# Will it set a bug on fire?



## GTSECC (Aug 24, 2009)

I think it would be cool to have a laser powerful enough to set a bug on fire

That would be a lot better than bug spray or a fly swatter. I suppose the down side is that the laser might catch the room on fire. So, then you need a computer video tracking/aiming/firing system, but i think it is doable.


----------



## john lawson (Aug 25, 2009)

I bet my RPL 375 would smoke a bug pretty quick :naughty:
not that I've ever tried it


----------



## qwertyydude (Aug 25, 2009)

Electronic fly swatters, the kind that look like tennis racquets, work pretty good too. Trying to aim a laser to hit a bug will just make it fly away when it hits. Unless you have something that can burst it into flames in which case you'll probably burn holes in whatever you point it at.


----------



## GTSECC (Aug 25, 2009)

qwertyydude said:


> Electronic fly swatters, the kind that look like tennis racquets, work pretty good too. Trying to aim a laser to hit a bug will just make it fly away when it hits. Unless you have something that can burst it into flames in which case you'll probably burn holes in whatever you point it at.


That would be cool wouldn't it? :devil:


----------



## Illum (Aug 25, 2009)

I've "ticked off" horsefly's before using a 5mw





Mean buggers, apparently their compound eyes are more sensitive to this sort of things than other insects, which showed virtually no reaction to getting hit in the face by a laser. 

I prefer to corner pesky insects on walls and hit it with a mag85 or equivalent until there's a protein stench. Occasionally it would seem someone stenciled the shape of a bug on your drywall...

While the topic hints fun and trivia, I'm not all too confident about it being considered safe for work in a public forum...


----------



## bshanahan14rulz (Aug 25, 2009)

I dunno, the girls here at work don't feel safe unless the buggies get killed...
so sounds pretty safe for work to me


----------



## alpg88 (Aug 25, 2009)

just use vaccum cleaner


----------



## Illum (Aug 25, 2009)

bshanahan14rulz said:


> I dunno, the girls here at work don't feel safe unless the buggies get killed...



sounds familiar...
Back when I work at the public library I take up the task of trapping/cornering lizards and wolf spiders [and an occasional regal jumper that clanged on a patrons clothing from the rear garden] and humanely dispose of them back into the wild. Stomping on spiders doesn't sound too humane to me at all:shrug:


----------



## allthatwhichis (Aug 25, 2009)

I had a wolfy spider the size of my palm, with legs, crawl across my wall one night, way up top, and when it reached the other wall, which I project my 1W RGB onto; I couldn't help myself. I was making a show anyway; I made a full 1 watt white beam and tried to take him out.  didn't do a damn thing to it... Well seemed to **** it off a bit and I ended up chasing him across "that" wall to a third and he went behind a box. 5 minutes later I saw him again and he was on the floor crawling right for me. I stomped on him... humanely. :candle:


----------



## Illum (Aug 25, 2009)

the Florida Wolf Spider is among the friendliest spiders to meet...




they may look intimidating but...they're more scared of you than you should be of them

Some kids go nuts thinking this little crab orbweaver is poisonous but gee...how bad could they be? 




rarely do we manage to trap a banana spider in the library but there was at least one case where we brought it in from a potted plant


----------



## Oznog (Aug 25, 2009)

Scientists build anti-mosquito laser:
http://www.physorg.com/news156423566.html

Now THAT'S great. I thought about the idea years ago but implementing it is difficult. It really shouldn't take much energy to destroy a mosquito, simply disabling its wings is certain death. And a laser can do it quickly, and at range. The targeting system for hitting such a small target is sure to be tricky. The safety of anyone downrange when a burst is fired seems impossible to guarantee. 

I suppose you could have a large divergent-convergent lens so that the beam only converges at one target point and is too diverged further out to present an eye safety hazard.


----------



## Freeze_XJ (Aug 26, 2009)

Then you'd need a whole optics set to converge the laserbeam at exactly the right place, and some kind of tracing thing to keep track of the insect/rodent. I think simply luring the mosquitos to a warm place (with 220V on it) works better. However, if you get a chance, just wait for the mosquito to sit down, and hit it with your laser. A cheapy 5mW doesn't work


----------



## allthatwhichis (Aug 26, 2009)

Freeze_XJ said:


> Then you'd need a whole optics set to converge the laserbeam at exactly the right place


 
I have to disagree with this point. A 100mW blu-ray in an Aixiz host can be focused to a nice point that will burn _very_ nicely across a whole room with only the optic included in the host. You'd just need a fast motor to twist the lense fast enough and again the tracking system... :tinfoil:


----------



## GTSECC (Aug 26, 2009)

allthatwhichis said:


> I have to disagree with this point. A 100mW blu-ray in an Aixiz host can be focused to a nice point that will burn _very_ nicely across a whole room with only the optic included in the host. You'd just need a fast motor to twist the lense fast enough and again the tracking system... :tinfoil:


Is there an Android or iPhone app for that yet?


----------



## bshanahan14rulz (Aug 27, 2009)

well, if you had two lasers, neither powerful enough to do anything by themselves but together put enough energy to sizzle something, you'd fry mosquitos and just shine light on anything behind it.


