most easily seen. As I said earlier, full-color is a SECONDARY concern to brightness.

Gottaluvlasers put it very well here once. He said something along the lines of "full-color is great, and having good white balance is great, but what the audience is paying for is bright beams. For 90% of the shows that pay the bills, making sure you have the brightest possible system is the most important concern". This means that over and above color balance or even full-color at all comes visibility. If you can't afford a high enough-powered RGB, use green. Green is always a winner in the visibility dept.