Front projection into water-screen ???

[laseralex]

Alex,

I have seen the Grand Coulee show before is it still the 4 ion lasers (2 Argon, 2 Krypton) both eight feet long and running at 55W rather than the maximum 85W. I really enjoyed the show the purples were amazing (still daylight when I watched it) I am talking about the butteryfly. The flood gates opening on the dam, then the laser show starting was awesome (I did get in the projection booth before it started, and talked the guys head off). The only complaint I got from him was they were tired of the same show after 11 years (which should date when I saw the show last).

-Adam

Adam,

I'm glad you enjoyed the show at Grand Coulee -- it remains my favorite of all the shows we've done to date. To the best of our research abilities, it is not only the most powerful RGB projector ever built, it also remains the largest projection of any type in the world with a "screen" abut the size of 55 football fields.

The system continues to use ion lasers becuase of the beam quality requirements; no diode systems come remotely close. Development of fiber lasers has advanced to the point where they could be used to replace the ion lasers, but when I last got pricing in February it would have been about $1.5 million for the lasers *before* getting into the costs of the necessary optical and electronic changes. WAY too much for a retrofit, even for the government!

Unfortunately, the Bureau of Reclamation (operators of the dam) have now been running the same show for 20 years without an update. The soundtrack has help up remarkably well, but the locals are bored of the show and would love a change. The BOR doesn't care what the locals think because the system is intended to education visitors, not amuse the townfolk.

Another company took over maintenance of the system 3 years ago, and things have sadly gone downhill since then; I can no longer recommend that people go visit the show.

-Alex

[mliptack]

Alex, thats a sad ending to quite an interesting story... sorry to hear that although I love the acronym of the Bureau of Reclamation "BOR"... sounds quite fitting!

[mliptack]

Like I said it would depend quite a bit on the shape of the droplet. technically if you were capable of making a really tiny droplets you could make a screen that would be comparable to any projection screen.

It would be interesting if you could make a retroreflective screen into a water source... then the water would be much like the reflective material of a street sign. Then the laser source would have to come from an area close to the audience since the light bounces back in the same direction it came from.

Make that 42°

[laseralex]

Alex, that is stunning! Got any pictures of the laser itself?

Sorry, not much to share for that.

[Laserman532]

hey alex...how often do they have to change plasma tubes (is it a schedule) or do they change them when they fail? I have a picture of me and floyd standing in the operating room the first year it opened. great clean installation.

[laseralex]

hey alex...how often do they have to change plasma tubes (is it a schedule) or do they change them when they fail? I have a picture of me and floyd standing in the operating room the first year it opened. great clean installation.

You've gotta post that picture!

They change the tubes when it gets so awful that they can't stand it. They are hurting for Krypton at the moment.

[mixedgas]

Alex,

Dr. Babin in Novosibirsk might give you a run for your money, 10 years ago he was attempting to sell his derivatives of his military argons for laser shows. The Argon ran 80 watts and the mixed gas about 35. A few units made it to Vancouver BC. To the best of my knowledge they never toured or were permanent. He did have the record at one time of around 500 watts of blue-green. Last I heard they get sold as dye pumps to very wealthy customers.

But the beam diameters are huge, on the order of centimeters. There is a trick to making a 80 watt argon the size of a I90 and I'm not gonna get into it here. It was very expensive for me to learn how that is done... Nor is it plug and play....

But for normal lasers and small beam diameters GC easily wins.

Steve