AMERICAN DJ LASER WIDOW™

American DJ Laser Widow™, retail $79.95 (www.americandj.com...)
Manufactured by American DJ (www.americandj.com)
Last updated 02-19-10




The Laser Widow™ is a fully self-contained device, containg a diode laser, an X-Y projector, a controller, and a set of batteries to power the device, that can project various patterns on a wall or ceiling. You can set it to display 16 geometric patterns, set it to respond to music, or use the manual mode to generate the pattern you want, which will stay that way even if you unplug the Laser Widow or if you let the batteries poop out in it.

The version I'm testing for you today has had its 4.9mW laser module replaced with a 35mW laser module. Since it is a modified device, conventional ratings will not be assigned to it.

I installed batteries in the unit just to verify it would work with them, and it does.


SIZE (as compared with a 12" ruler)



From the Laser Widow's™ online .PDF manual, comes the following text:

{More or less, begin theft mode}
1. Please confirm the transformer input voltage is matched with your own electric voltage before using. (the electric input voltage is labeled over the transformer).
2. Connect power supply after electric voltage is confirmed. Transformer output plug fits into Laser Widow's input jack; insert into input jack.
3. Graphics will execute after power switch on the Laser Widow™ is turned on. Laser beam is indicator of power
4. Function mode is controlled by function selector.
5. Function Mode may be selected from Auto, Manual, or Music Modes.
Auto Mode: 16 pre-set geometric patterns to be executed in regular order.
Music Mode: 16 pre-set graphics to executed in regular order, speed can be controlled by built-in microphone.
Manual Mode: Graphics can be selected by the two knobs.
6. For safety, please turn off power switch after using and unplug transformer from power.
{End theft mode}

I do not have any of the instructional material that may have come with it when new, so the above instructions will have to do.



Normally, this product uses a 120VAC to 9VDC wall-wart transformer for power, however since you can use it with batteries away from AC power, better tell you how change them. ;-)

Be sure your Laser Widow™ is turned off. Flip it over, and slide the battery door off. Set it aside. If necessary, remove and dispose of or recycle the expired AA cells from the battery chamber. Insert four new AA cells into their holders, aligning them so the spring in each compartment faces the flat side (-) of each cell. Once your Laser Widow™ is all fat and sassy, slide the battery door back on, and push in on its edge so the battery door fits flush with the bottom of the Laser Widow's™ cabinet, and there, you're all set.

If you're ever in a place with no AC power or if you forgot the AC adapter at home, you can run the Laser Widow™ this way.

Measures 144mA, displaying a five-pointed star.



The Laser Widow™ is designed to be put somewhere and not abused, so I won't toss it in the bathtub, try to drown it in the toilet, throw it violently to the floor, stomp on it, run over it, or subject it to other punishments that regular flashlights might be subject to.
So this section will be kind of empty.

It's considerably smaller than I expected it to be, which is a plus because I live in a SMALL apartment in already cramped conditions. It measures approximately 7" wide, 3.25" tall, and 5.5" deep; not including the mounting bracket.

The mounting bracket is affixed to the unit with a pair of medium sized phillips screws on the unit's sides. Using a medium sized phillips screwdriver (the #1 (3.8mm) phillips screwdriver in my kit of miniature phillips screwdrivers works well for this.), loosen these screws slightly, adjust the aim of the Laser Widow, and tighten them back up when you have the Laser Widow pointing exactly where you want. A 3/8" hole in the center of the bracket allows you to mount the Laser Widow to a wall or ceiling with an appropriate sized screw.



A five-pointed star being projected on a ceiling from ~10 feet.
In this picture, the star was rotating, so there are multiple traces shown.



A circle being projected on a ceiling from ~10 feet.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrometer plot of the laser in this product.


Spectrographic analysis
Same as above; newer spectrometer software & settings used.


Spectrographic analysis
Same as above; spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 645nm and 665nm to pinpoint wavelength.

USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.







Video clip on YourTube showing some of the patterns generated by this product in "automatic" mode.

This clip is approximately 16.9934564 megabytes (17,191,510 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than eighty five (!) minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.
I cannot provide it in other formats, so please do not ask.

The gaps in the laser display do not exist in reality.




Video clip on YourTube showing "sound sensitive" mode; the song "Numbers" by Kraftwerk was used.

This clip is approximately 23.1656456 megabytes (23,383,224 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than 116 (!) minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.
I cannot provide it in other formats, so please do not ask.

The gaps in the laser display (if visible) do not exist in reality.

You must know that this product responds quite poorly to sound, even when the speakers were butted right up against it and the sound amplitude (volume) was cranked up pretty high.




Video clip on YourTube showing "sound sensitive" mode; responding to the song "Alpha Male" by Anthrax.

NOTE: Gaps in the laser display do not exist in reality.

Also of note: I've said this once but I'll say it again:
This product responds quite poorly to sound, even when the speakers were butted right up against it and the sound amplitude (volume) was cranked up pretty high. I tested it with a heavy metal song just to be certain that the fault lies with the laser show unit, and not with the music itself.








TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased on Ebay and was received on 05-28-04.
This is a modified unit and is not normally seen for sale, nor will a "star" rating be applied to it.

The AC adapter has a (+) center and (-) can polarity, and has an open-circuit voltage of 15.05 volts DC. This is typical of an unregulated 9 volt AC adapter. If you choose a regulated 9VDC power supply, be sure the loaded voltage is 9 volts or even a bit less.


UPDATE: 08-04-05
The American DJ Laser Widow started to poop out a few evenings ago. It has been in near-constant operation since 10-20-04. Output power was just now measured at 2.499mW on a laser power meter specifically intended for that purpose.

This measurement was taken with both motors stopped, so the beam emerged from the window at the front of the unit as a solid spot, not a pattern like a circle or a star.


UPDATE: 08-05-05
Power output was measured at 11.0675mW after the unit was turned off for several hours.


UPDATE: 08-23-05
I measured a power output of 16.10mW a few moments ago, using the same measurement parameters and instrumentation as above.


UPDATE: 08-28-05
I measured a power output of 15.28mW a few moments ago, using the same measurement parameters and instrumentation as above.


UPDATE: 09-03-05
I measured a power output of 15.03mW a few moments ago, again using the same measurement parameters and instrumentation as in my 08-04-05 update above.





    MANUFACTURER: American DJ
    PRODUCT TYPE: Self-contained X-Y ("lissajous")-type laser projector
    LAMP TYPE: 35mW red laser diode module
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: N/A
    SWITCH TYPE: Slide switches, rotary knobs to select modes, rocker switch for on/off
    BEZEL: Laser and mirrors protected by plastic window
    BATTERY: 4x AA cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: 144mA
    WATER RESISTANT: No
    SUBMERSIBLE: NO WAY HOZAY!!!
    ACCESSORIES: 9 volt DC wall-wart transformer
    SIZE: 7"W, 3.25"H, 5.5"D
    WARRANTY: TBA

    PRODUCT RATING:

    This is a modified product, and conventional ratings will not be applied to it.





American DJ Laser Widow™ * www.americandj.com...






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