Does this look safe to you?

Grunff · Apr 14, 2012

I don't know much about best practices for laser shows, but I am uncomfortable watching this:

1000mw LASER - YouTube

I recognise that the exposure time is very short, but you're still repeatedly getting zapped with 1W of 532nm.

Am I being over-cautious?

RyanElectro · Apr 14, 2012

I go clubbing every so often and there's high powered lasers like this all around the DJ booth aimed at the dancefloor. I've always wondered if it was safe to look at the beam.. it's moving about so much that it's bound to hit you in the eye at least 5 times during the night.

I honestly don't know if it's safe or not, I'm not that knowledgeable with how the "1W" translates to actual output on these lasers, especially when stenciled... but I'd like to think the club knows what the heck it's doing when utilizing these.

It's also worthy to note I never went blind or had vision problems after. I don't even wear glasses today.

AnthoT · Apr 14, 2012

It's likely so unfocused and it's moving so fast it should be fine but don't run up to it and put your face in front then it's dangerous

JLSE · Apr 14, 2012

Blasting class 4 into a crowds eyes is not wise...

RyanElectro · Apr 14, 2012

wannaburn said:
Blasting class 4 into a crowds eyes is not wise...

Jesus Christ. Hopefully this was a homemade laser or some non-safe cheapy party laser. Because practically every major club has lasers that are near 1W to produce those vivid beams... I hope proper branded lasers meant for use in clubs don't have this sort of problem. I gotta look into this more. Thanks for the warning.

JLSE · Apr 14, 2012

There are several threads on the forum regarding 'crowd scanning'.. Its not necessarily the
lasers used but the operators, and the setup.

There are calculations that factor in to what is safe, and what is not.

Just setting up a laser and running it, would not be a good idea. I burned a nice line
through a CCD with 130mW of 405nm in a cheap scanner.

Have a search for 'crowd scanning' there is a ton of info on the topic.

Grunff · Apr 14, 2012

wannaburn said:
Have a search for 'crowd scanning' there is a ton of info on the topic.

Thanks, that's the handle I needed

Benm · Apr 15, 2012

It is all down no MPE calculations when crowd scanning indeed. There is not inherent safely low, or dangerously high, total power limit.

Scanning a crowd with a 1 watt laser like shown does require these calculations, as well as technical precautions like scanfails that shut down the laser in case, for example, one of the galvo mirrors gets stuck and the beam is no longer scanned despite the show software commanding it to.

CapeClover · Apr 16, 2012

Personally I don;t feel lasers should be used for purposed such as this. They are scientific/medical devices, not entertainment toys. If I entered a club and saw one of these in operation I would leave immediately. I don't care how "safe" they claim it is. No amount of money is going to bring back my eyesight when I am blind.

I may be way off base regarding the safety issue. Perhaps I am overly cautious. But I am not about to put something as valuable my eyesight in the hands of some club.

Cyparagon · Apr 16, 2012

So... you'd leave if you saw a varianced laser, but you'd be fine with >120dB sound for example?

JLSE · Apr 16, 2012

Cyparagon said:
So... you'd leave if you saw a varianced laser, but you'd be fine with >120dB sound for example?

Tis better to leave the club with a girl you cant hear, rather than one you cannot see :eg:

Smeerworst · Apr 18, 2012

Hmmm i was on the darkside of youtube today and the thread title popped in my head when i saw this :undecided:

Thread title: said:
Does this look safe to you?

What a way to develop your eye's.

Hiemal · Apr 18, 2012

JLSE said:
Tis better to leave the club with a girl you cant hear, rather than one you cannot see :eg:

Agreed... I'd rather be deaf than blind.

Or rather I'd maintain both of my senses. I like being able to see and hear.

Benm · Apr 18, 2012

Also, the damage from loud music isn't instant - there is no way you will be completely deaf in a second (or hour for that matter) from the audio system of any club. Surely you will develop hearing loss when exposed to loud sounds over time, but this is a gradual process.

One advantage is, at least, that you get the time to determine its painfully loud somewhere and then leave before any damage is done. When laser shows are painfully bright, you are probably too late.

bobhaha · Apr 18, 2012

^Actually... that's wrong (to an extent). I've had a firework go off in my hand (it was pressure sensitive... I didn't light it and hold it) and as soon as the boom went off I was deaf in both ears for 5-6 hours.

All I heard was ringing, nothing else... just this annoying ringing sound.

But I highly doubt a speaker has the capacity to displace enough air in order to damage someones ears in the same fashion the firework did to me. But instant deafness is possible.

JLSE · Apr 18, 2012

You expose your ears enough, and that annoying ringing becomes permanent.. MY hearing
is still good after years of loud music and machinery, but I now have tinnitus in which
every day is a reminder and the ringing never stops.

Ive been to many clubs in my younger days, and listened to insanely loud music for
too many years. The resulting condition just popped up one day, though the damage
itself was not instant.

Does this look safe to you?

Grunff

0

RyanElectro

0

AnthoT

0

JLSE

1

RyanElectro

0

JLSE

1

Grunff

0

Benm

0

CapeClover

0

Cyparagon

0

JLSE

1

Smeerworst

0

Hiemal

0

Benm

0

bobhaha

0

JLSE

1

Online statistics

Forum statistics

Share this page