how to mount a laser projetcor to a tripod?

i am getting a laser projector and it pretty much looks like this: Link below
(this is not the projector that i bought i am just using this as an example) i need to figure out a way on how to mount it to my tripod but i cant seem to come up with any solutions. or any other way that i can mount it besides a dj truss? any suggestions?

Laser projector:
Reaslaser 200mw 30K Green Laser Projector W/ Interface &..


Tripod:
Manfrotto 501HDV Head w/546B 2-Stage Aluminum 501HDV,546BK B&H

i would open it up, take the guts out and screw it to the top of the tripod then reassemble it. but to be honest, i wouldn't mount it on a tripod at all.

michael

Here is my useless post for the day:

Nor would I mount a laser that powerful on a tripod. You are just asking for trouble (i.e. eye damage) as the tripod only goes up to 65" height. You can, however get one of those "Lighting" tripods that mobile DJ's use. These go much taller, and have the T bar on the top that you can use the laser projectors current bracket to attach to, negating the need to fit the proj with a tripod socket.

I dont think a tripod (camera style, even a manfrotto) would have the balls to support the weight of the laser. Most camera's and video gear are fairly well balanced to reduce strain on the tripod mount. Thats why you see wildlife photog's with thier big lenses actually having the lens on the tripod, and the camera hanging off the back (for balance). I would hazard a guess that the laser projector guts are not evenly balanced inside the case. Thats why the bracket is there, to distribute the load across a larger area.

Also the laser weighs 10Kg in the box so lets say for arguments sake the laser projector is 8 kilos in the raw. The tripod you have linked to only supports a max load of 6kg, so your gonna have head creep (tripod head slowly succumbing to gravity) as you have overloaded it by 2 kilos. This of course will result in your laser slowly tilting over, which could be quite hazardous in the eye saftey department.

This is what you are after : http://cars.ebay.com.au/Stage-Light...d-DJ-Rack_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ260684243300 (why its listed on ebay cars is beyond me!)

only if you only have one of the lasers, you would really only want the tripod on the end, not the extra tripod or the centre trussing.

My main goal is to have my projector out my window on the second floor of my house shining beams out of it onto my front lawn. Also I will have beam shows pointing directly out of the window careful not to hit other houses with 150 mw green. I guess I can always angle the projector on a table possibly?

or weigh the laser and get a tripod suitable to support its weight

pointing your projector into open air requires FAA clearance. it can get you into trouble if not. and if you're thinking the will never find you remember that you have lasers pointing at you LoL.

michael

True - but depends where he/she is. However regardless you'd want to be very careful, find out the local laws, and ensure those beams dont go up. Last thing you want is to be striking airplane cockpits with your 150mw laser show.

If I tried shooting my RGB out the window I guarantee you I'd have a visit from the police in short order

im not planning on shining the projector up into the air especially with the output i have. i will mainly have beam shows pointed to the ground from the window above so as its snowing or maybe a little hazy out it will give some nice beams from my upper window onto the front lawn keeping the beams away from any traffic or the sky. i just dont have a big enough area to put in a truss otherwise that would work fine. maybe i can use one of those light tripods that are usually attached to those work lights and make a bracket for the unit to attach to. i already have that same exact light so i wont need to worry about spending a $140 on a light.

Work light: Bayco Heavy-Duty Halogen Work Light: 1,500 Watts

lightman10 said:

im not planning on shining the projector up into the air especially with the output i have. i will mainly have beam shows pointed to the ground from the window above so as its snowing or maybe a little hazy out it will give some nice beams from my upper window onto the front lawn keeping the beams away from any traffic or the sky. i just dont have a big enough area to put in a truss otherwise that would work fine. maybe i can use one of those light tripods that are usually attached to those work lights and make a bracket for the unit to attach to. i already have that same exact light so i wont need to worry about spending a $140 on a light.

Work light: Bayco Heavy-Duty Halogen Work Light: 1,500 Watts

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In the US, you still need FAA 'clearance' to use a laser outside EVEN if the beams are terminated. It may seem like a strict law, but it is rarely enforced if the laser is terminated after a short distance. However, don't expect to be able to legally do a public show without getting the proper clearances.

so i will need to get permission by my association in order to have a laser show outside my house? just out of curiosity what is the need for this permission? it kinda seems like a rhetorical question but is it because of the dangers of the laser hitting someone? or is there more to it?

lightman10 said:

so i will need to get permission by my association in order to have a laser show outside my house? just out of curiosity what is the need for this permission? it kinda seems like a rhetorical question but is it because of the dangers of the laser hitting someone? or is there more to it?

Click to expand...

I am not the person to ask. My knowledge about the legalities of laser shows is very, very limited. Head over to photonlexicon. There are plenty of threads over there about the topic.

However, for just a "Hey neighbors look at my awesome laser projector" show, I don't think you'll run into any trouble :beer:

Yeah all I want to do is just to show people the cool effects I can create. I hope I don't get a visit from the police..however if I'm having beams hitting my front lawn at 150mw maybe I should block the yard off with caution tape or something to prevent people from going on the lawn looking up into the beams, just as a safety precaution