My RGB Build Thread.

[whatsupadrian]

So I also participated in the cheap 75$ 15k china scanner GB, something i been wanting to do for a long time but never could justify spending $200 on a total shot in the dark experiment. Little did I know the scanner part is a fraction of the projector cost...

So far the materials I have.

12"x16" 6061 Aluminum Baseplate
1w Aixiz 445nm Analog
400w Meierlight 532nm Analog
a-140 projector dichros
4x lpc-826 LOC 660nm
Audiolase DAC + Spaghetti
flexmod p3
3 axis laserwave dichro mounts
3 axis laserwave mirror mounts
4 diode knife edge kit (should be here friday!!!)
[PT-30K] - SpaceLas



Stuff I need.
Case, considering a 2U rackmount case
TEC Controller + Peltier
better dichros (in the future)

Heres some couple links i have found useful.
Photonlexicon.com
http://www.laserpointerforums.com
Laser-man.co.uk
Home Page - www.LaserFX.com
http://www.stanwax.plus.com/lw/rgb alignment lw.pdf

Here are some pics of my progress so far.

 

[bhwollen]

Great work! I have a very similar setup I am planning, but I ran out of money.

Where did you get the 445?

 

[whatsupadrian]

I edited the list with links to where everything came from

 

[bhwollen]

How good is the beam on the 445?

 

[whatsupadrian]

typical of all 445, long and rectangular, but its focused nicely. I am barely clipping the corners on the galvos.

 

[ARG]

typical of all 445, long and rectangular, but its focused nicely. I am barely clipping the corners on the galvos.

Try a prism pair to correct that. Stanwax sells them

How is audiolase + spaghetti working for you?

Also, did you LPM that meirlight laser? Their 1W 532nm lasers were massively over-spec.

 

[whatsupadrian]

Try a prism pair to correct that. Stanwax sells them

How is audiolase + spaghetti working for you? I have the same combo and I am running into lots of issues with the tuning and channel outputs and other things.

Also, did you LPM that meirlight laser? Their 1W 532nm lasers were massively over-spec.

Audiolase + Spaghetti have been working great for me once I worked out the configuration/pinouts. I dont have a LPM and that meierlight is only 400mw. Im sure someone who lives near me will let me meter my laser though.

 

[ARG]

Audiolase + Spaghetti have been working great for me once I worked out the configuration/pinouts. I dont have a LPM and that meierlight is only 400mw. Im sure someone who lives near me will let me meter my laser though.

Lets me know once you find out the true power of the laser - I need to pick up a cheap green for my projector, and meierlight seems to be the place to get cheap overspec green lasers.

 

[carmangary]

I'm not sure I understand.

 

[LordKaramazov]

Do u think the knife-edge will work anywhere near ok for 4 reddies?? I think your beam will be very fat and you wont have enough power "in the middle" (where ur reddie and green overlap) to have a nice yellow shade...maybe knife-edging 2 beams of already PBS cube combined reds...its just an idea, as i think it will be too fat for a greenie...

Im also going to build a RGB when i get home to portugal, and i already have 2 LPC's, also the laserwave mounts, their dichros and a PBS for reddies from them. Going to go only for a 100mW greenie though, so i can use the 400mW of the reds, and a 445...im also thinking in how to do a simple circuit to get TTL modulation to the 3 lasers, although im a bit concerned about the green, and maybe ill only do it on the blue and red. I will also have the option of no modulation and with an external big pot tune whatever color i want...and then i could always switch it back to TTL mode and tune it again for some other shades of colors...we will see, thats just whats in my head for now..

 

[whatsupadrian]

Quad Laser Module Kit by Edison (USA Version))
That is the knife-edge kit i got.

Post 109 is a built kit.
Quad Laser Module Kit by Edison (USA Version) - Page 5

The beam profile is much nicer then our 445's. The Diodes are positioned like :: and the edges are clipped off some so there will be some loss. 300evil got a 2x2mm beam @ 1012mw. My meierlight green isnt the thinnest green and blue is big so i don't think i will have much of a problem. I certainly will let you know here when it happens.

 

[LordKaramazov]

The Diodes are positioned like :: and the edges are clipped off some so there will be some loss.

i completely forgot that you could do it like that my bad! And actually im eager to see your results!

Keep us posted!

 

[flecom]

Little did I know the scanner part is a fraction of the projector cost...

welcome to addiction, sorry about your wallet

 

[LordKaramazov]

i actually have the same feeling when it comes to money and things needed...at first i was just thinking in doing a simple RGB system with simple DDL drivers...now that i want to put some galvos on, i want to go for TTL modulation...and as im using diodes instead of already built modules, the lasers cases voltage is kinda driving me nuts (mainly because nobody answered to my post on drivers ).

but the more i think of it, the more things i need to buy xD

 

[whatsupadrian]

Heres an update. Dichro mounts came in yesterday so i glued a ca$hio dichro on the front and slapped it on. Then waited for it to get dark. I got the house pretty smokey. I dont have a RED my camera just picks up a lot of 445nm as red.

Getting some light spillage from the top, ill keep tring to align it better. Im thinking i need to adjust the galvos some, i havent touched them yet. I figured they came pre turned.

*BTW Photographing really lets u see your farfield alignment pretty nicely.

 

[whatsupadrian]

i actually have the same feeling when it comes to money and things needed...at first i was just thinking in doing a simple RGB system with simple DDL drivers...now that i want to put some galvos on, i want to go for TTL modulation...and as im using diodes instead of already built modules, the lasers cases voltage is kinda driving me nuts (mainly because nobody answered to my post on drivers ).

but the more i think of it, the more things i need to buy xD

Iv heard a lot of people saying to just not go TTL and go straight to Analog. With TTL you are limited in colors. With Analog you are pretty limit less with the range of colors. With that being said the flexmod p3 drivers support analog modulation. Allegedly they are in stock now and being dispersed and a new shipment should arrive in two weeks.