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Thread: Your Laser Show Beginnings?

  1. #11
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    In my electronics class in college one guy built his own galvos and drivers. He used HeNe for a laser. Other guy wrote a simple controlling software. I did some vector graphics. So basically thats how I started. Also my dad is an expert in this field. His background is high power chemical lasers(his 20 years job), optics and jet/solid propulsion units(his Phd). Also he has electronic engineering. I learned about 90% from him. He is better then 100 universities for me.
    I hired an Italian guy to do my wires. Now they look like spaghetti!

  2. #12
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    Default Dream BIG

    Hey all,

    I used to read books and do reports about ruby lasers and how they worked starting around the 7th grade(mid 70's). The first lasershow i've seen was at a RUSH concert in the 80's and that was the WOW that
    sucked me in to the "I gotta figure out how they did that" light. The first laser owned was a 3mW MG HeNe I found at a hamfest and of course
    built the 3 mirrors on motors kit. Later in the 90's took a job at Fels Planetarium where I trained on a Laser Fantasy 5 head rainbow series
    RGB projector. That was the coolest and shortest (2 weeks) job I ever had. At that point, I had to have a real laser projector. As I researched, I quickly learned there were very few lasershow companies willing to sell parts and that I would not be able to afford the parts they did want to sell. There was alot of trade secrets back then and no lasershow company wanted to deal with anyone not wanting to spend $100 thousand on a system. I saw Pangolin LD400 on an amiga at Fels
    and purchased their demo video. Over the next 10 years I slowly
    acquired parts mostly from ebay to build my dream. I also won a one year scholarship to ILDA where I learned a great deal of information about projectors, laser systems and safety. One of the best things about being an ILDA member is meeting people who have defined lasershows over the years like Greg Makhov of LSDI, Bill Benner and Patrick Murphy of Pangolin and many other laser professionals who are willing to sit and talk tech.
    I now have 5 projectors working on number 6. Pangolin LD2000 is my
    control software. Dare to dream BIG!!!

  3. #13
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    Kudos to Barney Kaelin of Laser Magic, who many years ago shared the secrets inside a "big black Argon projector" at a Star Trek themed production, after I waited until the arena was emptied. I just Googled his name & realized he had passed several years ago - thanks Barney...

    Also to Greg Makhov and Phyllis Monahan of LSDI - my first intro to "real" scanners; G-124's and Accel 124 Amps. Great folks, who helped me out in the early years.

    Anyone ever read "Laser Art & Optical Transforms" by T. Kallard? I purchased this from Edmunds over 27 years ago. It's the earliest book that I've found that detailed laser show technology, second only to LMR's Laser FX book. Long out of print, I'd still recommend this if it can be found.

    Greg




    Quote Originally Posted by ImageLight View Post
    Hey all,

    I used to read books and do reports about ruby lasers and how they worked starting around the 7th grade(mid 70's). The first lasershow i've seen was at a RUSH concert in the 80's and that was the WOW that
    sucked me in to the "I gotta figure out how they did that" light. The first laser owned was a 3mW MG HeNe I found at a hamfest and of course
    built the 3 mirrors on motors kit. Later in the 90's took a job at Fels Planetarium where I trained on a Laser Fantasy 5 head rainbow series
    RGB projector. That was the coolest and shortest (2 weeks) job I ever had. At that point, I had to have a real laser projector. As I researched, I quickly learned there were very few lasershow companies willing to sell parts and that I would not be able to afford the parts they did want to sell. There was alot of trade secrets back then and no lasershow company wanted to deal with anyone not wanting to spend $100 thousand on a system. I saw Pangolin LD400 on an amiga at Fels
    and purchased their demo video. Over the next 10 years I slowly
    acquired parts mostly from ebay to build my dream. I also won a one year scholarship to ILDA where I learned a great deal of information about projectors, laser systems and safety. One of the best things about being an ILDA member is meeting people who have defined lasershows over the years like Greg Makhov of LSDI, Bill Benner and Patrick Murphy of Pangolin and many other laser professionals who are willing to sit and talk tech.
    I now have 5 projectors working on number 6. Pangolin LD2000 is my
    control software. Dare to dream BIG!!!

  4. #14
    clandestiny's Avatar
    clandestiny is offline Eleventy-Billion Watt Ar/Kr >:)
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    I got to do some work with Barney in regards to his transfilm holographic technologies- No sooner did I last see him and he was gone-
    go big or go home

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by p1t8ull View Post
    SAME HERE! totally awe struck when he got zapped...I went off and tried masking a torch (flashlight) with a pinhole exit, and attempted to create my own...
    Hey p1t... LOL!! yeah, I was pretty obsessed with building a laser after that flik - and LOL-2 - my approach was pretty similar, (flashlight) except I used a translucent-blue plastic chip from some-game or another, and tape... I did get as 'far' as finding out that between making 'smoke' by filling the bathroom with babypowder (earned me one of several groundings! ) and playing w/a lens my uncle gave me, I could get sort of a beam-spot-blob-thinggy -

    Great call with your 'rhinestone-lumia'! - too bad we were on the 'other side of the pond' from each other as kids - sounds like we could have spent many afternoons in 'detention' after-school designing the laser-cannon for the 'Death Star'!!

