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$7 Laser Sensor Bulk Buy — Parallax Forums

$7 Laser Sensor Bulk Buy

ercoerco Posts: 20,256
edited 2014-08-09 19:25 in General Discussion
I'm considering ordering more laser sensors, the same S6986 units I used in my bot (video below) at http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/149626-The-Terminator The only source is manufacturer Hamamatsu (sound familiar?), MOQ is 20 pieces at ~$6 each. I only want ~5, but I figure if a few folks here wants one or some, maybe I'll go for it. Probably closer to $7 after tax and shipping x2. Any interest? KEN? Possible uses: targeting, triangulation/navigation, etc. See also

http://www.junun.org/MarkIII/Info.jsp?item=79
http://www.philohome.com/sensors/lasersensor.htm
http://nxt-unroller.blogspot.com/2012/10/laser-sensor-for-nxt.html
http://www.richardvannoy.info/laser-navigation.pdf


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Comments

  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2013-08-21 15:23
    Put me in for 5.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-08-21 16:35
    NW, you're my best customer EVER!

    I guess you'll be making laser-guided grippers, huh? :)
  • LevLev Posts: 182
    edited 2013-08-21 16:58
    I'll take 5 too. Thanks for offering Erco.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-08-21 17:21
    Thanks NW & Lev, that was easier than I thought! One more buyer of five and we're away. Of course I can buy more than 20 if there is more demand, but anyone else should get back to me within the next few days.

    BTW, I used the laser diode out of one of these 99-cent laser pointers on my bot: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110928782395 Order now, it will take 10 days...

    Per Philo's directions, don't remove the 68-ohm resistor. These are very nice little laser pointers with LED lights on a carabiner keychain. It was almost a shame to gut them. Order a few extra units, you won't regret it.
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2013-08-21 17:31
    Laser guided grippers, hmm, what a great idea!!! I was actually thinking of using them when I get back to my Wild Thumper project. Placing one on the grippers might be another use!!! BTW, did you receive payment yet? I sent money order. The extra is for the twins. Buy them a great big Ice Cream sundae and forget the college fund for a day!!!
  • dgatelydgately Posts: 1,630
    edited 2013-08-21 18:14
    Erco,

    I'll take 3! If no one else buys-in, I could take a couple more.

    You can PM me a PayPal invoice or whatever method you need for payment.

    dgately
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2013-08-21 18:18
    Erco,

    I'll take the last 2 from the batch.

    Add it to my tab!!

    Thanks!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-08-21 18:53
    XLNT response guys, thanks. The MOQ (20) is covered now, so I can order any number of sensors at that price. If Rick or anyone wants more, just say the word. No rush, I'll give it a few days to see if anyone wants more before I order and tally up. Like I said, $7 max per sensor, maybe a tad less if people are getting 3-5 each (shipping per is less).

    @NW: Nothing received yet, but thanks and I'm sure it will get here eventually. My post office's speed is nothing to brag about...
  • dmagnusdmagnus Posts: 271
    edited 2013-08-22 04:45
    If it's not too late, I'll take three.
    Thanks,
    Don
  • Mike CookMike Cook Posts: 829
    edited 2013-08-22 05:36
    I’ll take 3 too. Add them to what I owe ya.

    I guess I can replace the Photon Cannon (bulb) in my Big Trak with a Laser Targeting System!
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2013-08-22 08:25
    Put me down for four.

    I already have a bunch of cheap lasers from DealExtreme.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-08-22 08:29
    DD finally joins in. All's good now. Except he has yet to weigh in on the wheel encoder sensors!

    But wait! The plot thickens: Mike Cook found an apparently smoking deal on these, 10 for $18, free ship at http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/S6986-DIP4-Light-modulation-photo-IC-new-stock-ic-Free-Shipping/322502_884093589.html

    Anybody use aliexpress before? All they take is credit cards, no Paypal. I want to test these (they are dark color, not clear, probably a clone) but I'm a bit wary of giving my CC info unless someone has a glowing recommendation. If not, I'll get a prepaid $25 Visa and use that.
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2013-08-22 08:32
    I've been meaning to make a laser sensor for a while now. Put me down for two.
  • rjo__rjo__ Posts: 2,114
    edited 2013-08-22 08:38
    Put me down for 5. I have a Walmart Bluebird debit card that you can use:)

    Rich
  • Mike CookMike Cook Posts: 829
    edited 2013-08-22 08:58
    Not to beat up on erco, but found these: http://www.aliexpress.com/store/prod...884093589.html

    I PM'ed erco and he seems to think these are the same except in a smokey colored case. I ordered some (slow boat shipping) using a credit card I can terminate incase I get scammed.

    Sharing as per erco! When I get these I'll report back the results, might be a few weeks.