----------



## Illum (Aug 27, 2009)

bshanahan14rulz said:


> well, if you had two lasers, neither powerful enough to do anything by themselves but together put enough energy to sizzle something, you'd fry mosquitoes and just shine light on anything behind it.



I was quite disappointed when I crossed three lasers on three axises and nothing happened...I was hoping for a mess of laser photons to fly all over the place or the spot in midair becoming brighter...I guess even coherent light doesn't compliment each other


----------



## bshanahan14rulz (Aug 28, 2009)

ahh, dag. I was thinking maybe it would be like how they make those acrylic chunks with 3d images inside, but that's probably something special they use in the acrylic or something that does something to the laser (highly scientific terms: does something)


----------



## Oznog (Sep 1, 2009)

Illum said:


> I was quite disappointed when I crossed three lasers on three axises and nothing happened...I was hoping for a mess of laser photons to fly all over the place or the spot in midair becoming brighter...I guess even coherent light doesn't compliment each other



DON'T CROSS THE STREAMS!
Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light...


----------



## Oznog (Sep 1, 2009)

allthatwhichis said:


> I have to disagree with this point. A 100mW blu-ray in an Aixiz host can be focused to a nice point that will burn _very_ nicely across a whole room with only the optic included in the host. You'd just need a fast motor to twist the lense fast enough and again the tracking system... :tinfoil:


But that's the problem, it's dangerous to things uprange and downrange. If the beam were like 1" wide at the lens and converged at the target, then diverged, it would only be an _extreme_ eye hazard over the space of a few inches.


----------



## npkeith (Sep 8, 2009)

Information unlimited sells plans or kits to build what is essentially a portable ruby pulse laser - delivers something like 500 joules in the infrared, with a 20-30 second recharge between shots (to charge up the massive bank of capacitors needed to fire the xenon flash tube). It says it runs on AAs, but it doesn't say how many. Will set you back something like $2500 and some assembly is required. Check it out here.


----------



## reptiles (Oct 3, 2009)

Funny how we often have the same ideas. 

I keep a collection of live reptiles and other wee beasties in my home. I don't use any noxious chemicals or bugspray for safety reasons. 

Occasionally these goofy shield-shaped, "stink bugs" get in the house and like to walk along the ceiling --just out of (my) reach. 

They can't be squashed with an extended pole; nor taken in via a vacuum cleaner because they will emit a defensive stinky substance. 

If anyone knows of a good solution, do advise. PM's ok, as well 

Cheers, 

Mark


----------



## Illum (Oct 3, 2009)

not too sure about stinkbugs, but an occasional wasp or bee in the house I would proceed to turn all the lights out and keep a CFL on, the little guy will fly toward it [I'm guessing UV?] and I would take the canned air out and shoot at it. a direct hit and it'll fall semi-paralyzed. put it on the broom pan and set it outside, when the internal temperature returns, it'll regain energy again 

I dunno if stinkbugs would appreciate the humane efforts. 
might want to tilt the canned air upside down when you do spray it, I find it useful putting out fires on my work bench from stuff overheating


----------



## spencer (Oct 3, 2009)

Illum said:


> might want to tilt the canned air upside down when you do spray it, I find it useful putting out fires on my work bench from stuff overheating


Thats funny. Spoken like a true tinkerer.


----------



## Ryanmart96 (Oct 15, 2009)

allthatwhichis said:


> I had a wolfy spider the size of my palm, with legs, crawl across my wall one night, way up top, and when it reached the other wall, which I project my 1W RGB onto; I couldn't help myself. I was making a show anyway; I made a full 1 watt white beam and tried to take him out.  didn't do a damn thing to it... Well seemed to **** it off a bit and I ended up chasing him across "that" wall to a third and he went behind a box. 5 minutes later I saw him again and he was on the floor crawling right for me. I stomped on him... humanely. :candle:



Well i don't think it would do anythink its a 1mw but good fast thinking


----------



## mattmagic100 (Nov 10, 2009)

i think iv burned an ant with my 200mW from o-like one time. i saw it just collapse and then i just buried it because i felt bad.


----------



## C-Beam (Nov 28, 2009)

I damaged the wings of a house fly bad enough it couldn't fly with a 200mw 635, but it took some skill with collimating for the range. Obviously it was only when he landed. I bet with a 400mW and good focus you could do it quickly.


----------



## dynamicvelocity (Dec 7, 2009)

mattmagic100 said:


> i think iv burned an ant with my 200mW from o-like one time. i saw it just collapse and then i just *buried it *because i felt bad.



lol Tiny grave stone... "Here Lies Joe..."


----------



## allthatwhichis (Dec 9, 2009)

Ryanmart96 said:


> Well i don't think it would do anythink its a 1mw but good fast thinking


 

No, not 1mW... 1 Watt, 1000mW... http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7089


----------



## [email protected] (Dec 9, 2009)

Oznog said:


> DON'T CROSS THE STREAMS!
> Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light...









What's with all the intent to fry bugs with Lasers?


----------



## C-Beam (Dec 9, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> What's with all the intent to fry bugs with Lasers?


 
It's fun. 

And I'm lazy. I don't want to get out of my chair. I want to power up my beams.


----------