    This is such a great thread, Greg...kudos, bud! ciao..

    - J
    ....and armed only with his trusty 21 Zorgawatt KTiOPO4...

  6. #16
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    Smile

    I became interested in lasers in the 7th grade, after reading "The Story of the Laser", by John Carrol. I checked that book out from the library so many times that I actually memorised portions of it.

    Fast forward to 1990; I've got several Amiga computers, and my dream is to own a Pangolin system to do laser shows. Unfortunately, both the software and the lasers are too expensive.

    1995 - I purchase a 1.2 mw HeNe from MWK industries. My first real laser.

    1997 - I purchase a lissajous box from MWK. It comes with a 5 mw 670 nm diode. It's the coolest thing I've ever seen. Unfortunately, I later sell it to a friend because I need the money.

    2000 - I buy my first green laser (a 5 mw pointer that is actually making 11 mw) for $220 on E-bay. I'm also buying HeNe's in bulk by this point.

    2001 - I buy my first Argon laser. SP-161A with a 261-B PSU. 30 mw of lovely 488nm blue! My HeNe laser count is over 20 at this point.

    2002 - I buy my first lab-top DPSS laser, a 100 mw Lasever. Now I can light matches without using a lens!

    2003 - I'm up to three Argon's now, all SP 161's or 163's, and all single line blue at 488nm.

    Late 2005 - I purchase my first DAC (an Alphalite), a set of DT-40 scanners, and a no-name DPSS green laser (100 mw) with TTL blanking to form my first projector. It's the coolest thing I've ever seen.

    January 2006 - I join PhotonLexicon. Message traffic tripples overnight. (Just kidding about that part! )

    July 2006 - I purchase an HGM 5 medical argon laser. Turns out to have a bad tube, but I keep it anyway hoping I'll be able to find a replacement.

    September 2006 - I assist another company with the setup, operation, and tear-down of a laser show in Atlanta for headliner Tiesto. I learn a lot and have the time of my life. (First experience with a Coherent I-90 whitelight!)

    November 2006 - I purchase Mamba Black. Much better software! I start shopping for a DAC to go with it.

    January 2007, FLEM version 1.0 happens. I'm awed by the RGB projectors in attendance. I vow to build one.

    March 2007, I land an incredible deal on a QM-32 board from Pangolin. My horizons broaden significantly. I also manage to work with with another company to perform a nice show laser show in Charlotte for DJ BabyAnne.

    May 2007 - I build my first RGB projector. 200 mw red, 100 mw blue, 75 mw green. All analog. I'm in heaven.

    June 2007 - Blue laser dies. I'm heartbroken. Lasever repairs it inside of 3 weeks. I'm happy again! I work with a major laser company to provide the laser show for headliner Paul Van Dyke in Atlanta. Awesome night!

    July 2007 - I upgrade the projector to a pair of Maxyz modules for 400 mw of red. Projector kicks ass now.

    August 2007 - SELEM 2007 happens. Words fail me. A week later I'm still in awe. Best time I've had in decades. Steve Roberts brings me a replacement tube for my HGM 5 argon, and it lases! Oh, and unbelievably I upgrade to a Pangolin QM-2000 too. Life is good!

    October 2007 - FLEM 1.5 happens, because we're all to impatient to wait 'til next year for another meet! We have a blast. Bill Benner shows us LaserMame, and everyone drools! Later in the month, I work with a professional lasershow company to run the lasers for DJ Icey in Charlotte. Great show. Also, I actually cut together a 3 min show that ends up being used during the rave. My first contribution!

    November 2007 - Blue laser dies again. This time I have to wait over a month to get it repaired, but once again Lasever fixes it. Hope this is the last time...

    December 2007 - planning some revisions to the projector, including a new shutter and a new A/R coated window for the aperature. Thinking about what else I can do to make it even better. (635 nm red maybe? More blue?) Also need to get HGM 5 working with a pair of galvos... Gonna file for a CDRH variance for my projector so I can start using *my* equipment at some of these shows from now on to supliment the big guns...

    Who knows what the future holds... For now, need to start planning for FLEM Mark II. Also thinking about what SELEM 2008 will hold...

    Adam

  7. #17
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    O.K., i'm taking the day off work today so I have a bit of free time to type...

    I've always been fascinated with lasers, probably since the mid-seventies and the 'stadium' gigs. It was a fascination that remained dormant until the little red laser pointers became affordable, I had a couple of those that i played with from time to time.

