Added: 5 years ago
From: Starcross42
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  • problem is when step motor is too slow for well displayed graphics or paterns.how to build galvos 30k?i know this will be precision work but effect will be better than with step motors

  • Also could you use a high speed asilating motor

    Sorry for spelling

  • Could you do a more in depth tutorial about I would really like to make one

  • @Xxaxu1nt there are a number of videos showing how to make a galvo with just a motor. also, an oscillating motor might work but it would have to be driven by an audio source. Enjoy.

  • what kind of engine you use for this projector. Stepper Motors?

  • @marcoandresramirez

    No. it is a galvanometer. 

  • @Starcross42

    A very cheap source of a high precesion and fast galvanometer is a typical hdd... the mechanism that controls the heads...

  • Hello, how do u connect the synthesizer with the galvanometers? I tried with a led connected to the sound out from a yamaha keyboard, more a game stuff than an professional keyboard. And I think the sound wich goes out is not powerfull enough to switch with the sound signal the led on. I hope u understand what i'm typing, i'm from belgium. so, do u have any idea, or comment, to help me. thanks

  • @Aphsinthys You are correct. The output isn't strong enough to deflect your galvos. I send my signal to a small amp and instead of sending it to a speaker it goes to the galvo. Good luck.

  • @Starcross42 Thanks a lot

  • that's so cool, what if i just used a stereo to drive it and played one of my favorite tapes? i'm guessing i would get a similar effect to connecting my stereo to an oscilloscope and if i run my speakers in as well, then i can watch my music while i listen

  • where do i buy galvanometers? and how mutch does it cost?

    can i use other types of motors?

  • @haakon466 Yes. Read some of the other comments. People have given a few sources. I don't need them as I have the real thing.

  • where do i get them?

  • Nice work,

    i'll trying to use a motor like galvanometer, which the minimal frequency to oscillate to the persistence effect?, You think a little DC motor can be work?.

    Regards

  • @lemorlenny A guy has posted a video showing how to do exactly that. I wrote a book a number of years ago describing all of these effects as well as the DC motor trick. A minimum frequency of 24 Hz will produce a line instead of a simple moving dot.

  • interesting!

  • heyy starcross32 . can i use simple small low voltage motors wired to a amplifier as speakers ... i can give the right side a different signal than the left side ! so i get a different Oscillation ... would that work ?? please if you can add me on msn ramy-kh@live.com Thankss alottt

  • @leboss156 Motors WILL work and I have used them successfully. However they 'creep' around in a circle.  You have to come up with some way to 'return' the motor to it's 'home' position. I put little strings of hot glue. You know how when you are hot gluing something you get strands? Well, I connected them from the mirror to the side of the motor. When it cools it offers enough force to allow the motor to move, but to return it back to a set position. Good Luck.

  • @Starcross42 Thanks for your reply what kind mirror movement i need to get those shape in 0:16 ( like the motors axe goes in and out ?? >>> <<<< ^ and down ?? hope u get my point :P

  • @leboss156 The ratio of frequency of one mirror to the other produces all the patters. I am using a keyboard for both inputs so I don't know the exact frequency of each note. Octave difference produces the moving figure 8.

    I just got a new HD camera and my next video will be to show how to make these with motors. Good luck.

  • @Starcross42 Thanks for your reply what kind mirror movement i need to get those shape in 0:16 ( like the motors axe goes in and out ?? >>> <<<< ^ and down ?? hope u get my point :P

  • what sort of motors do you use???

  • @imod1993 Galvanometers. Read comments to find a source for these.

  • thx

  • It is amazing to see how simple one can produce beautiful laser effects.

  • dude play bach over that!!!!

  • can u please send me the circuit dia n other details??

    want it for my high school project.. my add is ancil1006@gmail.com

    thanks

  • Can you use it as a Oscilloscope

  • @MrThomassss One galvo would be the Oscilloscope but you would need a 'return' cycle. If the galvo bounced the beam onto a spinning motor then you would have an Oscilloscope that would project the pattern into a circle. This is a great idea and I haven't made one yet... Maybe my next video...

