Reke 09RGB

Hello,
I recently bought a Reke 09RGB Laser for about $200. I was hoping to have a decent entry level Colored laser to add to my small lighting rig. This is a 450mW RGB laser with a stepper motor, I believe. IT does not use ILDA. I use a chauvet obey 40 to control my fixtures via DMX and have never had a problem before.
With this laser I can't seem to address it properly, or it simply doesn't work via dmx.
When I have the laser daisy chained with my other fixtures I lose control of everything.
when I just have the laser plugged into the obey 40 I still cannot control the unit via dmx, I've tried using multiple addresses. I also flip the switch on the back of the obey 40 ( I believe this changes the polarity) and nothing happens.
The manual for the laser says that to address DMX dipswitches 1 and 10 need to be set to off, then use 2-9 to address.
I found it odd for 1 to be off, meaning I could never address the fixture to "1".
The obey 40 sets its fixture buttons at 16 channels apart. Is there an incompatibility here?

I was eventually going to upgrade to freestyler, but if the problem here is with the laser itself and not an error I'm making I may return the laser. (although I'm sure I'd have to pay shipping and really would rather just be able to control this laser via DMX)

this thread would have helped you more before you choose this PJ.

http://laserpointerforums.com/f47/reke-450-rgb-anyone-tried-74879.html

you best source of help outside any forum members would be from the maker rekelaser... however at Reke and the re-sellers site you will find a lot of errors and the language barrier can be a roadblock on itself. Be sure to use short simple sentences and avoid too many abbreviations. Sales Rep. Lucy may be the best there to get you some answers.

You may need to settle for sound reactive and just let the built-in beams do what they can.... For only a little more you could have gotten a reke w/ ILDA( & DMX afaik)--and until you can afford the best like QuickShow Pangolin just use the free SW out there. Sending you an invite to a PJ social group. GL---hak

sweets said:

Hello,
I recently bought a Reke 09RGB Laser for about $200. I was hoping to have a decent entry level Colored laser to add to my small lighting rig. This is a 450mW RGB laser with a stepper motor, I believe. IT does not use ILDA. I use a chauvet obey 40 to control my fixtures via DMX and have never had a problem before.
With this laser I can't seem to address it properly, or it simply doesn't work via dmx.
When I have the laser daisy chained with my other fixtures I lose control of everything.
when I just have the laser plugged into the obey 40 I still cannot control the unit via dmx, I've tried using multiple addresses. I also flip the switch on the back of the obey 40 ( I believe this changes the polarity) and nothing happens.
The manual for the laser says that to address DMX dipswitches 1 and 10 need to be set to off, then use 2-9 to address.
I found it odd for 1 to be off, meaning I could never address the fixture to "1".
The obey 40 sets its fixture buttons at 16 channels apart. Is there an incompatibility here?

I was eventually going to upgrade to freestyler, but if the problem here is with the laser itself and not an error I'm making I may return the laser. (although I'm sure I'd have to pay shipping and really would rather just be able to control this laser via DMX)

Click to expand...

I have used my Reke 500RGB with both Freestyler and an Eliminator DMX DJ. They worked fine. IIRC, switches 1-9 are address, and you switch 10 on for DMX mode.

EDIT: Switch 10 is DMX on, so flipping 1 and 10 up would turn DMX on, starting at channel 1, at least on the 500RGB

Thank you for the replies.
I had read that information after the fact, I wish I would have done so before purchasing.
I had read the information about the Reke 500rgb and compared the scans of the manual to my manual and they are different. I tried following both manuals just in case mine had a typo to no avail.
what gets me is that if I plug the laser into the end of my dmx daisy chain I lose control of ALL my lights regardless of the setting of the laser.
Also curious to know that if I had a fixture like this, that seemingly the "1" switch isnt functioning. Does that make it incompatible with my obey 40, since the fixtures are all 16 channels apart?

Sweets, can you please confirm if the blue on the Reke 09RGB is 473 or 445nm?

Yeah, I'd like to know that too, to finally put this blue laser subject to rest.

sweets said:

Thank you for the replies.
I had read that information after the fact, I wish I would have done so before purchasing.
I had read the information about the Reke 500rgb and compared the scans of the manual to my manual and they are different. I tried following both manuals just in case mine had a typo to no avail.
what gets me is that if I plug the laser into the end of my dmx daisy chain I lose control of ALL my lights regardless of the setting of the laser.
Also curious to know that if I had a fixture like this, that seemingly the "1" switch isnt functioning. Does that make it incompatible with my obey 40, since the fixtures are all 16 channels apart?

