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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Greetings from Florida

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Mar 18, 2013
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Hey everyone, I stumbled across this place a few days ago and couldn't resist. I'm 24 and going back to finish school after taking a break to get married and reproduce lol. Anyways, my focus is Engineering because I've always been captivated by how things work. Although I have alot of ground to cover to meet my goals, I love Brian Green, Michio Kaku, Niel Degrasse Tyson, Nikola Tesla, James Watt, ect...
Lately I've been trying to wrap my head around anything from programming to machining and however embarrassing it is to admit my knowledge of circuits and such is very elementary I am very hungry for any information to further myself along.

Maybe it's weird to hear a Florida Boy swooning over optics?

Anyways, I have everything I need to solder except perhaps a helping hand or a magnifying lens. I've also been harvesting all the resistors, capacitors, and ect... (Although pots smaller than 1k ohms don't seem very common?) Looking to sink my teeth into a real project soon. Have messed around with a few 5mw diodes to get practice and have my eyes set on a M140 diode soon, funds permitting.



-Raw
 





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Jun 21, 2012
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Welcome to the forum. Yeah there's lots to be learned here. I would start by reading the stickys because they packed with info for new comers. And 445 is a great wavelength but you might want to start with a 650nm red because if you mess it up you won't be out a fortune.
 
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Oct 5, 2009
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I'm also in the Tampa area sounds like there is a few of us Flordians on LPF
 
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what part of Tampa? im right across from downtown so if you see flashes of green beams in the sky, 99.99% chance its me :wave:
 
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I'm on the other side of the Airport from you, over in Westchase ( kinda by Oldsmar)

I shine my lasers the opposite way, away for the airport...
 
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same here.....shine them towards USF or Brandon/downtown. its neat to shine them on the skyscrapers downtown at like 2am and get reflections from building to building.....ill try and get a picture on a foggy day
 
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Jun 26, 2012
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Welcome to the forums! I would suggest either a red or violet for your first build before jumping straight into the deep end with an M140.
 
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Mar 18, 2013
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Hey! Nice to know you're not terribly far from me. I'm in central Florida down in Ocoee, 'bout 20-30 Miles East of Orlando.

Welcome to the forums! I would suggest either a red or violet for your first build before jumping straight into the deep end with an M140.

Hey, thank you! Now, is that more or less because what Willis had pointed out earlier about not potentially killing a more expensive diode while I get my toes wet?
 
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Hey! Nice to know you're not terribly far from me. I'm in central Florida down in Ocoee, 'bout 20-30 Miles East of Orlando.



Hey, thank you! Now, is that more or less because what Willis had pointed out earlier about not potentially killing a more expensive diode while I get my toes wet?
Pretty much. an LPC-826 diode, is $8. That'll push out 300mW. So that way you'll still have a high powered laser, and if you kill a diode you've only lost $8.
 
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Sounds like a safer route by far. Do you have any experience with DTR's shop? They've got a 650nm with a copper housing for $21(I believe with s/h incl.), I'm not sure how I feel about the acrylic yet but that seems fair. Just trying to find a few site reviews before I take the plunge.
 




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