- Joined
- Aug 16, 2013
- Messages
- 971
- Points
- 43
First Let me preface this by saying I like the guy, I don't think he's is unintelligent just a bit scatterbrained and a bit ignorant of laser safety.
From the beginning I reinerated how safe one must be with high powered lasers.
For the past 3 weeks I've been going to the local planetarium to see a laser show played to an album like U2, the doors, etc. well I started talking the director Periodically about his lasers-spectra Physics ArKr, scanners and laser in general because he had a couple ebay pens(405 DPSS cheapys). I told him about the hand helds I had been making. He wanted one.
So for his purposes I made a PL520 in a s4 host with an Acrylic lens. It measured 68mW max.
I ASSUMED a middled aged adult at a university and the director/operator of a planetarium with high powered water cooled gas laser would have good safety practices...I was wrong.
While in the lobby there was a large detailed model of the moon. He laughs and says "watch my face!" He points the laser at the moon and before I could yell No no no! I saw an incoherent light cross his face. :tsk: he's says "wow that's bright" obviously the reference was the to reflector left by Apollo 11, 14 & 15.
Ok, he's ok, that was close. I said you really can't do that!
The conversation continued in various directions till we walked over to the Van de Graaff generator. Because the dry air,the arcs were long and Erratic quite impressive. I mentioned "you might not want to have that laser in your pocket- static discharge is the death pill for dio..." POP POP POP. He was holding the wand. the laser lives but only because I recommend he put it out of reach.
In conclusion, I'm glad his eye sight wasn't damaged. Maybe I should have just allowed the Esd to kill the diode but I have faith that in the future this wont happen again because he seems to be the type of person to learn quickly. We see newcomers everyday to the hobby all we can do is try to educate and reinforce that they are not toys.
Cheers friends,
Down with umbrella
From the beginning I reinerated how safe one must be with high powered lasers.
For the past 3 weeks I've been going to the local planetarium to see a laser show played to an album like U2, the doors, etc. well I started talking the director Periodically about his lasers-spectra Physics ArKr, scanners and laser in general because he had a couple ebay pens(405 DPSS cheapys). I told him about the hand helds I had been making. He wanted one.
So for his purposes I made a PL520 in a s4 host with an Acrylic lens. It measured 68mW max.
I ASSUMED a middled aged adult at a university and the director/operator of a planetarium with high powered water cooled gas laser would have good safety practices...I was wrong.
While in the lobby there was a large detailed model of the moon. He laughs and says "watch my face!" He points the laser at the moon and before I could yell No no no! I saw an incoherent light cross his face. :tsk: he's says "wow that's bright" obviously the reference was the to reflector left by Apollo 11, 14 & 15.
Ok, he's ok, that was close. I said you really can't do that!
The conversation continued in various directions till we walked over to the Van de Graaff generator. Because the dry air,the arcs were long and Erratic quite impressive. I mentioned "you might not want to have that laser in your pocket- static discharge is the death pill for dio..." POP POP POP. He was holding the wand. the laser lives but only because I recommend he put it out of reach.
In conclusion, I'm glad his eye sight wasn't damaged. Maybe I should have just allowed the Esd to kill the diode but I have faith that in the future this wont happen again because he seems to be the type of person to learn quickly. We see newcomers everyday to the hobby all we can do is try to educate and reinforce that they are not toys.
Cheers friends,
Down with umbrella
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