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arm94

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Dec 31, 2010
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School field trip in 5th grade we went up into the woods for 2 nights to learn about geology and stuff like that. While we were there some of the counselors had them to point out stars. I fell in love right then. 6 years later and my dream has finally come true!
 
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May 4, 2009
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:crackup::crackup::crackup:


In July of 2008, I took my first vacation EVER. I decided to go to California. It seemed like an exciting place since I grew up in Missouri.

While searching for a prostitute in a "low income" neighborhood, I was attacked by a bearded old man I would later come to know as "Dave." This old man smelled horrible and brandished a 200mW red laser pointer, threatening to injure me if I did not cooperate.

Needless to say, I lost my money and got a little butt-hurt. Other than that I made it back to Missouri unscathed, but I've decided not to go to California anymore.
 
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Jan 2, 2009
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Laser shows > DX > Kipkay video > "What Kipkay doesnt tell you" video listing LPFs address.
 

HIMNL9

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May 26, 2009
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..... tripping at the door and falling into them ..... (J/K :p :D)

First time i've seen one, was in the 1975, at school lab (an old ruby unit) ..... from that day, i've decided i HAD to own a laser, first or after ..... and found my first He-Ne tube few time after, in an electronic fair, as used equipment ..... from that day, it was all an excalation :p :D
 

vk2fro

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Nov 30, 2009
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I got started back when I was about 13.

Playing with high voltage and the usual fascinating electronics stuff, got my fair share of zaps.
Saw a lab laser at school, it was a hene. Oatley electronics were selling both potted supplies and kit supplies, along with the laser tubes. I bought a 3mw siemens tube and a kit supply (love DIY).

Then I shoved the whole assembly into a poly pipe and powered it off a 12v alarm battery. Looked very star trekish, but didnt do much except project a red dot.

Then came the argon and sams laser faq. I had an NEC GLG 3030 laser without a power supply. Saving my pennies I built a huge argon supply from 2 500va toroids, a pass bank of 10 2n3055 transistors and an opamp or 2 for current regulation. MkI blew up because I did it on veroboard, but MkII was on proper etched PCB and worked well, then someone stole the laser system out of the club it was operating in (along with the fogger). It did around 40mw singleline, and used a very basic scanner - one axis that moved in time to the music, but back then it was pretty impressive.

Next came my first green - a $30 laser pen off ebay - its dead now but I still have it, and had oodles of fun with it. It would pop balloons and light matches, - was probably overspec, rare for an ebay pointer.

I wanted more power so 2 years ago I saved up a load of cash and bought a 1 watt green module. Had I known now, I would have opted for analogue modulation. That thing burns all sorts of things.

Finally just recently I acquired a laser projector (which is now my main interest in lasers, like Things), and a 445 diode from Dave, and constructed the "ugly duckling", a fairly ugly looking but very capable 1 watt portable module powered by a rc helicopter reciever pack. Yes, laughs all round when you focus the 445 and burn holes in the leaves at the top of a tree. :)

My interest i guess was sparked by the phaser used in star trek.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
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In July of 2008, I took my first vacation EVER. I decided to go to California. It seemed like an exciting place since I grew up in Missouri.

While searching for a prostitute in a "low income" neighborhood, I was attacked by a bearded old man I would later come to know as "Dave." This old man smelled horrible and brandished a 200mW red laser pointer, threatening to injure me if I did not cooperate.

Needless to say, I lost my money and got a little butt-hurt. Other than that I made it back to Missouri unscathed, but I've decided not to go to California anymore.

Daguin? :wave:
 

Jaseth

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Joined
Jan 30, 2009
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1) School trip to Canterbury, England when I was 11 or something. Bought several <1mW pointers from street vendors. I was extremely fascinated with the ability to make a dot appear on a surface far away.
2) Went to loads of concerts and clubs with laser shows and was even more fascinated.
3) About 3 years ago, bought a 30mW greenie.. I think it was from DX, but I may be wrong.
4) (When I really got into lasers) 2 years ago, searched something along the lines of "blue visible beam laser" in google and found LPF. I had found my old greenie and was playing with it, amazed by the slightly visible beam at night. I started thinking about laser shows and the different colours used, and therefore made the search.
Very shortly after joining, I purchased a 6x Romisen 405nm laser from IgorT and was extremely pleased, and then I was hooked. I had read a lot about safety precautions here and handled the laser like it was going to blow up anything I pointed it at. Luckily my mum always told me "lasers will make you go blind", so even before I found this forum I was handling my greenie with some caution.

Seb
 

mod101

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Joined
Sep 6, 2010
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I'll be honest,

I was a fan of Kipkay's videos before i got into lasers, He had a wicked lasers giveaway a while back and that led me to wicked lasers, before choosing to buy a laser I went to wicked lasers forums and someone there sent me here and here I am!
 
Joined
Jan 18, 2011
Messages
27
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0
About 2-3 years ago i was just messing around on the internet and did a search for lasers because i was curious as to where i could get a red laser. Anyway I saw green lasers (I actually thought that i could go to Walmart and get one there). A little searching i figured out i was wrong. after that countless weeks of begging i finally got a Wicked Lasers Core.
 
Joined
Sep 21, 2011
Messages
96
Points
8
I just joined the Site a few days ago.

I "got started " cause I have a little Maxcraft LED Flashlight with a 50 milliwatt red laser on it- OK just kidding it's probably 2 milliwatts - but I wondered how cool it would be to see the beam etc., then learned about green and general power and burning levels and visibility - all in the last 36 hours.

So may pick up a 50 or 100 milliwatt cheapo green and yeah goggles I guess -for reflections.
 




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