SELEM was a blast!

[MechEng3]

Just got back in from a very active meet on a widening spectrum of events. I have learned a lot about gassers and tried to help a bit with other chores than moving power supply units. I had the chance to meet a few new faces of the forum and do some trading of laser related gear as well. There was some awe inspiring lasers there of all kinds and colors to behold.... one over 4 watts of white-light !! There was also some killer BBQ there with lasagna...if you didn't eat some of this you have missed the best I have sampled. Thanks Buffo for the red laser...sorry I couldn't find you on the way out ....I had to leave then. BTW the Hene didn't lase....will investigate later. Thanks to all who made it there and watched the show via the web......and to all who helped in any part of a good time. Maybe by next year I will have a nice RGB put together. Till then............tearing aprt my laser junk......need more power.....

[rgb-gas]

this was a great time.
thanks to all who helped to make this the event it has become. there was a lot of power, and the kind of shows you can only dream of. we all worked together and learned a few things. great to meet all of you. and keep the beams safe
jeff

[Pianoman]

I agree, it was a lot of fun and I learned more than I expected to. Also met tons of awesome people and saw some really amazing lasers. Btw mecheng3, I need to get those aluminum mounts that Steve mentioned to you... let me know when you will have to time for that. thanks.

[sugeek]

I agree, it was a lot of fun and I learned more than I expected to. Also met tons of awesome people and saw some really amazing lasers. Btw mecheng3, I need to get those aluminum mounts that Steve mentioned to you... let me know when you will have to time for that. thanks.

I am VERY glad to hear that you made it to SELEM it would have been a great waste to see you ION laser sit and gather dust like mine does at the moment, Thank you to Aaron for the video feed I enjoyed watching it and chatting with the other viewers (300Evil Mother is AWESOME!) as well as a big thanks to beer for the *buffering* etc... experience. Thank you Bill for your presentations wish you could have actually brought your Paint brush hardware a half a pop-can with optics is a large thing to visualize power point via webcam did not finalize the point it still was a bit fuzzy (okay a bit of a lame joke but I love puns).

-Adam (not the other Adam's).

[drlava]

Just got back a bit ago, WOW! what a good time. I think I was smiling all of saturday and part of Sunday as well, there were just too many fun things to see and do and good lasers and shows to admire. Thank you Adam and everyone else who organized this and made it happen. It was amazing to meet so many very different people temporarily united with one love.

There was a lot of inspiration there as well, from the many demonstrated software programs to seeing such gorgerous laser art that one can't help but be motivated with the desire to create.

Wishing everyone not currently home safe travels..
A

[Stuka]

Awesome, mind-boggling, multi-sensory overload!!

OK - the negative:
One missing 100mw laser pointer - damn...

But everything else - WOW!!
If anything, it's becoming almost TOO much to cram into one weekend - what a cool problem to have!!
It was very cool reuniting & meeting the new faces behind the online names!

Buffo - thanks again for all your hard work to get this organized and set up!
Count me in on the "committee" for next year if you need some help!!

DZ - you are DA MAN!!
Thanks again for bailing me out on the Maxyz repair!!

Mophead & Mystrys - that BBQ was AWESOME!
Thanks for the journey to get it to SELEM!

Witcher88 - ditto on the lasagna!!

Allthatwhichis - killer shows!
Thanks for all your hard work getting the mult-projector synchronization going!!

DJMatt - dude, I can't believe you just got started with the lasers this year!!
Great job with those AND your original compositions!!
Awesome!!

Bill & Justin from Pangolin, Patrick Murphy from ILDA - thanks again for taking the time out of your schedules and making the trek to SELEM!!

DocJohn - when I grow up, I want to be just like you!!

Anyone else I didn't mention specifically, it was GREAT seeing you again, and / or meeting you for the first time! Looking forward to next year's event already!!

BTW -

StukaChk says "hi", and enjoyed meeting everyone.
And while the technical discussions kind of sailed over her, after she saw the shows from the balcony, she admits - she gets it!!

Now, if I can only get all these new ideas out of MY head, and try to get this constant 136BPM bass line ringing in my head to finally stop...

[buffo]

What a great event. Randy, I'd like to echo your post of thanks to everyone. And with regard to your missing pointer - let's give it a couple days and see if it shows up at the venue. If it doesn't, I have a backup plan that will at least ensure you end up with something comparable.

You know, I thought I was going to pass out from exhaustion and sleep deprivation Sunday afternoon... Yet once I got on the road, I started thinking about all the fun we had and the next thing you know, I'm pulling into my driveway in Charleston! (Got home at 11:30 Sunday night, safe and sound.)

Of course, it also helped that I got a call from Clandestiny on the way home, and we chatted for nearly 2 hours! Paul wanted to stop in at SELEM, but by the time he would have been able to arrive (late Monday) everyone would be gone. Still, he wanted to give a shout out to all SELEM attendees. (Maybe next year, he says! )

Hope everyone else had a safe trip home as well. I was a little concerned for the folks driving all the way back to Florida on Sunday, but I called DZ when I got close to Charleston and it sounded like they were doing fine.

This event is getting big *fast*. Next year I think we're going to need more time and more pre-planning. With as many people and as much equipment as we have now, we need to be better organized. I also think it's time for scaffolding and 3 phase power on-stage. So start thinking about that, and when I'm better rested let's discuss it.

Finally, allow me to apologize to anyone that I snapped at on Sunday. I had been running on 4 hrs sleep or less each night since Thursday, and I finally crashed on Sunday afternoon. So if I bit anyone's head off, trust me when I say I didn't mean it! Next year I'm going to make sure I get more sleep...

Now to go out to the driveway and unload the Jeep and the trailer. (Ugh!)

Adam

PS: Mike - I know what the problem is with the HeNe... Wrong PSU. I have the one you need in the Garage. We'll get together later and I'll hook you up.

[DZ]

Ok, I made it home, I just hope daedal made it the rest of the way. I'm not really big on energy drinks, but I tried the "5 hour energy" drink and was surprised at how well it worked. Ended up getting home about 4:30 I think. Still trying to wake up though. That was an amazing event, I wonder if we had more ION's that solid state projectors? Mixedgas and quite a guy for spending nearly the entire time working on all the ION's.

[Carl B]

It sounds like you lot had Coherent Photon manic time this weekend. We over here in the UK are I'm sure waiting to see loads of Photos and Video footage of the event. My big question is though, did you manage to sync up more than 9 projectors to beat the record we achieved back in June? If so we want to see some video of this achievement.

There's no better way to spend a weekend than playing with loads of lasers and chatting with like minded people (unless in my case I'm displaying at a model railway exhibition).

I'm really looking forward to our next meet in just over a week even though I'll only be arriving mid afternoon. This is the day I become a multi RGB owner.

Carl

[hobbybob]

Hey guys sounded like fun, the webcam feed was a little hard to follow on the demonstration, but the audio was nice and crisp. I logged in a couple of times on the chat, but most were asleep as we have a big time difference.
Anyway hoped everyone had lots of fun, nice meets in real life and good trip back home !