vk2fro
0
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2009
- Messages
- 1,304
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- 63
THIS SO MUCH
I had no idea I was gonna have to dish out $150+ to get a laser that simply could burn, and now I'm looking at needing goggles too. I'd expect it to be a bit of plastic (almost free) in a mold (a little cost there) and some dye or film (most expensive part, but still dirt-cheap). Overall, I'd expect them to cost no more than $5-10 to produce, and after brand-name markups and packaging and such I wasn't expecting to have to pay more than $15-20 for goggles.
Then I see something about "the best goggles for under $100" in someone's signature. WFT?!?! I'm already paying an outrageous amount for a laser, and I have to get a special battery, and a special charger, and now you want me to pay another ~$100?? SERIOUSLY??
/rant
Anyways that's how I feel about it. Having something is better than nothing, and just because I'm cutting, say, 90% of costs in this particular aspect of safety doesn't mean I'm cutting 90% of the safety. Common sense doesn't come with the goggles, they are merely a tool to apply common sense. And, common sense is free, and advice is (usually) free as well.
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On that note, I will definitely buy a pair of these if I get a burning laser.
Sensible. You only get one set of eyes.
Lets look at it another way. I'm building a projector. Now besides being probably the most dangerous laser toy to be near with the top open and the lasers going, I'll be getting some of these for others nearby, but myself I'll get the more expensive ones I know I can trust when I've got my head down close to adjust it.
I understand goggles may seem expensive. I think its dear too, but its eye safety. Like a shooters hearing protection, or a welders face sheild, it only take one time not wearing them, and the accident happens and then your deaf/blind/burned in the face.
Now what DOES crap me off is the cost of decent dacs for a projector. The dac is what draws all the beams and graphics from the computer connected to it. The good one is $600 (quick show). Now that *IS* expensive. Its just a black box and software. It doesn't protect your eyes, it doesnt burn stuff, and I dont think it even has blinky lights. However without it, unless you have a crappy internal show card, your laser projector is about as useful as tits on a bull.
You can build the soundcard dac but it has issues on windows 7. Then theres the riya and etherdreams (and other dacs... hell I already have a frame streamer). But the box is worth about $60. Its the software features I want. So I gotta pay for them.
Back to eye saftey: A pair of goggles recommended here is better than none. OEM laser goggles are the top dog in protection, but they come at a stupidly high price (about $130 for certain pairs). The glasses mentioned here are a blessing - not only do they protect your eyes from stray lasers, they also dont burn a big hole in your wallet (unless you do it with your laser)
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