One year ago today...

Today is my 1st laser-versairy as a member of LPF.
Halloween 2014 I went to my Burning Man campmates party we have every year and with me was this laser I bought off of Ebay. It is 50mW 532nm and has a motorized diffraction feature as well as standard beam. Its really a cool little toy. I saw one at a festival that summer and knew I had to have one. It cost about 45$ and the best money I spent in quite some time.
Late into the evening fog rolled in and I went outside and played with my new toy for hours. I was hooked. My wife kept coming out side wondering when I planned on re-joining the party.

When we got home into bed I grabbed my Ipad and was up all night searching for information so I could buy a nicer more powerful laser. I came across LPF that night and was amazed at the amount of information and content. I hadn't ever realized that this was a hobby. I joined and wrote my introduction a few days later on November 3rd 2014.

I tend to be a person that dives into new things with both feet. I read and read for weeks before i finally ordered my next couple lasers. I ordered a 400mW 532 from O-like and a 445 1 W from Sci-fi. The month of waiting for these lasers to arrive felt like a year. When they did I got to write my first reviews and try my hand at taking beam pics. Within a few months I had a dozen lasers and today I can't say how many I have in my collection but its must be around 20 including a few I built myself.

So here is the laser that started it all. This hobby has brought me hours of enjoyment and new friendships. I was in a really burned out place with my career and art and a new hobby was exactly what I needed.
I want to say thank you to LPF for all your help answering my basic noobie questions and a special thank you to;
Alaskan, Cyparagon, RHD, DTR, Grainde, Ultimatekaiser, Flaminpyro, Bionicbadger, and Brucemir. You guys have been incredibly helpful and I appreciate all you guys have done for not just me but the entire community of fellow laser dorks.

Happy LPFsairy olympus!

That's pretty wacky such a laser started you interests into what would become a life passion where you would spend $100's to enjoy beams of light, but they sure do look cool

-Alex

I'm jealous you still have your first laser, my first build has been scrapped, burnt out, taped back together, and scrapped all over again.

929 posts in a year... i havnt been pulling my weight.

.. and i guess happy LPFsairy?

LeHap said:

Happy LPFsairy olympus!

That's pretty wacky such a laser started you interests into what would become a life passion where you would spend $100's to enjoy beams of light, but they sure do look cool

-Alex

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Thanks Alex. Hundred's.... I think you mean thousands! I estimated what i have spent on this hobby in a years time and lets just say I could be driving a much nicer car if I wanted. lol. But i'd rather drive my old beater or bicycle and have my laser collection than a nice car.

SyKo said:

929 posts in a year... I havnt been pulling my weight.

.. and i guess happy LPFsairy?

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Or, I talk too much. lol,

olympus mons said:

Thanks Alex. Hundred's.... I think you mean thousands! I estimated what i have spent on this hobby in a years time and lets just say I could be driving a much nicer car if I wanted. lol. But i'd rather drive my old beater or bicycle and have my laser collection than a nice car.



Or, I talk too much. lol,

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Whoops, I mean hundred of thousands :san:

-Alex

It is pretty strange how underground and unheard of this hobby is, despite how many people are a part of it. Congrats on one year, Jeff. Time flies, when you're having fun, but I suppose the waiting for lasers to arrive in the mail counteracts that. To another year! :beer:

btw, in your signature, do you mean formerly nwfreefly, or was that on purpose?

Gabe said:

btw, in your signature, do you mean formerly nwfreefly, or was that on purpose?

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LOL! No my man, I am just a horrible speller. All better now thank you for pointing that out and for your support.
Cheers mate,
Jeff

Almost a year for me too. Being active on the forums that is. I discovered the forums back in 2009 and got my first real laser around that time too. It was a ~50mW 532nm pen. It was back when those ebay pens weren't a complete gamble as to what output youw were getting. I picked it up at a guys house from an ad on "Marktplaats" which is basically craigslist for Dutch people.

Still have a video of my old 200mW 650nm DX laser that I got short after the 532 pen. Just uploaded it. Damn it was awesome to be able to light a match with a laser back then.