Questions About Lasers

[Brandon]

Hi, i have recently been interested in incoorperating an animation laser to my christmas display for this next year.  however, i am not exactly sure what places to buy from.  i found this laser here http://laserfanatics...5nm-1000mw.html

 

it is exactly what i want but i have some questions.  can this site be trusted and would you purchase from them?  or do i need to buy from an authorized US dealer?   also, will this even be legal in the US?

I appreciate any replies, thanks

[TGabriel]

If you live around or close to an airport, I would forget the laser.

You don't want the FAA on your butt.

 

Thomas

[Max-Paul]

And as you can see, Thomas knows his butts. Dang those look good. Now if the storms would just die off so I can get my smoker going.

[plasmadrive]

Hi, i have recently been interested in incoorperating an animation laser to my christmas display for this next year.  however, i am not exactly sure what places to buy from.  i found this laser here http://laserfanatics...5nm-1000mw.html

 

it is exactly what i want but i have some questions.  can this site be trusted and would you purchase from them?  or do i need to buy from an authorized US dealer?   also, will this even be legal in the US?

I appreciate any replies, thanks

There are a few things to think about.. first off, 25k scanners is pretty slow for scanners these days.  Will do some beam work and simple patterns but nothing very complex or accurate at the speeds needed to make low or no flicker images of a complex nature.  Good for DJ work however..

 

The price is not that steller for a Chinese laser of that power... but there is no reference as to the origin of the laser itself.

One big thing is in order to run this legally, you will need to hold a varience from the CDRH.  The equipment will also need to be included on the varience and I don't think this laser would comply.. but I am not sure since I haven't seen it. The ad says it is "FDA" ... not sure if that means it is varienced or not.

 

If you plan to run your show unattended you may want to think about it a bit more.  First of all, that would be illegal especially with that much power.  Your civil liability could also be very high. That is plenty enough power to cause eye damage.  As well, if a scanner stuck and you had it on a high power setting, you could actually start a fire, depending on conditions of course.  Lasers are fun to play with, but far more dangerous then most people think. 

 

I used to do laser shows and was an active board member for the International Laser Display Assoc.  (ILDA) for several years.  I don't keep up with it much anymore, but much of the law has remained the same, just enforcement has become a bit tougher.

 

Don't forget you will need software to run it..  I have some Phoenix software and hardware that is surplus to my needs... should you head down that route.

 

[Brandon]

thanks for the replies, Plasmadrive, do you have any recommendations of a good scanner to buy?  or at-least a legal US seller?

[plasmadrive]

I have several Cambridge 6800 I can sell if you have a laser.. They are far better then the Chinese scanners...  A lot also depends on your beam diameter.   you need to have the right size mirrors and the scanners need to be able to handle whatever size mirror you use. 

[Brandon]

I have several Cambridge 6800 I can sell if you have a laser.. They are far better then the Chinese scanners...  A lot also depends on your beam diameter.   you need to have the right size mirrors and the scanners need to be able to handle whatever size mirror you use. 

Hmmm, i'm still pretty new at this so i'm not even sure what a Cambridge 6800 is.   i can build my own lasers from cd drives and such but i'm not to up-to-date on builder a scanner/DMX laser device

[plasmadrive]

Hmmm, i'm still pretty new at this so i'm not even sure what a Cambridge 6800 is.   i can build my own lasers from cd drives and such but i'm not to up-to-date on builder a scanner/DMX laser device

You had asked about scanners.. that is what those are..

A laser from a CD player won't do anything for you for a show.  No real power or beam quality that you would need.

[Brandon]

You had asked about scanners.. that is what those are..

A laser from a CD player won't do anything for you for a show.  No real power or beam quality that you would need.

ok, the one i built from a dvd burner is about 250 MW and i also have a bluray one thats about 120 MW.  when i said "scanner" i was meaning a device such as this.  is this not a scanner?

[zman]

If you live around or close to an airport, I would forget the laser.

You don't want the FAA on your butt.

 

Thomas

 

This is partially true. If you want to use a laser, you will help yourself out if you file a permit with the FAA. They will allow laser use in and around flight paths, they just have to know what the use is, and ensure the aim is not into the flight path itself. There is also a permit that should be filed wih the FDA as well. Again, should any issues arise, ensuring you are in compliance as much as possible always helps.

 

Of course, all the above only applies to lasers that are approved for use. Depending on where you buy them from, they may not be certified to be used within the US.