Home use laser show safe?

[jemath]

New to this forum (and to lasers) so sorry if I'm posting in the wrong section.

Bought a laser projector and then started to read more about it on the web...surely not the right order but oh well. Guess we learn as we go along

Here is a link to the item i got:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000...xt_344764670.0

Not sure what I expected but was really impressed with what you can get out of that thing, but is it even safe for home use? or rather what kind of precautions should I take is what I started looking into.

My conclusion so far is down the lines of don't ever use it with people around! :-( I have relatively few pointers from the product specification but I guess it adds up to a class 4 (1W) laser...
Laser Source: Red-500MW/532NM Green 200mw/650NM Blue 300mw/450NM

I was originally hoping to mount it in a room measuring 6*6 meters with a ceiling height of 2,25meters...which clearly does not cater for a minimum mounting height of 3 meters nor shooting above people in the room.

Any advice here to what I should do? (ranging from "oh well use and just aim for the center of the room floor from a corner BUT don't look at it standing close by", "trashing it...and next time read in here before buying", to filtering down its output power if that is even possible....or?)

[JohnYayas]

It isn't really safe for a room that size unless you can keep people from looking into it. I think you just have to be smart about it and don't use it unless it is some supervised in some way.

[jemath]

Thanks John (and James) for the feedback. Not sure why James’ reply got deleted...

anyway i have noted your input and as I read you I need to be very careful and supervise the setup at all times when in use.

Any ideas on how one could make the setup in such a small room safer to avoid anyone being directly hit in the pupils? Could a Neutral density filter be of any use or a beam splitter to also tone down to a more safe output?

I have a fog machine as you mentioned James, but not sure how I can reduce the color output in my factory provided ilda files as you also mentioned. Any suggestions to SW for doing so?

thanks again

[james]

Make sure you give the required safely announcement. Know what to say. Demonstrate with a piece of black paper. Always manage where people are in the room. Graphics shows look best on a screen when viewed from the opposite end of the room. If you are sure of your setup and that it won't get moved, you can designate an area that is safe at the other end of the room, so standing to the side of the target area, one can look back at the projector with fog in the room.

[JohnYayas]

Thanks John (and James) for the feedback. Not sure why James’ reply got deleted...

anyway i have noted your input and as I read you I need to be very careful and supervise the setup at all times when in use.

Any ideas on how one could make the setup in such a small room safer to avoid anyone being directly hit in the pupils? Could a Neutral density filter be of any use or a beam splitter to also tone down to a more safe output?

I have a fog machine as you mentioned James, but not sure how I can reduce the color output in my factory provided ilda files as you also mentioned. Any suggestions to SW for doing so?

thanks again

You could put something like a disco scan lens on it. It basically makes it super wide and not so intense. It's a cool effect.

[absolom7691]

If the projector has analog modulation, you could just attenuate the output. What software are you using to run the projector (sorry,only glanced at the OP)?

[jemath]

Thanks for some great input

Will try to look for a cheap scan lens (if that even exists) and then forget about the ND filter/beam splitter idea which I see loads of on AliExpress...are you aware of affordable scan lens solutions out there?

...and then as you write James be alert to getting the audience setup right in the small room. Had hoped to be able to find a solution where I did not have to be supervising the high school parties and splitting up the room in safe/unsafe-zones. Are there any product out there I should have bought instead for such a room or would it have been the same situation for any laser show projector?

@Absolom: Not gotten to the state where I run the projector with a PC connected - runs stand-alone from the SD card venturing into the for me unknown art and fun of laser projectors :-) Are where any SW out there that does not cost 100s of $? Could be tempting to take the projector apart and see if there are any adjustments possible

[JohnYayas]

Thanks for some great input

Will try to look for a cheap scan lens (if that even exists) and then forget about the ND filter/beam splitter idea which I see loads of on AliExpress...are you aware of affordable scan lens solutions out there?

...and then as you write James be alert to getting the audience setup right in the small room. Had hoped to be able to find a solution where I did not have to be supervising the high school parties and splitting up the room in safe/unsafe-zones. Are there any product out there I should have bought instead for such a room or would it have been the same situation for any laser show projector?

@Absolom: Not gotten to the state where I run the projector with a PC connected - runs stand-alone from the SD card venturing into the for me unknown art and fun of laser projectors :-) Are where any SW out there that does not cost 100s of $? Could be tempting to take the projector apart and see if there are any adjustments possible

You can probably hack it to accept an ILDA connector pretty easily but you will still need a DAC. If you get a DAC PM me and I'll give you a free license for Spaghetti Laser Show to play around with. You can get a Helios DAC for not much money.

[james]

You can use LaserBoy to make individual frames or frame sets of animations to put on that SD card. Does it take ild or ctn files? Either way, LaserBoy can do it. There is a lot to learn about making laser vector art and LB is rather complex. But I like to help people use it. So ask questions.

If you are successful at adding an ILDA port, you can also build your own DAC using a 7.1 USB sound device and a correction amp. I sell the best correction amp you can get.

https://laserboy.org/forum/index.php...sg6409#msg6409

James.

[haze]

Hello
I am in a situation similar to yours, I have a 2w that I use mainly at home and only for amateur use
these days to be a little quieter I was thinking of buying a plano-concave lens, I saw that they sell them on edmundooptics
unfortunately 50mm is too small for my opening, but maybe they can be good for you