  • how did you hook up your keyboards to the laser?

    i have a red and green dmx laser with scanpro20 scanners.

    how would i go about hooking it to my keyboard?

    and what would i run the output from the keyboard to on my laser?

    thanks and God bless.

  • Comment removed

  • can they burn stuff

  • Try CT6210 cambridge galvos. Industry standard. But they are expensive.

  • try playing a song lol

  • hello starcross42 , how many ,,mw" and ,,nm" (wavelenght) has the green pointer ?

    i have the same lasershow but actually is in progress. i have a video on my channel with my first tests of homemade galvos with legos. actually i have build 2 galvos with mini subwoofers and parts from a dvd burner. i can send a link to many pictures of the build progress from my show . but actually , i cant shooting new pictures , the camera is broken. your/this video has me inspiratet to build my show. thx

  • Is it possible to use really cheap lasers that anyone can afford or do you have to get really expensive ones?

  • Is it possible to use read/write head of HDD as galvanometer?

    I don't understand how use dc moter... I need H-bridge to control it in both directions? I can use PWM ?

    thanks

  • @pointser I am actually trying to use hdd heads like here insectphotos-net-projects-lase­r - we will see, any tips for tone generator sw for pc with separate left-right?

  • good work :)

  • how to make cheap galvos?

  • Cool effect. Do more laser shows.

  • how much are the galvanometers?

  • genius to use 2 keyboards and not some computer. I find it amazing that it is working that fine. I also do not see a real difference between the lasers in this video. Is this different in real life or are you only buying 100 dollar laserpointers after this test?

  • Are you a teacher? Cause I thought I saw some classroom seats in your "lab".

  • Any tips on where I could find galvanometers for relatively cheap? I want to experiment with laser projection, but I'm dealing with a broke college student's budget. Thanks in advance.

  • Read comments. A guy posted a place to get cheap ones. These were $150 each and used...  I made some with simple motors and used a bit of hot glue to keep it from creeping. Good luck.

  • Awesome. I know you're probably busy, but is there any way you could send some instructions on how to go about making one?

  • is not possible to make precise galvanometers, even that they aren't able to make big angles?..then the picture can be spread with optics...

  • @Starcross42

    old motors from what?

  • would this be possible to do with high speed digital servo's? instead of galvos?

  • No, because servos (event the high speed ones) are to slow for that

  • Ever tried to control the mirrors with audio? I did something like that once. watch?v=w1tnn0eFGA4

  • The Galvanometers are more advanced and precise than the speaker based stuff, so if you can afford galvos, they are the better possibility

  • woooooooo! laserzszszsz!!!!!11!!!one!

  • your voice are fucking cool men!

  • is a argon laser more dangerous than a 300mw Laser??????????????

  • No. My argon is 100mW and will not burn things. But it makes different colors.

  • - @PorscheHead124 -

    The only thing "dangerous" about a gas based laser is the high voltage power supply. 300mW is 300mW regardless of which type you're using.

    A 300mW 532nm DPSS unit will appear brighter than a 300mW 488nm argon because of our sensivity to green light, but again, output power is the same.

  • Is it possible to get the X galvo to run at 15,750 Hz sawtooth and the Y galvo to run at 60 Hz sawtooth? I want to make a full-resolution 525-line interlaced monochrome laser video projector using an acousto-optic modulator for changing the beam intensity to the video signal. Any ideas on how to start?

  • You are moving a mirror that has mass. 15,750 Hz is out of the question for the size of mirror we have here. I get a resonance frequency with maximum amplitude at around 300Hz and at 900 Hz I get almost no movement. Galvos only have to work at 48 Hz to do the amazing laser pictures you see in a show. Sorry, but I don't think this will help you.

  • I didn't think something with that much mass could move that fast. Could I use a galvo connected to the vertical output from a TV for the V sweep (60Hz sawtooth)? I think a multi-sided spinning mirror would have to be use for the H sweep, but how could I sync the motor to the H sync pulses? If there's no H sync, with this design, the vertical will lock, but the picture will roll horizontally.

  • Yea, your TV is moving a beam of electrons with a changing electromagnetic field. I don't think you can get anything like that with galvos...I built a laser oscilloscope with a galvo and a spinning mirror, and it was cool, but nothing like you are trying to build.

