Post your pics of unique builds no-one else has

[icecruncher]

Second LS assessment. What was mentioned IS pretty amazing though and it looks like all the issues will be worked out with it. When I first hit 1000/year it was very disappointing as it was just vets complaining a lot about other members.

1000 a year - WOW!

I'm getting close to the first 1000 ----- ONLY Took me 7+ years :wave:

You mean there is no secret handshake and free box of lasers when you get there - VERY DISAPPOINTING
Then people wonder why I don't post more of my stuff .....

My wife piped up and said "Wheres the balloons, wheres the confetti, there should at least be cake!"

 

[Lifetime17]

hi Pman,
I would but I have no idea how to post pics I have some awesome builds.

 

[marcuspeh]

hi Pman,
I would but I have no idea how to post pics I have some awesome builds.

Firstly, upload your picture to a photo hosting website like photobucket. Then click on the upload image button and paste the link to the photo

 

[Pi R Squared]

1000 a year - WOW!

I'm getting close to the first 1000 ----- ONLY Took me 7+ years :wave:

You mean there is no secret handshake and free box of lasers when you get there - VERY DISAPPOINTING
Then people wonder why I don't post more of my stuff .....

My wife piped up and said "Wheres the balloons, wheres the confetti, there should at least be cake!"

Tell your wife not to worry, you will be able to have your cake and eat it too. :bday::crackup:

LPF is a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky. We will keep LPF moving forward, always forward for a better LPF, for an endless enduring dream and a thousand points of light.

Some of you may be old enough to see that I adapted the above words from a famous speech made 27 years ago. It seemed appropriate to apply it to LPF.

Alan

 

[Pman]

Actually I didn't mean a 1000 posts a year but 1000 posts and a year to meet the requirements for Vet status Now that I think about it though I think I made a 1000 posts a month before a year was up. Just happened as I was way into putting units together when I first joined and tried to give back as much as I could with my own ideas (see my Sig links). Back then I was able to afford to give lots of stuff away and I was an inexpensive way over-spec 532nm module (and 405/532/650 pen modifying) building machine

 

[ricktrent4]

I think mine would have to be the 5W 465nm Photino, both because of the host and the crazy power to size ratio, but also the rarity of the diode (I don't think it has been used in other builds yet).

Have you tested it on LPM?
were did you get the diode?

 

[crazyspaz]

You aren't really missing much. The thing isn't
ready for prime time yet. The vets section is
pretty bo-ring.

Seconded. It may have been more exciting when there were more active members, but there's hardly a new post now. RHD's project is pretty dang sweet though.

 

[Alaskan]

I call this "The big one" It has a 8 inch/200mm PCX lens as a beam expander.
This mod looks similar to the 6 inch diameter expander I built before which also has an aluminum cone, but this one is sooo much heavier I had to have a forward handle:

Next I need to find a cone to mount my 12 inch diameter PCX lens in for a totally insane build.

 

[Lifetime17]

Hi,
Here is some of the builds i did like to contribute some pics, enjoy folks...

Rich

 

[Laser Chick]

What a range of builds posted here. From hilarious = rubber ducky and mustard bottle to massive to butt ugly to highly polished works of art!
It appears that Alaskan subscribes to "go big or go home"

Nice builds everyone!!! :gj:

 

[Alaskan]

RedCB, I will gladly PM my address to you for your three module host
On my big laser, I don't like it to be so large but if you want ultra low divergence, you have to expand the beam that much, at least, for the higher power MM laser diodes. Single mode diodes don't need so much expansion, I could probably use a lens 1/3 the size or less for the same amount of divergence as this big lens allows with my multimode diode, but they are not as bright as I like to see.

 

[Pi R Squared]

I call this "The big one" It has a 8 inch/200mm PCX lens as a beam expander.
This mod looks similar to the 6 inch diameter expander I built before which also has an aluminum cone, but this one is sooo much heavier I had to have a forward handle:

Next I need to find a cone to mount my 12 inch diameter PCX lens in for a totally insane build.

Whenever I see one of your photos I have to wonder if anything ever shows up in your local press about strange lights in the sky, or would people just mistake it for the aurora?:crackup: Have any of your neighbors ever come over to ask you about it?

Alan

 

[Alaskan]

I've wondered that too, but the periods of time I use it are so random and short, if a car starts coming down the street towards me I stop using it. I did have some kids down the block start yelling "point it at me!" once, that isn't going to happen, also a neighbor across the street was sitting on his porch and yelled over asking me to point it at him, or into a neighbors window, that isn't going to happen either. If people start watching me, I put it away.

Edit: I also suspect our laser beams are not that noticeable at a distance, unless pointed your way. Maybe I'm wrong, wish I knew, I don't know a soul into lasers up here in Alaska to have them look for me, or for me to drive a distance a way and look for myself.

 

[RedCowboy]

The further you are away from a laser beam the harder it is too see it unless its pointed right in your direction.

From the side the beam disappears quickly.

You can conduct experiments to demonstrate this but you must practice safety at all times.


@ Alaskan: I'm probably just going to use 3 x 7875's, I wanted to do 3 x 520's but that gets expensive and burning ability won't be as much.
For 3 x 07E's or 3 x 44's I think I need a third cell to keep runtime up, there is also HEAT and divergence, but 465 looks great.
I really want to do a 3 cell Maglite build with 1 in the center surrounded by 6.
But it will need big fins to stay cool.

Ok I decided and ordered the 7875's , they are still one of my favorite diodes.
I will do a 7 x 520 build later on and I know that fat green beam will look amazing, 1 in the center with 6 around it. :drool:

@ Alaskan: You can secure a laser and walk away perpendicular to it and see where the beam disappears.

 

[Alaskan]

RedCB: ...I just can't decide if I want to use 3 07E's or 3 7875's, I really should use a 3 cell host for 07E's and definitely 3 cells for 3 x NUBM44's.....I was wanting to do 3 520's but that's getting expensive and burning power wont be much.
I really want to do a big one with 7, 1 in the middle surrounded by 6.

Do what I do, start buying parts to do them all! Although better one at a time, it takes forever to buy parts in parallel, so to speak. Thanks for ideas on testing, perhaps someday I will find a volunteer to help.

 

[Smeerworst]

Edmund optics lens inside for 638nm
LED's changed to White.
Some changes to the driver.
Custom tailcap pin
New Glass protective window for 638nm
And to top it off a nice polished finish.