jl88 Posted March 11, 2014 Posted March 11, 2014 Currently in thailand on a holiday and saw some supposedly 2,000,000mw (obviously rubbish) blue laser pointers. They run off 2 lithium batteies and can easily burn through paper and plastic. I have only seen this at a close distance though, haven't tried any further. What I'm asking is has any one thought of using these to test new compositions from a much safer distance, particularly for flash or other high power compositions. Seems it could be far safer as there is no fuse to light and the fuse can't jump or move etc... Also I am aware of the legalities bringing one of these back, but it seemed like an interesting topic...
Gunzway Posted March 11, 2014 Posted March 11, 2014 I've seen the topic brought up in the past, and I think I might have seen it on the old APC board before it died. The short answer is that the idea isn't great and there's no advantage to do so apart from maybe the novelty factor, sorry to say. The distance would be pretty short for it to work and a piece of nichrome wire or ematch underneath the composition would be much safer and more reliable.
ddewees Posted March 11, 2014 Posted March 11, 2014 I've messed around with this idea, and you can get it to work from long distances using a lens near the target. Here's a few of my experiments... the last one included a surprise guest. Like others have said though, it's not very effective... it's mostly for fun. [Video] [Video] [Video]
Arthur Posted March 11, 2014 Posted March 11, 2014 100m of twin flex may well be cheaper and more reliable.
BurritoBandito Posted March 11, 2014 Posted March 11, 2014 "That's a freakin' explosive device man"... Too funny. Maybe you need a different test site? I remember discussing using laserpointers as an ignition source with another member (Translucent Dragon). As cool as it is for novelty purposes, I don't think there is much practical application. The effort in alignment and cost of all the lasers needed to do a full show would quickly add up.
Arthur Posted March 11, 2014 Posted March 11, 2014 There is also the issue of collateral damage from the laser. If the laser is reflected into a camera lens the chip may be killed, if the beam reaches a human eye then visual impairment is certain.
jl88 Posted March 12, 2014 Author Posted March 12, 2014 I can't believe you weren't locked up for that ddewees! But was very funny :-) Didn't really mean for the long range things, although I see it is possible, just not practical. I know that I am constantly testing new compositions, most of which I am cautious of. So to ignite them I usually burn an insense stick and use that or a piece of thermalite if I'm quite unsure, but to simply stand a few meters away and shine it directly on seemed more reliable, more safe and easier to use.
nater Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 Openly posting videos with the cops talking to you? That's not really the best representation of our hobby. Grow up.
ddewees Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 I have grown up Nate, it's an old video. Maybe it's time for you to let it go, and give me a break. The cops were very cool with the whole thing and we're mostly interested in the laser. You can see from the video I was out in the middle of nowhere.
taiwanluthiers Posted March 12, 2014 Posted March 12, 2014 Given the cost of the laser... it's a very expensive novelty.
Recommended Posts