  • Hey StarCross42

    I'm thinking of building my own X Y scanner that can project computer generated images.

    The only problem i can not find galvo's.

    do you where i can get good deals on some?

    You said you're going to make a video about building galvo's. would this be precise enough to do computer generated images?

  • No. for what you want you will have to spend real money. General Scanning is a company that sells galvos. One of the previous posts tells of another company, but I have not purchased from them.

  • Can you build a Galvanometer?

    X-Y scanners aren't really cheap. Great Job. I really enjoy your videos. Thank You.

  • I can build a cheap galvo using a simple DC motor. Fix it so that it doesn't deflect too much from a rest position. It will be my next video...

  • Thanks..looking forward to that video.

  • Neat.

    I wonder if it would be possible to control the galvos via the midi output of the keyboard.

    you could then effectivly program and play back the sequences.

    do you have any idea if that would work?

  • Am not familiar with the midi output levels. Sorry.

  • hello please.. where can i get diffraction gratings please help me..

    thanks

  • you can use DC motors @ AC voltage...

  • Yea, the motor chatters back and forth... however it will 'creep' around and it needs to be brought back with some kind of spring or elastic material.

  • hey aren't galvos just stepping motors so could i just take a hard drive stepper motor in placeof a galvo?

  • Well, not really. A stepper walks through a range, up to 360 degrees, at small 'steps'. The galvo has a smooth movement through a very small range. Take a regular DC motor and put some kind of spring or rubber band that would return it to a single position, and it gives a 'galvo' effect. Good Luck.

    Perhaps that will be my next video... how to make a galvo with a simple motor. Stay tuned.

  • hey thanks ok heres a q/a how would i hook up some 5v galvos to my comp and i cant afford hardware so any schematics?

  • My galvos are basically wired as speakers. One is left and the other right. The power that would go to my speakers instead drives the galvos. Most computer speakers are 'amplified' from the headphone output. I don't think that the headphone output would be enough energy to drive the galvos. You notice that I go into a small amp from my keyboards for just that reason.

    If you got into the wires of your speakers and simply replaced the speaker with a galvo... that might do it.

  • well its weird i see people hooking them up to their serial ports answer those use bits up to 8 and 9 do u know anything about those?

  • NO. Ask them... Sorry. I'm old.

  • ok so ive seen people hook there galvos to a serial port which uses bits as of 8 and 9 how are those set up

  • so u can just connect the galvos with the source of sound using normal speaker wires? (ones u would usually use to hook a speaker up with a stereo)

  • Yes. You have it.

  • Stepping motors actually make great galvos (as long as we're talking simple stuff as in this video). The big problem is to find a stepping motor with few enough steps. The motor can move back and forth in between two steps, but if the step angle is 0.1 degree, you don't get much out of it. Im sorry i don't really have any links about this...

  • I want to be in your classroom.

  • im intrested in buying some Galvos and ive been looking online for about an hour and a half i dont know where to buy them or even about what they cost. i looked on ebay as a last resort but thats telling me like 15$ somthing tells me thats not right. i see on a reply you sent 1 month ago that the LP12k galvoes price is 100usd. what is USD? is there a website that you buy them from anything will help thanx alot starcross42 for replying to my last comment and buy the way this stuff is so sick.

  • USD is United States dollars. If you are from the states it's not a term you use. I think the guy who posted the comment also had a web site. And that is a great price.

    I went to ebay and the $15 galvo is a great deal if it works (there is a warning on the site saying that they don't know the condition). It is the kind of galvo we are talking about here.

  • is there a way to hook this up to DMX and have it controlled from a board? or is music the best way to controll it. also what is the most powerful laser that is still safe to people that can be used to do this with?

  • Nice questions. Yes, the galvos are usually hooked up to computers. I've never seen them driven the way I do. 

    As far as laser power... this is a question of local regulations. I don't shoot this effect into a crowd mostly because the single beam of the argon is very powerful (100mw) However, spread out it is safe.

  • Please could you make a tutorial on how you linked the lasers up to the keyboards ?

    i would really appreciate it, im having real trouble figuring this out!

    thanks

  • Can the galvos create a diagonal line (z-axis) the way you have it set up. In other words can it create a line from the top left corner of the "screen" to the bottom right? Thanks, Very cool demo!!

