LOBO gun, has Brad ordered one :)

[astatic]

If there is a market i think there won't be that much company's who would buy such a thing.
If i understand why they build such a projector it would be for really big outdoor event's where only the lasershow elite who knows what there doing will buy or maybe rent it and are autorized using it!
Yes it's a dangerous machine but for a brand as lobo and there Ilda Professional subscription i won't exspect they deal irresponsible.
But JStewart post makes me doubt, was the operater a little bit to enthusiastic or did something went wrong (both may not have happened offcourse!)
But i understand the concerns about this product, only i had my concerns way earlier with projectors wich are sold at the market to anyone who wants to buy it.
5 Watt or even higher projectors and never heard about laser safety, where will this end???

[norty303]

That is bloody scary if that incident really happened.

[buffo]

It definitely happened, but ILDA hasn't been talking about it - at least not through any official communication or on the ILDA-list server that is. I've heard from a couple ILDA members in private who were at the conference and witnessed it first-hand though, so it's definitely real.

Astonishing that a company like LOBO would make a mistake like that. And really sad that there hasn't been more outcry about it.

Adam

[Galvonaut]

Equipment like this should be treated the same as a fire-arm and the 'theatre' as a rifle range. There should be no mistakes.

I'm pretty n00b but know my limits (I hope). I've had a close call with 500mW and that taught me lesson

Hopefully there won't be any more mishaps.

[norty303]

Good god!
At least the attendees probably had enough knowledge to get out of the way

[dsli_jon]

...And really sad that there hasn't been more outcry about it.

I have to agree.. I mean, I do-wonder if the thing was 'turned all the way up', because, 100W - un-modulated - at what James testifies was about 32'??! That should have been starting fires, inside of seconds.. Heck, I can start the wood-walls heavy-smoking / near flame, inside 2 sec in our shop, with only 32W of 445 CW and in a 'biggish' 10mm beam, from even 50'! Of course, a 'KTP' will pop a flame even further, and, near-instantly, but.. there are kW peaks in there, so.. not really a 'fair comparison', but.. certainly *100W* (if it was..) at 30'? Sheesh, that *really* calls for a 'community apology', at the very-least..

..Do we know if the balcony-peeps were, like, 'other ILDA-members / Sho Co techs' (..that at least might have the 'sense' to turn heads-down / cover-eyes..) or, 'general public'?? That would be seriously mg.. I mean, was the freakin Op trashed or on PCP or somethin?? Like Keith said should be 'Zero mistakes', w/ something like this..

..Perhaps we can get some moar info out of Patrick.. :/
j

[planters]

Here I go.

I am not impressed with this at all! What is the big achievement? All this really is, is a quad module on steroids. They didn't have to engineer the laser sources. Coherent did that. They knife edge two self contained lasers then PBS two of these pairs and mount it in some goofy apparatus that looks like it belongs in an Unreal Tournament map. I love the sexy model posing with the weapon. He lends an air of competence to the manufacturers, but then wait... during its debut it was left untended and was witnessed cutting through the audience? That's not good, right?

[masterpj]

To be honest, I'm not sure that LOBO has a variance for those things yet. I agree that it would probably be quite difficult to guarantee the safety of the audience...

Adam

several accelerometers to turn off at a certain angle. A switch that clicks when it reaches a certain angle.
I think the big problem is air traffic because of its HUGE range it spans and you'd barely be able to move the Y axis because you cannot take any risk hitting any building and such.

LOBO is right about it “being hard to put your feelings into words” the first time I saw this.

When it was shown at the ILDA Convention I was speechless as I saw it slowly move the powerful beam straight into the faces of the guests viewing on a balcony ~10m away.

More shocking was the fact that LOBO left the thing operating throughout and after it had swept through the screaming guests on the balcony.

No one thought to use the e-stop...

It was horrible to watch and very disappointing from ILDA’s most decorated member.

James

Now that's disturbing!
Very dissapointed.

[dave]

James Bond might or might not approve of this thing

[planters]

In the astronomy world, there are requirements for observers either human or automated when using lasers to create artificial guide stars. At ESO they are commissioning a 20W 589nm fiber laser that stimulates sodium ions in the upper atmosphere to fluoresce. Earlier lasers were less powerful, but were still considered a threat to air traffic. Other observatories working with this technology in the US are less remote and the need to coordinate their lasers with air traffic control is part of the design of these systems.

Is my assumption correct that LOBO is a major international laser show/equipment supplier? If this is true and the ILDA is remaining quite about this then this undermines a lot of the credibility of this organization. This makes it hard when someone posts a YouTube video of some sketchy LDJ performing audience scanning with a 3W laser projector and wants this activity stopped.