mountainman Posted July 27, 2012 Posted July 27, 2012 Hello everyone. This year coming up is my second year but I still feel like a noob. But I have a question/request for the experienced people out there.Has anyone used or created a laser light that can be shot /bounced from house to house and back to create a great looking effect? If it is possible could it be controlled with a LOR controler without destroying the laser?ThanksIf anyone has a video I would love to see it.
Steven Posted July 27, 2012 Posted July 27, 2012 Has anyone used or created a laser light that can be shot /bounced from house to house and back to create a great looking effect?I once used a laser to turn off the streetlight. I stopped doing that after we observed a child running across the street during a dark part of a sequence.In the second part of your question, the way to get a great looking effect is with fog, and that's not easy.If it is possible could it be controlled with a LOR controler without destroying the laser?That depends on the laser. If you use a continuous-duty laser, and don't dim or shimmer it, you should avoid destroying it.
mountainman Posted July 28, 2012 Author Posted July 28, 2012 Where my house is positioned two other houses that are across the streets create a perfect triangle on level ground. Living in south Carolina we get some rain and mist and with the cooler weather in winter wood burning is still done here so the smoke stays closer to the ground. I would love to be able to bounce a laser around the houses. I only have a $75 budget but I can't anything that could work. I don't anything about lasers except it would be a great looking effect. All 3 houses sitt at least 3 ft above ground so no one would be harmed.What laser could be used?
Steven Posted July 28, 2012 Posted July 28, 2012 What laser could be used?I bought one of these. You could probably power them with a cheap 5V power supply (phone charger) with 3 diodes in series to drop the voltage.Make sure to mount them high enough and securely so there will be no chance of shining them into the sky, which could get you in really big trouble!
scubado Posted July 28, 2012 Posted July 28, 2012 Three cheap lazers would be easier and probably cheaper than one lazer bouncing to make a triangle. Be very careful how they are aimed, there are quite a few threads about the use of lazers in a show, especially with motor mounts.
Tim Fischer Posted July 28, 2012 Posted July 28, 2012 Maybe I'm confused, but what are you going to bounce the laser off of (at the top) to create the triangle? Using lasers outdoors opens up to a lot of liability. I considered it for this year and ruled it out.
mountainman Posted July 29, 2012 Author Posted July 29, 2012 I have a large porch at one corner I would aim at a location on the house to the front left. From that house I would use a reflection device to bounce to to the next house and other permanate objects in the area and land it back to my house. I would like to do this several times in order for it look cool and work it in the show. http://maps.yahoo.com/#q=1905+N+Holly+St%2C+Anderson%2C+SC+29625-3557&conf=1&start=1&lat=34.52144390503818&lon=-82.65585422515869&zoom=16&mvt=m&trf=0Cut and paste the link to see what the lay should look like. Thanks for all the help.
scubado Posted July 29, 2012 Posted July 29, 2012 You might enjoy this laser, I have one of these and they are cool. I haven't tried it with smoke or fog, but pointed up into a mega tree makes a very cool effect when the moving beams hit the glass bulbs especially if the pole is wrapped with lights.. The individual beams are not as strong as a single beam, so strays won't be much of a problem. Are you near an airport or flight path? That would be something to consider as well.
spomalley Posted July 29, 2012 Posted July 29, 2012 You might enjoy this laser, I have one of these and they are cool. I haven't tried it with smoke or fog, but pointed up into a mega tree makes a very cool effect when the moving beams hit the glass bulbs especially if the pole is wrapped with lights.. The individual beams are not as strong as a single beam, so strays won't be much of a problem. Are you near an airport or flight path? That would be something to consider as well.What Laser?
John2571 Posted July 30, 2012 Posted July 30, 2012 This year I am using a micro galaxian from american dj and am pointing it at the house suspended form a tree. Just be careful where you poin the lasers (NOT in the SKY!).-John
mountainman Posted August 4, 2012 Author Posted August 4, 2012 You might enjoy this laser, I have one of these and they are cool. I haven't tried it with smoke or fog, but pointed up into a mega tree makes a very cool effect when the moving beams hit the glass bulbs especially if the pole is wrapped with lights.. The individual beams are not as strong as a single beam, so strays won't be much of a problem. Are you near an airport or flight path? That would be something to consider as well.No airports in the area. And I'm not planing on shooting a laser out without me knowing where it ends. I think it would be a great effect. I just can't find a durable one that out do the job. Any and all suggestions would be helpful.
Max-Paul Posted August 4, 2012 Posted August 4, 2012 One of the misunderstanding of lasers is that when the beam hits something. It is reflected in possibly more than one beam. Depending on the target, how clean it is and the precision of the reflecting surface, you single beam can be refracted to multiple beams. Pilots are to the point that one little stray beam that just looks like a spot light coming into their windows will get them to declare that the are being "painted".Oh and also think about this op. Temperature and humidity changes are going to cause your mirrors to go out of alignment. You will be constantly adjusting your mirrors to go from 1st mirror to 2nd and from 2nd mirror to original source. My opinion is that this smells like trouble and wont find me using lasers outside.I once had one of those little key ring units that used 2 or 3 watch batteries. I live in the country and was able to hit a tree 600 feet away at night. And to think I could see it at that distance. But then too, I am sure that it was no longer a little 1/8" neither. So, keep that in mind, your spot is going to grow in size. As we say in the shooting community "Know where your bullets are landing and what is behind your intended target".
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