    I also had the good fortune to be able to visit the Coherent premises in the UK. That visit REALLY blew my mind !! Some of the lasers they were playing with there were just awsome, they had samples of steel that had been cut through and housebricks with melted holes in them - Wicked!!

    What REALLY got me started though was one day following a real bad day at work I came home and hit the bottle (Southern Comfort ). Later that evening I went on Ebay (and let this serve as a warning - Ebay and alcohol don't mix ), I placed a bid on a 10Mw HeNe laser - and won it

    So, the HeNe laser arrived, I had never seen a beam so good. Sadly the fascination of pointing it at things and looking at the little red dot soon wore off. It was then that I started wanting to do something else with it. I had always been fascinated with holograms and knew these were made with a laser, so I started researching and discovered my little red HeNe wouold be perfect for the job of making holograms. Be advised... Setting up a holography lab isn't cheap either !!

    I think all lasers should come with warning stickers... "WARNING - LASERS ARE HIGHLY ADDICTIVE - YOU WILL ALWAYS NEED A BIGGER PHOTON FIX!!

    I soon got completely sucked into the addiction, I upgraded my HeNe holography laser to a 100Mw Coherent Compass 315m. I bought a LambdaPro greenie (thanks Doc ) - and sold it again as the beam profile wasn't what I wanted. I then set about getting the stuff together for my first projector.

    Fast forward to the present day and my projector is pretty much finished (as is my bank account!! ). Having started with Mamba Black and a Medialas DAC I decided to upgrade and now have a Pangolin QM2000.Net system complete with LivePRO and SMStoLaser software. I'm still getting a real 'buzz' every time I fire up the system. The main thing that's worrying me now is where do I go from here ????

    Cheers

    Jem
    Quote: "There is a theory which states that if ever, for any reason, anyone discovers what exactly the Universe is for and why it is here it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another that states that this has already happened.”... Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by dsli_jon View Post
    Hey p1t... LOL!! yeah, I was pretty obsessed with building a laser after that flik - and LOL-2 - my approach was pretty similar, (flashlight) except I used a translucent-blue plastic chip from some-game or another, and tape... I did get as 'far' as finding out that between making 'smoke' by filling the bathroom with babypowder (earned me one of several groundings! ) and playing w/a lens my uncle gave me, I could get sort of a beam-spot-blob-thinggy - J
    Ha, I used a pinspot, paper towel tube and a lens to make a 'spotlight' it had a very low divergence considering the fact that i was crap! Hahaha

    My first REAL laser projector was an American DJ Widow Baby, which I have since ripped the internals out (the diode died) and have used it in various other projects. For a while I had my 150mW greenie on it (that I purchased in late 2005- early 2006ish). It was awesome! And at this point I should have joined LA (Laserists Anonymous).

    The story continues...

    Quote Originally Posted by Jem View Post
    What REALLY got me started though was one day following a real bad day at work I came home and hit the bottle (Southern Comfort ). Later that evening I went on Ebay (and let this serve as a warning - Ebay and alcohol don't mix ), I placed a bid on a 10Mw HeNe laser - and won it
    Ahhh eBay, while as I have mentioned before I bought one of those cheap laser scanner galvo kits on ebay that are like $30-50 and really vary crappy. I powered it with my amplifier and fried one of the two galvos within a day. So I used the one, and enjoyed the line I could create. Plus if I played music through it loud enough I could hear it playing in the galvo... cool... until that one joined the trash too.

    Then I turned 21, worked my ass off, spent a lot of time in college classrooms with my laptop dreaming of what I could do. The soon found PL and did even more reading while I should have been paying attention in class. Relating to Jem's story above, I too learned the consequences of Drinking and Baying...

    Even sober, eBay is a bad place for me... adding alcohol into the equation is like .... cant think of a simile right now (long day)

    I digress.

    Well I purchased a 450mW maxyz module, DT40s, and a lot of other fun things I don't really even know how to play with yet. Like the SSY-1

    I'm hooked...

    I think all lasers should come with warning stickers... "WARNING - LASERS ARE HIGHLY ADDICTIVE - YOU WILL ALWAYS NEED A BIGGER PHOTON FIX!!
    Ahhh another warning label I need to add to my thread of warning labels

    I guess a lot of the beginnings started with an interest in light in general. I think reading about holograms in middle school really sparked the interest with lasers.

    I will probably be buying 200+ mW of blue within ~3-4 months, hopefully earlier, with plans to expand that to about 400-600mW with the PBS cube from Bridge within a year or so.

    I have gotten the 'gas' bug, and since my life with lasers started with diodes, I have been wanting to play with some Argons or HeNe's soon, and I have been watching eBay auctions for some good priced ones to start with.

    Also, one thing I enjoy most about this hobby is the fact that it has rekindled my interest in electronics and I have started to do more electronic work, trying to redevelop that knowledge and build upon it.

    -Max

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