DIYer removes screen from TV to create death ray laser

Electronic Products ^ | 03/25/2013 | Jeffrey Bausch

[discostu]

I sense the mythbusters having to do another redo Archimedes death ray. It should work this time.

[absolootezer0]

real rednecks never say “hold muh beer..” we do it with the beer still in our hand.

[JRios1968]

I would expect a technical publication to be a little more precise in their language, this is hardly a laser.

"Bring me the sharks..."

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“When I was a child we did this on a smaller scale with a magnifying glass that we got at the 5 and dime.”

School band room. One of those cheap magnifying glasses, a nice sunny windowsill, and a roll of caps! Fun!

[NonValueAdded]

A bazillion ants will testify as to the power of a magnifying class in the hands of a child. This is nothing new.

[Paradox]

I found a 50" old school large screen TV in someones trash pile. I knew exactly what I was lookin for. Walked away with that big ole lens.

Did some experiments with it, and truth is, it is very dangerous. Also, with this kind of light concentration, you NEED serious eye protection, even the light reflecting off of your target and being scattered back to you, an inflict some real damage.

It was great fun for a while, even used it to cause "rocks" to explode. I got tired of it after a few days, put it away, where it eventually got scratched up and became useless, so I threw it out.

If I had to to it again, I would build a proper frame for it. Probably use it for something more advanced, maybe a small steam generator/engine.

[Kartographer]

But if you take apart your TV how will you watch ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’, ‘Jersey Shore’, ‘Dancing with the Stars’ or ‘American Idol’?

[JRandomFreeper]

I got rid of the television when I got rid of the last ex-wife. Been about a decade.... I kept turning up the brightness... it didn't help.

Computer monitors... those I got.

/johnny

[EEGator]

It’s a sign of greatness. :)

[RandallFlagg]

In the mid-seventies, there was a live action TV show every Saturday with superheros Shazam and Isis.
One of the episodes had some kids (I think) trapped in a mountain.
Shazam started rubbing his hands in the sand at superfast speeds, heating and melting it into a giant lens. He then held it up between the sun and the mountain.
I think Isis used her powers to make it a clear day or something.
They made a, “Laser,” which blew the side of the mountain off, and rescued the kids.

All the while, I was yelling at the TV...”LAAAME!!”

[Kartographer]

I thought it was just multitasking?

[muawiyah]

We made a 4 ft diameter fresnel lens out of 2inch framing timber, a sheet of optically clear reflecting mylar glued on a piece of masonite, hog eyes, bailing wire, nails and staples.

Using a variety of thermometers and materials with different ignition points (including popcorn and hotdogs) we determined the best high noon midsummer temperature it would produce at something like 1000 degrees Farenheit.

You'll need a small saw to cut the spiral into the mylar. Been a while but I think there's a pattern available on the net.

These are not kids' toys.

We were able to use it to light up a Sunday newspaper with just moonlight, and you could read text even on a starless night.

I kept it in the garage for many years then one day I noticed it was focusing the light from the garage window onto a piece of wood ~ which was clearly hot.

That's when I took it apart.

[EEGator]

It’s the alcohol consumption while multitasking is what makes it great. :)

[shotgun]

But at what is the effective range to kill zombies.

[UCANSEE2]

I'm sure no FReeper would ever actually do this...

I would have to lie to you, to confirm your post.

[COBOL2Java]

Anyone that knows what COBOL or FORTRAN is... IS OLD.

What's that you say? Speak up, sonny!

[Kartographer]

Johnny:"Computer monitors... those I got."

Old Sarge:"So, like, ermagerd, did you see that pic of Kim Kardashian’s ass?"

Kart:"What makes you think I have enough money to own a computer screen that WIDE?"

You got one big enough to handle that?

[publius911]

It takes a real moron to call that a Laser.
It's a glorified magnifying glass...

Yep. We continue to be dumbed down to the stone age.

[COBOL2Java]

[muawiyah]

ALGOL ~ and a number of others ~ take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_programming_languages Many of them are old friends