5 Dollar DIY Laser Show

Here's a neat party trick, make your own LASER SHOW for only 5 bucks! All you need is: 1) Rubber string, 2) A cheap pen laser, 3) A mirror or two, 4) A relay or two, 5) A rare-earth magnet. All you do is dismantling the relay into an electro-magnet, glue your rare-earth magnet to the tiny mirror, glue the mirror with the magnet to a rubber-string, stretch it onto something so the mirror can vibrate freely, and tighten as needed. Place your newly modified (relay) electro-magnet right behind the rare earth magnet, make sure it doesn't touch - but have some distance between it, maybe 2 mm or so.

Now, aim the laser at the mirror (make sure YOU don't get blinded by it!), and have it reflect onto a white surface (or fluorescent for that cool effect if you have a blue one). And connect your electromagnet to an audio source of some sort. Use a 24v relay if you're connecting it to a stereo. 3-5 volt relay if you're connecting it to an audio headset output, make sure you turn the VOLUME ALL THE WAY DOWN - so you don't blow the output of your amplifier/stereo.

Have fun!

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• simple science
• diy
• laser show
• diy laser show
• 5 dollar laser
• laser mirror
• electronics
• project
• science project
• laser effect
• laser oscilloscope

[smartpartzzkidd]

WHOA!!!! FIVE DOLLARS INCLUDING A FANCY FUNCTION GENERATOR!?!?!?!

[djteac]

@smartpartzzkidd Yeah he found it burried in his backyard. Happens to me at least twice a month

[clake10000]

I like the bit where he says "relay"

[fridgdog]

Sweeeet video made everything look so easy. I used speakers and send layered frequencies out to them. been making awesome shapes plus they all can go to the music if you hook up a mic! Great vid man! keep em coming.

[Deanosauruz]

Hi... I wonder where i could get the "RELAY"

[HandicappedTerrorist]

haha 0:53 were gonna need a rubber

[jdastro]

Nice vid tutorial. But 1) how to modify the relay, 2) connect the relay to the "stereo"? Do you mean the speaker output or the audio signal output?Thanks.

[MrKSAMMON]

for a split second i thought he was the gut from the hangover

[Pimpmastahanhduece]

@djteac can i has free function generator?

[dddecarmo]

first guy i heard that says "Rubber String" insted of rubber band

[sparkyprojects]

You can put a flexible membrane over a speaker with a mirror in the middle of the membrane and use with a laser, or place several mirrors on it and use more than one light source, one pointed at each mirror ;)

I would power the speaker from a separate amp so you have independent control

[ciprianwiner]

you don't need a function generator to test this, you can use a oscillator like a 555 or 4093, TL494... and you will be able to adjust the frequency and the duty cycle, just for testing of course :)