Click to expand...

It is compatible. It may not be user friendly (ex: not enough sliders per "page"), but they are compatible. It is odd that you loose control of all of your fixtures.

EDIT: if you think you know what you are doing, you could pop it open and see if anything is loose.

I'm going to attempt to open it.
Will the 473nm or 445nm be printed on the diode/unit somewhere?

sweets said:

I'm going to attempt to open it.
Will the 473nm or 445nm be printed on the diode/unit somewhere?

Click to expand...

Generally it's very easy to see the difference between the two, without opening.

445nm appears as more of a dark blue color, while 473nm is a lighter blue.

I'll find some pictures in a second.

Here the colors are 473nm, 445nm, and 405nm:


Here are some more; 405, 445, 473, 532, and 650:


And here the 473 is the middle beam:

sweets said:

I'm going to attempt to open it.
Will the 473nm or 445nm be printed on the diode/unit somewhere?

Click to expand...

It should be on the module. http://laserpointerforums.com/f52/r...ius-projectorus-cheapus-65851.html#post945799 has pictures of a 500RGB taken apart.

Jacob32123 said:

It should be on the module. http://laserpointerforums.com/f52/r...ius-projectorus-cheapus-65851.html#post945799 has pictures of a 500RGB taken apart.

Click to expand...

GOOD CATCH! +1

InfinitusEquitas said:

GOOD CATCH! +1

<image removed>

Click to expand...

Reke sells 473nm modules on their site, so they may be putting them in projectors now. 50mW 473nm Module - Shenzhen RekeLaser Technology CO.,Ltd

Well, I don't have any 473nm, so for me, this PJ would be worth it just for the 473... even just running it off of sound

Everything so far seems to indicate that it is actually 473nm. Of course we are talking about chinese products... so that may not mean much.

There's just not much good info on those projectors. Most are from that same datasheet.

I was thinking that the cited power rating--"Red 300mw, Green 50mw, and Blue 100mw" from here--might indicate that the laser is actually a 473nm because 445nm would be hard to keep to such a low power and the low visibility of the wavelength would make it better to just outright set it to something like 400mW like the 500RGB. At the same time though, the stated specs don't always match the actual insides. Some other projector I bought had a more beefy red and green, and the blue was about 50-100mW higher.

The photos on the websites like DD's don't indicate much either as the color reproduction could be off, and some shots appear to have a darker blue rather than the more cyan color from 473nm. The videos are equally as poor in color reproduction.

So I hope someone finally resolves all this. It would be nice to get even a shitty "100mW" 473nm laser for $200 with the other parts. However, it'd make me wonder why 473nm lasers haven't sprung up all all over the place if they're inside a $200 stepper projector.

So I opened the thing up. I dont really have a good camera so I didnt take pics.
There are no stickers or markings on the diodes or modules to indicate the color, or if there are, they are on the sides that are glued down.
There were also no obvious disconnected wires or cold solder joints save for one red wire coming from the Power supply, ground possibly?
As far as the color goes, bionic badger is right about color reproduction in pictures because the blue of this laser doesn't match any of the ones in the picture.
It is closest to the 473nm in the second picture. I'd call it "true blue" its not a faded blue at all.
That being said, with the auto programs it uses very little of that color. there is only one program that uses it by itself. Most of the blue that it projects is a combination of colors creating a sky blue type color.
The laser is pretty bright, in my opinion. It is visible with my color strip mini's on, though it looks best when its a bit darker.
I'm seriously thinking the unit is defective in the DMX department. Also the internal mic doesnt seem to do anything.
I'm thinking I'll try to find a remote controlled power strip and tape that to my truss, plug the laser into that.
That way at least I can turn it on and off. Maybe after a few gigs I can buy a better projector. Probably a 500mW shinp animation laser, my friend has two of those and loves them.
Unless anyone has a better suggestion for a good entry level laser for under $500.

How would you describe the color for that 1 program where blue is the only laser lid? a 445nm with just a splash of green mixed in makes a color very close (visually) to 473nm. See this shot for instance which I made of a 445 with a bit of 532 mixed in



Compared to a regular 445nm it is way more "sky" blue.

The picture below is pure 650 and 445



EDIT: You could try to block the red and green and see if the color changes on the blue laser. It could be a blue green mix that makes a light blue. When looking at the link posted further up for the 470nm that Reke sells I am amazed at the level of shittyness their website has, and to me that color which should be 470 looks an awful lot like 445. Perhaps they just couldnt be bothered to upload correct pictures for their productline.