  • Yes. Diagonal is generated when the x and y move at the same frequency. Creating the 'z' perspective would be easy. Well, you need a computer to control the galvos for pictures... but you knew that.

  • I'm so thrilled.. I've been wondering how the scanning laser effect was done for so long, I had no idea how it was possible to achieve such precision with such speed.

    I"m actually surprised at the answer. I'm surprised that this mechanism can move so quickly. That's very impressive hardware.

  • a little stupid question.....how to do smoke ?

  • Ah, big chance missed. Smoke machies are EVERYWHERE right before halloween. Otherwise go to Spencer Gifts or online.

  • Thanks! I just emailed him. But do you have any othe sugestions on where to get some? Even if they aren't cheap. Since this is my first time buying them I would like a reliable sorce to buy them from.

  • I am planning on getting a galvanometer, but where can I get one? I've looked all over and I can't find anything. Where could I get some for a reasonable price?

  • Yea, new ones are VERY expensive. Somone left a comment on one of my other laser videos (I have 7) saying that they sold used galvos for under $200. I think they were from England. Search the comments and see if you can find it..

  • Comment about GALVOs: I have not used this contact before, so I can't say one way or another... but...

    "I found the galvos of Laser Effects Show 6 is open loop galvos. we supply closed loop galvos, their have more effect, can project circle, text, rectangle, animal. LP12K galvos price is 100usd, I don't know this price is cheap or pricey for you. you can send email to me: laserpic at gmail dot com."

  • Wow... Just AMAZING! thanks for making these videos because you're the one that got me interested in this hobby! I just have one question... Whats the DC motor trick that you mentioned in an earlier post?

  • I'm assuming that you are talking about using a dc motor as a galvanometer. If you put a dc motor in place of a speaker, it will vibrate back and forth like a galvo. It will also 'creep' around in a circle. If you can prevent the creep but still let it vibrate, it works great.

  • Nice one....

  • Totally awesome. I was always interested in laser effects and from watching your videos I now have a bug to start tinkering. Can you input an audio source from a CD player or the like? What do you use to modulate the motors from the audio signal?

    Great job!

    -Chris

  • Yes, you can use left and right input, but it's not as wonderful as you might think.

    The motors are placed in the same place a speaker would be placed. Nothing fancy.

  • whats with the lego?

  • A number of years ago I discovered that LEGOS were perfect for laser, especially the alighnment of optics. Once keychain laser came around I mounted everything with LEGOS... Check out some of my other laser show videos.

  • I see in the video that you have the blue and green lasers emiting side by side. Are you using 2 of the housings for a total of 4 GS-scanners?

  • Yes. Both systems are running off of the same signal, but with the x and y axis of one reversed from the other.

  • Excellent video, very educational - I have been putting off purchasing galvos forever now, and I am getting sucked deeper and deeper into this hobby ! You do great work, keepp it up ! And thank you from one hobbyist to another - you are awesome !

  • Thanks for the kind words. The DC motor trick works nice. Not a very fast frequency response, nor able for plotting... but nice for these 'music' effects I'm doing in this video.

  • Will it work with normal sets of motors with alternative current ?

  • Well, a DC motor (just a small motor for a toy) will 'vibrate' when placed instead of a speaker. The motor will tend to rotate a bit, so if you 'lock' it in place with a strand of hot glue or something it will work.

  • Thanks ;)

  • Very cool,i love your videos.

    I was wondering what do you use to make that smoke, i tried dry ice and hot water but it's a bit complicated and give only a smoke that is crowling on the ground.

  • I have a 'fog machine'. I've seen them in costume shops or theater shops. Also at LOTS of places right around Hallooween. Our local drug store has them for $30-$40 during hallooween.  it works great.

  • Oh, by the way... thanks for the kind words. I may produce a video on how to make an inexpensive galvo... In my spare time.

  • These come from GS-scanners dot com. Click on the Galvanometer link and it takes you right there. Be prepared to be shocked. Did I mention, Expensive?

  • I love this stuff.

  • good

  • Very cool :o)

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