Page 4 of 4 FirstFirst 1234
Results 31 to 35 of 35

Thread: WICKED LASERS LASERDOCK DONGLE, A REAL GAME CHANGER. News & Reviews.

  1. #31
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Romania
    Posts
    1,041

    Default

    If its working now, its likely best to just keep it than mess around.

    Maybe post your photos here of the fix you did in case anyone else has the same issue.

    Quote Originally Posted by Draco View Post
    Wicked lasers is offering an exchange or a refund but I soldered in wires and got the device working again and would not really not want a refund, they want me to ship it to Taiwan and that may be expensive, I kind of think I would rather have the one I got working rather then a refund and not have anything, I sent them the requested pictures and I think now they may void the warranty because of soldering wires back on to make the device work again. not sure what I want todo now.
    I don't know how much the shipping charge would be, I would rather have them send me a new unit and then send mine back, even with shipping costs, my fear is sending it back to only get a refund and then not have a DAC, what I may ask is to give them some money to keep my broken one while they send me a new one as a replacement, to wickenlasers my item would basically just be scrap for them as the pads under the USB jack tore the traces off, I guess I will wait to see what happens

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Hi all,

    First, I'm a beginner laser tinkerer. I own a 500mw blue laser that's only DMX controlled and have had fun with that but I want to take things to the next level. I'm wanting to get a nice 1W RGB ILDA laser projector with at least a 25k scanner in it. Then I'd like to get a DAC. I want to use Maxwell but I'm really interested in the sound driven visualization of the laserdock app. My question is, do you have to get the laserdock dongle / DAC unit for a 3rd party laser projector to work with the Laserdock / Laser OS app? I see Maxwell supports the Ether Dreams 2 DAC, The Laserdock Dongle, and now the cheap Helios DAC among a few others. Outside of the question of being able to use the laserdock software without THEIR dongle what would you suggest in my shoes? The Helios seems awfully cheap. Will that cripple performance compared to the Ether Dreams 2 DAC or the laserdock dongle? The laserdock dongle / DAC seems way overpriced but, again, I'm wondering if that's the only was to run their Laser OS app.

    Last, here are the specs of the laser projector I am considering buying. I would love feedback on this. This will be for hobby / home use. I'm well aware of the safety risks involved and mount my current 500mw blue laser up high and keep the patterns scanning above the heads of anyone in the room. I'm basically just doing liquid sky effects in conjunction with a Chauvet Hurricane Haze machine but would like to hang a scrim to produce some visual patterns in between the projector and the viewing space.



    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Screen Shot 2017-02-18 at 10.59.05 PM.png 
Views:	16 
Size:	306.1 KB 
ID:	51773

    Thanks in advanced for your help.
    -J
    Last edited by crazyj4488; 02-18-2017 at 20:05.

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Posts
    2,292

    Default

    The LaserDock App only works with the laser dock DAC or projector.

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Norway
    Posts
    308

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by crazyj4488 View Post
    The Helios seems awfully cheap. Will that cripple performance compared to the Ether Dreams 2 DAC or the laserdock dongle?
    I don't think you will notice much difference between the Helios and other DACs like Laserdock or Ether dream for casual use to be honest. The Helios has pretty good quality parts with all the resolution and bandwidth you need and if any issues with the firmware or software is discovered, it can be fixed as it's open source and easily modifiable. It has already seen improvements since release with the help from DrLava etc. It's cheaper because it's mostly a hobby project and I only take a very small profit margin, I don't care that this means my "hourly wage" when developing it would be unsustainable if it was my day job.

    But maybe you don't want to take my word for it, I'm probably biased after all

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Fort Mill, SC USA
    Posts
    1,507

    Default

    [QUOTE=crazyj4488;335676]I want to use Maxwell but I'm really interested in the sound driven visualization of the laserdock app. . . I see Maxwell supports the Ether Dreams 2 DAC, The Laserdock Dongle, and now the cheap Helios DAC among a few others. Outside of the question of being able to use the laserdock software without THEIR dongle what would you suggest in my shoes?"

    Hi Crazyj, Welcome to PL.

    I own all Helios, Etherdream and Laserdock DACs and use the Laserdock Visualizer app, Maxwell, LSX and several other software packages. All are great products in my opinion. What you should purchase depends on what you want to do in the short and long term. If you just want to play with Maxwell to make analog-ish abstracts, then Helios will be more than adequate. If you want to add Laserdock into the mix, then you have to buy the Laserdock, of course, and at today's pricing that's another US$200 above the cost of Helios. Laserdock's basic functionality isn't worth the $300 IMO (I bought mine for $100), but it is rapidly becoming a whole ecosystem which may make the cost acceptable in a matter of a few months. Personally, I hope they reduce the cost down to $200 which I think is more fair. If at a later point you want to make your own pre-programmed shows (beams/graphics/abstracts), you can use any of the DACs listed above with LSX which sells its mid level basic version for a mere US$190 or pro for $350. Note that the PL chatroom almost always has someone that can help you with questions regarding any of these DACs/programs.

    Alternatively, if you want to do live shows, then consider not doing any of the above and spend a bit more for Quickshow and the proprietary FB3 or FB4 DACs for $535/585 respectively. If you want to be a high end pro someday, your best bet is to save up and go with Beyond and an FB4.

    Last, here are the specs of the laser projector I am considering buying. I would love feedback on this. This will be for hobby / home use. I'm well aware of the safety risks involved and mount my current 500mw blue laser up high and keep the patterns scanning above the heads of anyone in the room. I'm basically just doing liquid sky effects in conjunction with a Chauvet Hurricane Haze machine but would like to hang a scrim to produce some visual patterns in between the projector and the viewing space.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Screen Shot 2017-02-18 at 10.59.05 PM.png 
Views:	16 
Size:	306.1 KB 
ID:	51773
    My feedback would be to not buy this projector. From what I could tell with searches, it is from a no-name Chinese manufacturer and is likely junk. I would bet good money that the beam specs will be poor and the scanner performance abysmal. Almost everyone makes the mistake of buying junk the first time. Do yourself a favor and skip this step.

    For introductory home use with the products listed above, consider reaching out to Eightonlight aka Lightspace or Goldenstar. Both sell well designed projectors that are fairly priced as well as having good support and a good reputation among the (frequently critical) PL crowd.

    If you want to use your projector professionally in the US, you need a US varianced projector which can be purchased from companies such as X-Laser USA, Laserworld US, or Kvant. Be aware that US varianced lasers are significantly more expensive than 'home use' lasers. Laws and regulations in other countries vary. Oh, on that note, please enter your location in your profile so future answers to your questions can be tailored to your location.

    Good luck with your purchases!

    -David
    "Help, help, I'm being repressed!"

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •