# HomeMade Laser X Y Scanner. Video!



## jtice (Nov 28, 2004)

Been playing around lately making my own laser scanners.
I have 3 so far. 
This one just makes a series of horizontal lines.
Its crude, I know, and even maybe just alittle dangerous hehe
http://www.jtice.com/home_movs/laser/cork_mirror_horz-scan.wmv

This one makes a nice perfect circle.
The mirror is stuck onto the center of a fan at a slight angle.
http://www.jtice.com/home_movs/laser/circle_fan2.AVI

THIS one is the coolest one though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
One speaker is setup as the X scanner, and the other the Y scanner, add music, and you have yourself a light show!
http://www.jtice.com/home_movs/laser/speaker_XY_scanner.wmv

Does anyone know where I can get a program, that outputs the music tones needed to the speakers, to draw designs and shapes?
I saw it somewhere but cant find it now. You could draw somethign on the computer, and it would output the proper toned to the 2 speakers to make that shape.

~John


----------



## Lasernerd (Nov 28, 2004)

now hook up a sine/square wave generator get two tape decks record individual signals play back ,recording stereo will not work well you need differential signals so two deck two amps you are on your way!
Commodore/Amiga has a simple audio mod to get a differential signal from the built in sound card!
than there is a free on line softaware package LSD1000


----------



## LED_ASAP (Nov 28, 2004)

Cool stuff! You should have a green laser there /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


----------



## jtice (Nov 29, 2004)

Lasernerd, 
Thanks, Ill have to google those tomorow, so, you are saying the program will make my sound card ouptut the tones needed, to make the shapes and designs?

LED_ASAP, A greenie is on the way /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


----------



## Lasernerd (Nov 29, 2004)

clarify a little,
An Amiga 500 can be modded by clipping a few caps on it`s internal sound processor,,
than it`s done..a differnetial source to run open loop circuits,,it`s the cheapest start,,
see if you can find a chart graph or older heart monitor,any type of chart graph that moves pens.
remove the galvos these are most open loop scanners.

A good source for small Argons 100-300mw is lithosetters


----------



## liteglow (Nov 29, 2004)

i also want to make a Galvo scanner !
To comunicate with my PC !
Do not have any amiga.......


----------



## jtice (Nov 29, 2004)

I saw alittle about the Galvos last night. Looks like what I want to use.
How easy would it be to make them work off music? Can I simply pump audio to them as I would a speaker?
I assume its not going to be that easy.

I eventually would love to make a Galvo system that could work off a simple audio input, or be connected to the computer to draw things. But I am not sure what is involved in making a PC interface like that.

I can do just about anything electrical, but I have to be told exactly what to do, in a situation like this.


----------



## Lasernerd (Nov 29, 2004)

Most laser projectors that produce text and animations are
run off a dedicated PC card or off a pc port to hardware
The signal must be differential thats -0+


----------



## jtice (Nov 29, 2004)

So, if I do get any Galvos, I cant feed them audio? I need to find/make a card that outputs differentials. hmmmmm bummer
I saw a few Galvos on Ebay, but nothing with any hardware for the differentials. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
That part of it might be more costly than i had hoped /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Might have to stick with speakers.


----------



## Lasernerd (Nov 30, 2004)

here`s a few picks of a modded sound card
http://groups.msn.com/LaserShowsKES/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=287


----------



## jtice (Nov 30, 2004)

hmmm, while I see what he did there, I dont understand what it does.
Does that allow the soundcard to control the Galvos to the music?
That would be perfect if it did, that, or I need a circuit that will converter audio signals to the proper signals the Galvos run off of.


----------



## Lasernerd (Nov 30, 2004)

That mod will create a 5-7volt - center zero 5-7volt +

instead of the -+ phase..

that sound card mod coupled to the diff. amp open or closed loop feedback scanners will create text and simple animations


----------



## jtice (Nov 30, 2004)

ahhhh cool maybe thats what i need then, I just emailed a guy on ebay, asking him about a Glavo set he has, and said that it took 5 to 10V inputs ! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Is that ALL you have to so, jumper those places?

Here are a couple I am looking at...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3856675532
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3856662061
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4660&item=3854736283&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW


----------



## Lasernerd (Nov 30, 2004)

exactly!
except the last one listed it`s just small stepper types.
With the first one listed simple text and animation can be done


----------



## jtice (Nov 30, 2004)

Great, thanks alot LaserNerd /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
i think Ill bid on that first one then.

Now, for the last piece of the puzzle,,,
Do you know any software I can use, in order to output the proper sounds to the soundcard, to make the letters, etc. ?


----------



## Lasernerd (Nov 30, 2004)

I cannot recall any now??
I use LaserMax Laser Show software..
the unit with galvo`s and amp would work swell with the Amiga 500 system.


----------



## WildRice (Nov 30, 2004)

You mentioned that the last one is small stepper motors. I wrote that guy on ebay and he said that they were true galvos. I didn't want to waste mt time asking why then are there 6 wires, just like in a stepper motor. I am glad that someone else cought that.
Jeff


----------



## jtice (Nov 30, 2004)

hmm, just looked up the Amiga 500,,,,,

ummmm, dont mean to be offensive, but, why would that dinosaur be a good choice for this? hehe
Just cuz I could get one cheap, and it would do the trick?
Or is there something speical about it?

