I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a switch

armyofda12mnkeys · Jan 3, 2009

basically me and a friend want to build our interpretation of a 'time machine' for a futuristic model photoshoot (a fog machine will also be involved to enhance the futuristic feel lol)...
I am not sure how to really get started (we are both computer science majors with limited experience in more electrical/engineering projects)...
Should I buy cheap red laser diodes and hook them up in parallel to a power source?
get 100 red laser lot on ebay for 65$ and somehow gerry-rig it to turn on with ghetto wiring going on.
Any ideas?

Specifically what to buy and how to build/calculate power source would be very helpful

.
Thanks!,
Ari

ben74 · Jan 3, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

You could buy a diffraction grating like in the vid http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yahPIHQxibw from here http://www.dragonlasers.com/catalog/Diffraction-Gratings-price0-p-1-c-276.html then a powerful red here http://www.o-like.com/b2b_cplist.asp?catid=448 or a powerful green from dragon lasers.

armyofda12mnkeys · Jan 3, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

wow, very cool idea!...
I said I would get red lasers cause they seemed cheapest for cost. now if i were to buy one or two powerful lazers...
Would you recommend red or green?
I saw a cheap green 5mW one here on some websites for 13$
, but I was unsure if it will give the power I need for the diffraction effects to be seen clearly.

rog8811 · Jan 3, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

You will get better beam shots with green. Even at 5mw you will have enough power to see beams after the defaraction grating.

Regards rog8811

[edit]You could also consider the idea of using a liquid sky as a back drop.[/edit]

diachi · Jan 3, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

armyofda12mnkeys said:
wow, very cool idea!...
I said I would get red lasers cause they seemed cheapest for cost. now if i were to buy one or two powerful lazers...
Would you recommend red or green?
I saw a cheap green 5mW one here on some websites for 13$
, but I was unsure if it will give the power I need for the diffraction effects to be seen clearly.

can you give us an idea of roughly how you are going to position the lasers ?

-Adam

rocketparrotlet · Jan 3, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

Definitely go with green. It is much more visible than red. If you have a fog machine, the beams from the diffaction gratings should be visible in the dark as well. I would suggest multiple green lasers, maybe 4 or so if you are going with 5mW or only 2 if you are going with, say, 30mW.

-Mark

armyofda12mnkeys · Jan 3, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

Imagine a door entrance. and lasers attached to the doorway shooting outwards (towards where you are walking)... Like a line of lazers going around the door, so its almost like u walking through a tunnel (a time travel tunnel lol).
Maybe a couple of those Diffraction Gratings on Dragon Lazers, like either the Transmission or Reflection Beam ones which spread it out across a line (both kinda look same to me though).

so a liquid sky, is a system to enhance the laser and spread it across a full plane right? i just googled liquid sky and found systems to use with your laser at $250+, is that the kinda backdrop u talking about?

Sidenote: ... some of these laser 'time tunnel' videos on youtube pretty amazing. how is that effect done, pc fan or a liquid sky system?

Also, Jesus how is this effect done (even more time tunnely than the videos i saw, so i assume its a different effect)?
dragonlasers_com_catalog_photos_800_abp1.jpg (replace _ with /)
pretty cool

armyofda12mnkeys · Jan 3, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

also i dont want the girls to get harmed by lazers in the way. it will be facing their backs pretend. and i dont want it to hit them

rog8811 · Jan 3, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

so a liquid sky, is a system to enhance the laser and spread it across a full plane right? i just googled liquid sky and found systems to use with your laser at $250+, is that the kinda backdrop u talking about?

It looks like the picture below, that was made for less tha n $50

You could look at using a time tunnel effect as well....
Look at the attached video below the edit in post one of this thread.
http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1230744943
It is not that good an example as I was washing out my fogger with water and the fog was a bit thin, it gives the idea though.

Regards rog8811

diachi · Jan 3, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

armyofda12mnkeys said:
Imagine a door entrance. and lasers attached to the doorway shooting outwards (towards where you are walking)... Like a line of lazers going around the door, so its almost like u walking through a tunnel (a time travel tunnel lol).
Maybe a couple of those Diffraction Gratings on Dragon Lazers, like either the Transmission or Reflection Beam ones which spread it out across a line (both kinda look same to me though).

so a liquid sky, is a system to enhance the laser and spread it across a full plane right? i just googled liquid sky and found systems to use with your laser at $250+, is that the kinda backdrop u talking about?

Sidenote: ... some of these laser 'time tunnel' videos on youtube pretty amazing. how is that effect done, pc fan or a liquid sky system?

Also, Jesus how is this effect done (even more time tunnely than the videos i saw, so i assume its a different effect)?
dragonlasers_com_catalog_photos_800_abp1.jpg (replace _ with /)
pretty cool

If you want to do that, you cannot use a diffraction grating, you could manage it with a liquid sky however. Or you could use several individual lasers.

-Adam

ben74 · Jan 3, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

Or red and green would look cool! All you would need is one of these http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5928 and a 1-5mW green would not be bright as the there's a 205mW red and a 55mW green it the pic.

potatorage · Jan 3, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

How do ya get the thing to project such a large circle?

ben74 · Jan 3, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

potatorage said:
How do ya get the thing to project such a large circle?

Guess your use a spinning mirror to get that effect? if so straighter the mirror and the circle get smaller angling the mirror more will make the circle bigger.

rog8811 · Jan 3, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

Thinking about it if you set up 2 vertical and one horizontal sky that just pass through the doorway you would get the effect you want......something like this?

[edit]

Guess your use a spinning mirror to get that effect? if so straighter the mirror and the circle get smaller angling the mirror more will make the circle bigger.

That is exactly the way

[/edit]

Regards rog8811

SuicideKing · Jan 4, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

If you're not nuts and volts kind of guys I'd suggest getting a ready made laser light show rig.
A couple of hundred bucks and you have liquid sky, time tunnel, spirographs all built in and programable.

Also, if this is just a one time thing, you can rent a laser show and fog machine from your local party store for just a few bucks.

It's only a little more expensive than doing it yourself, and you'll save a lot of frustration.
You have to keep in mind what your time is worth.

I've learned the hard way, that even if I can do or build something myself, unless it saves me at least 75% of the cost, it usually makes more sense to buy it or have someone else do it.

My .02 cents

armyofda12mnkeys · Jan 4, 2009

Re: I want to hook up 100 lasers to turn on a swit

SuicideKing: where can i find a good place to find pre-made dj sets like that (specifally time tunnel and liquid sky), i found a few on ebay but mostly made in China.

rog8811: Thanks for drawing that pic. that may be the way to go if i can get 3 of those liquid sky setups for a good price (or 3 diffraction gratings). How would i set that up? like buy 3 pre-made devices that do that? Any good places that sell at good price?

Thanks again everyone, giving some great help!

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