Budget 1W laser display

[i.elgamal]

Hello everyone.

I'm new to the forum. I'm very interested in buying a laser display with ILDA and and analog modulation. The one I've found that perfectly fits my needs is the LaserCube. However, I was wondering if there is a known cheaper alternative with roughly the same specs? I read that brandless projectors from China are unreliable, but I'm hoping there's other options in-between. This projector will mostly be used indoor for graphic display, so programmability is very important to me.

 

[icecruncher]

Realistically, quality laser projectors are not cheap and you mostly get what you pay for, the Lasercube is on the lower end of the pole. A set of high quality scanners will run more than the Lasercube. (Compact 506 are $1295 list). The scanners are the main part of the laser projector. Saturns are $2495.00, just for the scanners, nothing else.

If you get a Chinese projector make sure it is analog modulation and supports ILDA.
I would suggest PT-40 or DT-40 or the wide version of them for scanners
If it is for your home, you do not need more than 1 watt of power, you will only end up turning it down
Shoot for all diodes, 635-638nm red, 520nm green and 440-450nm blue.
If you can view it, check out how well the projector produces yellows, as they are usually harder to get right.

Keep in mind to get beyond what Is built in, you not only have the projector but also need the software and DAC.
(for more info, you might also look at the etherdream and flashback DACs, along with LSX software and pangolin quick show)

If you are concerned mostly with price, ask Hakzaw, he usually can get a decent deal on a Chinese projector and he has been here forever.

 

[i.elgamal]

H

Realistically, quality laser projectors are not cheap and you mostly get what you pay for, the Lasercube is on the lower end of the pole. A set of high quality scanners will run more than the Lasercube. (Compact 506 are $1295 list). The scanners are the main part of the laser projector. Saturns are $2495.00, just for the scanners, nothing else.

If you get a Chinese projector make sure it is analog modulation and supports ILDA.
I would suggest PT-40 or DT-40 or the wide version of them for scanners
If it is for your home, you do not need more than 1 watt of power, you will only end up turning it down
Shoot for all diodes, 635-638nm red, 520nm green and 440-450nm blue.
If you can view it, check out the yellows, as they are usually harder to get right.

Keep in mind to get beyond what Is built in, you not only have the projector but also need the software and DAC.
(for more info, you might also look at the etherdream and flashback DACs, along with LSX software and pangolin quick show)

If you are concerned mostly with price, ask Hakzaw, he usually can get a decent deal on a Chinese projector and he has been here forever.

Thanks for the detailed reply. I realize that I am looking at low-end devices. As I said, this is only for initial experimentation. So really, my total budget cannot be above 500 usd. I found this v-show 1-watt projector for 280 usd which is analog and has ILDA on Alibaba, (25kpps, 30 degrees scan).

But I would still need a DAC and software like you said, which would cost me a minimum of 200 dollars, right? I know of the Helios DAC, that's the cheapest I could find. Now I'm honestly considering just getting the LaserCube; it doesn't need a DAC and the LaserOS seems like it's good enough for the job for now. What do you think?

 

[gazer101]

If you're techy, you could try building your own laser projector. But the hours it would take you to do it (assuming you would have spent that time working a job instead) would probably be worth >$500

 

[hakzaw1]

thanks for the kind words.
alibaba does not have a good rep here--some vendors insult our intellegence. like '500 miles' and 500,000 mW from a [pointer] [2X aaa]
You must match your DAC with your soft-- Few if any can be used with all softs.
Quick Show is very popular and due to newer versions the price of it and the DAC=--FB3 has dropped for used parts. WE had lots of happy campers with LaserKing projectors-most buyers went with FB3/QS.

A less 'techy' systems have SD card slots- what you put on the card is what you see displayed.
Avoid I-Show--hardly anyone liked it.
The PJ must have ILDA connection ability. Some have that and SD card.

You should check out the lasershow forum-- a greater number of members are not Pointer buyers or builders. The build projectors.
You can search and read for a week and still not see that is there.

more soon

 

[hakzaw1]

---Because you failed to finnish your profile --one good solution is not 'do-able' You could get with a member to get hands-on help --but we have no clue where you are--we have great members world-wide. WE are happuy to help AND will use our LPMs to meter any lasers that you like--we could be living near but-- no location in your profie means no hands-on help/..ALSO go the the welcome/newcomers section- READ--


see what other new members have done BEFORE asking for help-- Not maditory BUT doing an intro shows respect for this forum AND if you had a location in the title of your intro--guess what? its rare that nobody is near these new members-- another thing is the LEMs
--these gatherings happen all the time world-wide-- search 'SELEM Lasershow' and see what you missed at 13 events --SELEM. w/o the LEMs I would have never met most of the 100 members/families/friends that I have had the pleasure to meet in person--sometimes staying overnight-or a weekend-- its your call-
BTW your budget makes the possibility of you being happy very low.
even used stuff. bestwishes --good luck
hak in Houston