----- after looking at the software you mentioned, I see that it only runs on the Amiga machines.

And a site a read, said the Amiga sells for about $600?????????????????/
How can that be right? its OOLLLLLLDDDDDD lol

Is it not possible, for me to just get any sound card, modify it, and use it in any computer?


----------



## Lasernerd (Nov 30, 2004)

It can do tons of true lasershow stuff!!! Highly recomend this for starting off!
You can point the mouse anywhere the beam will follow
do animal animations..
It is the only computer I know of off the shelf that can do lasershows


----------



## jtice (Nov 30, 2004)

Never really thought about the stepping ones, thanks for pointing that out though.
How do the non stepping ones work? The more - or + V, the further - or + they move?

Wow, moving the mouse around like that sounds cooool /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Now, when you say off the shelf, what exactly is different about it from any other computer?
Why cant I use my laptop for this, or an old desktop?

Or, was it actually make to be incorperated with laser shows?


----------



## Lasernerd (Nov 30, 2004)

it is all just the design of the sound processor`s electronics,,
you need to do a simple mod to it.


----------



## Lasernerd (Dec 2, 2004)

here`s an interesting group of home laser show folks
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alphalite_users/


----------



## WildRice (Dec 3, 2004)

here is an idea for some cheap galvos, but a bit to consturct. Take apart an old hard drive (thinner ones better) all that is needed is the swing arm mechanism, magnets,coil, and pivit. The arms with the read/write heads can be cut off at the pivit point. driving it is a bit more complex. One side of the coil needs a sine wave,about 1KHz, and the other side needs A zero offset voltage. The sine wave and 0V will hold the 'scanner' in the center position, as the offset voltage changes, the sine wave will become more positive or negative and cause the arm to move. This is pretty fast, but not like a commericial galvo. But more acurate than a speaker.
Jeff


----------



## liteglow (Dec 9, 2004)

*Check out this awsome laser show BOX *

You got to se this..

awsome made, small and simple /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif 

http://207.150.192.12/temp/rdmazore//djfire/images/lasertoy/


----------



## Quazar (Dec 9, 2004)

*Re: Check out this awsome laser show BOX *

Whats this............................???????????/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif




I seem to have found something in my "Spares Box"/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif





I wonder what it could be? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif








/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif


----------



## jtice (Dec 9, 2004)

*Re: Check out this awsome laser show BOX *

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif you bastid ! Gimme!!! lol

What is needed to control that setup?
Thats what I have a problem with, I can find glavo setups, but not many controlling systems, unless... $$$$$$$$


----------



## Quazar (Dec 9, 2004)

*Re: Check out this awsome laser show BOX *

These will run on a simple +/- 12v signal. Eg sine wave generaror or audio signal, providing you can supply at least 0.5 A current.


----------



## Lasernerd (Dec 9, 2004)

*Re: Check out this awsome laser show BOX *

Wow those are some dinosaurs!


----------



## Quazar (Dec 9, 2004)

*Re: Check out this awsome laser show BOX *

They work much better with the smaller mirrors on them. We put those 40mm mirrors on them to move the beam from a projector with an HTI-150 arc lamp. Silly but fun.


----------



## Lasernerd (Dec 9, 2004)

*Re: Check out this awsome laser show BOX *

How did the Arc light work was there a thick beam?


----------



## Quazar (Dec 9, 2004)

*Re: Check out this awsome laser show BOX *

We had the beam focussed down to approx 0.5", by usung a gobo in the projector. The beam was reasonably parallel which helped. it over ran the second galvo mirror a bit, but worked quite well. Using a fibre source with a built in colour changer would have been interesting if we could find a way of focusing the beam as it left the fibre. Unfortunately we didnt have any of that equipment. 
It was done more for fun than anything else. Mirror movement wes controlled by a DC supply with a couple of wire wound pots to control voltage. Crude but cheap.


----------



## Lasernerd (Dec 9, 2004)

*Re: Check out this awsome laser show BOX *

very cool I would like to have seen a avi of it!


----------



## Ocelot (Dec 9, 2004)

*Re: Check out this awsome laser show BOX *

When I was a kid, I saw laser light shows advertised in Edmund Scientific.

What I did was take some very small mirrors (~0.5 inches on a side), put a thread on them, hang them over a speaker that has balloon rubber pulled over it, then take a regular slide projector with a pinhole slide in it and aim it at the speaker. Run music through the speaker, and you get a cheap light show.

Put more than one mirror on the speaker, and it gets pretty cool.

You can get colors by putting a transparent color coating on the mirrors.

Yeah, it's not using a laser, but it was good for the time.

Scott


----------



## laserandshow (Aug 22, 2006)

following is the effect produced by ours galvos






technical data reference to our website:

contact: nancy

_Do not bump old threads to only advertise.

Thread closed

Unforgiven
_


----------



## allthatwhichis (Aug 22, 2006)

laserandshow said:


> following is the effect produced by ours galvos
> 
> 
> _Advertisement removed._
> ...


 
:wow:

That's 2 OLD threads you've dug up strictly for advertising... You seem reputable... :ironic:


----------

