FEELS LIKE A LASER! FEELS LIKE A LASER!

June 15, 2007 1:54 PM

The LED Museum has long been the Internet's premier source of absolutely obsessive LED and Laser analysis. Going strong since 1999, Craig Johnson's amassed quite a range of test equipment. Recently, he acquired a Playstation 3 Blu-Ray Laser Module. Did he mod it? Oh yes he did. (Warning: NSFC64)
posted by effugas (20 comments total)

How does the HD-DVD laser measure up?
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:59 PM on June 15, 2007

Craig needs to clean his repulsive carpet. Gahj.
posted by boo_radley at 2:03 PM on June 15, 2007

I like this quote on the page about the PS3 laser:

You ***MUST NOT*** shine this in your eye — not even when the unit is below lasing threshold!!!

You will have bright afterimages that can persist for up to several DAYS...yes, I learned this the hard way.

It's all fun and games until ...
posted by Potsy at 2:21 PM on June 15, 2007

... someone lasers an eye.
posted by srboisvert at 2:27 PM on June 15, 2007 [2 favorites]

Please do not look into laser with remaining eye.
posted by effugas at 2:31 PM on June 15, 2007

So he still shines lasers in his eyes? Because after 7+ years of running that place you'd think he would've known that already.
posted by puke & cry at 2:45 PM on June 15, 2007

I always enjoy getting a glimpse into realm of geekiness which I don't personally occupy. Laser-geeks are are a breed I haven't observed since watching Real Genius.

Thanks for the post!
posted by chudmonkey at 2:48 PM on June 15, 2007

I bet shining it into his eye is one of those things he just has to do with a new laser. Like people who have to touch their tongue to new 9-volt batteries.
posted by rouftop at 2:49 PM on June 15, 2007

MMm, 9-volt batteries.
posted by anthill at 3:16 PM on June 15, 2007

Yes! Great post! I ran into this guy's website some years ago, at a time when I became dissatisfied that Maglite had not yet made an LED flashlight, and I was looking for a replacement flashlight. I seem to remember he lived in Seattle, am I mistaken?

Eventually I ended up with a model I bought at Walmart for about 20 dollars, though I am quite satisfied with it. I'm glad to see this man getting the rightful attention he deserves.
posted by Tube at 4:16 PM on June 15, 2007

Tube--

Sacramento, actually. Did you notice all the home-modded mag-lites that he shows with LED? How insane is that?
posted by effugas at 4:47 PM on June 15, 2007

I heard that the Blu-Ray was voted Best Ray of 2007 by RayWatch.
posted by jonson at 4:51 PM on June 15, 2007

effugas: How insane is that?

Mr. Johnson is, although a famous pioneer in the field, only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to flashlight insanity.
posted by Western Infidels at 5:43 PM on June 15, 2007

Carrying a laser down a road that I must travel.
Carrying a laser in the darkness of the night.
posted by stavrogin at 8:49 PM on June 15, 2007

It sure looks like it's been around since 1999.
posted by taursir at 9:15 PM on June 15, 2007

taursir--

Damn straight. Web 1.0 -- it's all 'bout the content.
posted by effugas at 9:19 PM on June 15, 2007

That's not a flashlight. This is a flashlight. (via)
posted by MtDewd at 7:30 AM on June 16, 2007

How does the HD-DVD laser measure up?

I think it's the same bland, invisible Infrared laser used for current CDs and DVDs.

Also, I hope he put a UV filter on there.
posted by delmoi at 12:08 PM on June 16, 2007

delmoi: no, HD-DVD uses a 405nm laser, like Blu-Ray. The whole reason you can get more data on those discs is that you're using a shorter-wavelength laser to read them.

(Compare to CDs, which use a near-IR 780nm, and DVDs, which use a visible-red 650nm.)
posted by hattifattener at 1:02 PM on June 16, 2007

Huh, for some reason I had always though HD-DVD was just an HD signal on a regular disk. I guess I was wrong :P.
posted by delmoi at 1:32 PM on June 16, 2007