Hu friends. I signed up way back in 2011, but have only posted a couple of times here. I mostly lurk the forums here. So time for formal introduction...
My name is Patrick, and I have been tinkering with lasers since 1992, with an affinity for laser light shows. I've always loved laser shows, and started building my own projectors and components 25 years ago.
I started off with a 1 milliwatt helium neon laser that I purchased from a classified ad in the back of Popular Science back in early 1992, and the rest as they say is history!
I owned small and medium frame ion lasers (American Laser models 60x and 68b) and worked on light show crews with the big Spectra Physics large frame 3 phase water cooled beasts. I also worked with frequency doubled q switched YAG lasers.
So lasers have always been more or less a hobby for me. Though I did try to make it a career for a long time. And I realized just how difficult and expensive that was to break into.
Today of course we have multi Watt diodes that are available everywhere, and the cost of entry membership in the light show arena has plummeted. The double edge to that sword is that now laser shows are commonplace, and nothing terribly special to most people. nobody really goes out of their way to see them anymore, but they still fascinate me.
None the less, I'm starting to rebuild my arsenal of lasers and Associated effects and intend to start doing them on a small scale once again.
So great to be here and thanks for everyone's insight and advise they offer in these forums. I consider this website to be an invaluable resource of information.
My name is Patrick, and I have been tinkering with lasers since 1992, with an affinity for laser light shows. I've always loved laser shows, and started building my own projectors and components 25 years ago.
I started off with a 1 milliwatt helium neon laser that I purchased from a classified ad in the back of Popular Science back in early 1992, and the rest as they say is history!
I owned small and medium frame ion lasers (American Laser models 60x and 68b) and worked on light show crews with the big Spectra Physics large frame 3 phase water cooled beasts. I also worked with frequency doubled q switched YAG lasers.
So lasers have always been more or less a hobby for me. Though I did try to make it a career for a long time. And I realized just how difficult and expensive that was to break into.
Today of course we have multi Watt diodes that are available everywhere, and the cost of entry membership in the light show arena has plummeted. The double edge to that sword is that now laser shows are commonplace, and nothing terribly special to most people. nobody really goes out of their way to see them anymore, but they still fascinate me.
None the less, I'm starting to rebuild my arsenal of lasers and Associated effects and intend to start doing them on a small scale once again.
So great to be here and thanks for everyone's insight and advise they offer in these forums. I consider this website to be an invaluable resource of information.
