[Dogbite]

I bought the little party laser over a year ago and finally got around to putting it all together today. It looks much better in person (no black lines) than in the video. It's so wicked in my garage but it's behind my house so i was wondering where and how others use their vortex?

 

[annamarykahn]

a walkway/sidewalk divides up our front yard ... as you walk up to get the treats it is in the back left side ... more towards the front ...

here's a video

you can see it about 1:40

amk

 

[Dogbite]

AMK your yard is unbelievable! and that laser vortex looks killer but for safety can we just shine the laser endlessly into the neighborhood?
I was thinking about making a crypt or mausoleum to put it in but that's going to be a lot of work.

 

[annamarykahn]

thx, dogbite

if you're interested in seeing more check out => https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmHjtg9XUQnVRCr_VKozXOA/videos?shelf_id=0&sort=dd&view=0 for more ... some of it is repetitive & the camera keeps going out of focus ...

the laser is 5mw, which is supposed to be safe & the fog does limit how much power gets through

have always wanted a laser vortex & finally 2 years ago had enough time to build one ... most of my time up to then was spent modifying props, making them black light reactive, kewler looking & etc

also since the 5mw laser beam is rotating it isn't in one spot very long so any potential eye damage is also minimized even more, so i'm comfortable that it is extremely safe

amk

 

[Dogbite]

Hey AMK thanks for the info on the laser, mine says it's 50mw so I think I better keep that baby inside something. I just want it to be safe and I hope you know I wasn't implying that your's was not, just trying to learn a little. Thanks Again and I'll check those videos out.
DB

 

[annamarykahn]

Hey AMK thanks for the info on the laser, mine says it's 50mw so I think I better keep that baby inside something. I just want it to be safe and I hope you know I wasn't implying that your's was not, just trying to learn a little. Thanks Again and I'll check those videos out.
DB

no worries ... i didn't even think that you implied that i was being "unsafe" ...

personally, i think that many people are overreacting with lasers ... higher powered lasers are/were used in "rock concerts" ... i'm unaware of any lawsuits ...

you can think of these cheap 5mw lasers like a hand held magnifying glass ... focus the sun on yourself for a brief period & you'll not damage your skin ... but if you hold the focused rays of the sun for a longer period ... well lets say that i've roasted many ants during my youth ... someone determined that 5mw lasers are safe, but that doesn't mean i'm going to point one directly into my eyes

the laser vortex incident power can probably be estimated/calculated by dividing the circumference by the number of dots there are that make up the circumference, & dividing that by the power ... lets say that your vortex has 100 dots, so 5mw/100 = 0.05mw

another good analogy is something like counting how many magnified suns would fit into the area of the magnifying glass ... the same amount of energy from the sun that is falling onto the glass doesn't burn you, well if you stayed out with sunscreen you'd eventually get a sunburn, but if you concentrate that energy into a tiny dot you're well on your way to frying ants ... with a laser vortex, think of the analogy above in reverse, where the vortex is spreading the laser energy over a larger area, thus diluting the laser power ... similarly if you drank strong acid you'd be in trouble, but if you dilute a mouthful it in a 40 gallon drum you'll be ok...

amk

 

[mikeerdas]

a walkway/sidewalk divides up our front yard ... as you walk up to get the treats it is in the back left side ... more towards the front ...

here's a video

you can see it about 1:40

amk

That is one *killer* yard haunt. Great work!

 

[Wolfman]

Dang, AMK, that is impressive! Queen of Black Light indeed, I love it!
This year will be our first attempt at a Laser Vortex. It will be set up about 35' from the line up, and directed right at the TOT's. I've been having trouble getting the exact amount of fog, I still need to figure out where to place the fogger. But I love the effect.

 

[dpeterson]

The thing about green lasers is that an invisible IR beam is modified to produce the visible light. Being invisible, the eye has no defensive mechanism against staring at any IR energy that might escape from the laser device. Thus, an IR filter is used with better quality devices, to protect against such an eventuality. I agree with what AMK said about the energy being diluted by area, constant motion, fog. I would just make sure that my laser had an IR filter on it; because I figure it is a noble cause not to hurt anyone (at least physically ) with my hauntings, no matter how unlikely that possibility is. #OverEngineer

And *DANG* annamarykahn...that is one over-the-top yard haunt! Well done. Like the use of blacklight and artwork. #AMKGoItGoingOn

 

[mrincredibletou]

I had mine in the garage where we have a short walk through. It was placed on the ground pointing up. Great prop but the fog started messing with my CD players. Once I switch over to MP3 players I'll use it again!

 

[eightcircuits]

last year i put mine in a tunnel as the mouth of the skull. this year not sure yet

 

[annamarykahn]

And *DANG* annamarykahn...that is one over-the-top yard haunt! Well done. Like the use of blacklight and artwork. #AMKGoItGoingOn

dpeterson, everyone, thanks for the compliments

go big or go home, lol

we started off relatively small and just kept growing ... at the point now where i'm only getting props that have a unique look to them ... that they "speak" to me ... always on the lookout for "creepy" looking props ... not into the "blood & guts" stuff ... try to keep everything "kid friendly" and have the creepier/scarier stuff towards the back of each side of the yard ... the porch is probably the most "kid friendly" area, but is still creepy to a lesser degree

last year had 2 lasers, the vortex and a low line that the tots had to walk through to get their treat ... thinking of adding more lasers this year as the effect with the fog is just so cool

a cheap way to get a line out of the dot that the laser produces is to put a glass cylinder if front ... i use glass stir rods that i got from amazon and just snap them into appropriate lengths & glue them onto the front of the modified, (removed the diffraction gratings and unplugged the red laser and motor) holiday laser box thingy

probably the most unique "props" that i use are the shower curtains with images printed on them ... the white base material of the shower curtains is black light reactive, which i accidentally discovered years ago , works extremely well with images that have a lot of white in them

amk

 

[Vailen]

I just read this thread and was hoping to ask a few questions about the vortex.

I want to create one this year that will be projected into a 16-ft long by 8-ft high "haunted tunnel". Ideally, the entirely enclosed, dark tunnel will turn into a rotating vortex. I understand the process of reflecting the laser off a rotating mirror and using fog to see the effects.

Where I need help is the laser itself. I do not want to use the common laser pointer. I have read many posts on how that will not work well. I am willing to invest in a decent laser but I do not know what to buy. I have seen lasers by Chauvet, American DJ, etc., that produce many patterns and have green, red, and possibly other colors as well. But can those models be aimed at a rotating mirror to achieve the vortex effect?

When you have a chance, I would deeply appreciate your feedback and recommendations for purchasing a laser based on the following criteria:

(1) AC-powered laser
(2) not overly powerful whereby I have to worry about safety (e.g., a 500 mW laser would be far too powerful and very dangerous)
(3) Has a built-in infrared (IR) filter (for added safety)

I do not wish to convert a battery-powered laser pointer to AC-powered using an inverter. The problem with laser pointers is that they are not designed to stay on continuously for a long period of time.

Can you provide recommendations and/or links? Once I am confident I have a laser to work with I can plan for this project during the summer.

Thanks!

 

[stretchnuts]

I have mine behind my 3 axis skull greeter at the Cemetery gates!