    @erco - I'm still good with the original 3 I committed to! I figure I'm helping you pay for the 'An ounce of testing is worth a pound of speculation.' advice!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-08-22 09:09
    No commitment yet, I'm not in any rush to order from Hamamatsu. If these aliexpress sensors work, then that makes you my new best friend!
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2013-08-22 12:33
    Can these lasers be attached to the heads of sharks?
  • Mike CookMike Cook Posts: 829
    edited 2013-08-22 14:15
    I’ve been poking around and it appears those might be one of the other models (S6809, or S6846). Those two are in the ‘smoky’ colored package.


    All of the ones in the clear package are 0.7 (uW/mm2) for Threshold light level and 10000 (lx) Allowable background light level. So I suspect the part number might be wrong OR hopefully the photo is a ‘example package type’. If they are one of the other models (S6809, or S6846) and not the S6986 they might have trouble detecting the red laser pointer.


    Won’t know until they get here! Cheap enough to gamble/experiment with though.


    http://www.hamamatsu.com/resources/pdf/ssd/photo_ic_kpic0001e.pdf
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-08-22 15:05
    Junun also sells this $3 Sharp sensor in a dark/"opaque" package: http://www.junun.org/MarkIII/Info.jsp?item=46 which acts somewhat like the S6986, but it uses an IR LED (invisible at 940 nm) so it would not be nearly as directional nor easy to use as a red laser with an S6986. Would require optical shielding and a lens, at a minimum. You could also use an IR laser diode, which would send a stronger and more directional beam, but that could be difficult and/or dangerous to muck with since the light is invisible. I plan to get a few Sharp units to test with LEDs, but the S6986 remains my first choice. Sure will be nice if the ones Mike found work. I'll order some of those from Aliexpress if I can pick up a prepaid Visa tonight.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-08-22 21:55
    I ordered 10 sensors from aliexpress China then cancelled my VISA card after the transaction went through to be safe. I'll wait (probably 2-3 weeks) for these sensors to arrive. If they test out as good as my real Hamamatsu's, there's no need for me to order those at $6 each.

    Interested parties may want to order some reflective sticker film for this application. I have tested several different types, and the best is called "Reflexite DOT C2" in either red or silver/white. I found an Ebay seller called doublewow who sells it and lots of other reflective stuff. You can see some of his stuff on Ebay at http://myworld.ebay.com/doublewow/

    Or email him directly and tell him what you're after: zebraone@hughes.net Bill lives in Oklahoma and is a great guy, a retired FAA electronics tech. Tell him ercost sent you and you're building robot laser sensors !

    BTW he also sells my second favorite reflective film, 3M Diamond grade white. His 3" x 8" sheets sell for about $2 each.

    I've done the legwork, but of course feel free to track this stuff down on your own, of course. Any retroreflective material should work to some degree, but these particular tapes gave maximum range & reliability with this sensor in my tests.
  • banjobanjo Posts: 447
    edited 2013-08-22 22:52
    Erco, I recently ordered and received some batteries for my R/C Heli from Aliexpress and no issues at all. I also used a credit card. Took ~10 days to deliver to Finland.
    Hopefully your order will be as satisfactory as mine.
  • Mike CookMike Cook Posts: 829
    edited 2013-08-23 04:12
    This is about $.04 a square inch, it's a 2" x 10' roll (6" red/6" white-silver, repeating): http://www.ebay.com/itm/171074626640?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D171074626640%26_rdc%3D1

    T    he description states it's Reflexite DOT C2.

    Now one eye waiting on the mail man and the other eye on my Credit Card that I used on Aliexpress! :lol:

    Thanks erco!
  • sam_sam_samsam_sam_sam Posts: 2,286
    edited 2013-08-24 19:33
    rjo__ wrote: »
    Put me down for 5. I have a Walmart Bluebird debit card that you can use:)

    Rich
    Please let use how this went and if you had any problem with order or with the debit card
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-08-24 19:37
    Again, ordering these are on hold for a few weeks until the Chinese units arrive.

    Meanwhile, drool over laser-tracking to a reflector: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EVBZaRF80o It's actively steering toward the right edge of the reflector.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-08-29 19:11
    Vaguely related to this thread, but here's a nice price on a BRIGHT green laser, 532 nm, 5 mW for $4.53, free ship.

    NOT for use with this Hamamatsu sensor, wrong wavelength. But a nice strong laser, big housing, 2x AAA batteries, almost painful to look at the green dot on the wall. I got one to experiment with reflection and an old-school photocell. Cadmium sulphide photocells are sensitive to yellow-green light. Please do not call it an LDR, I will not reply. Photocell or photoresistor is fine, thank you very much. :)

    Duane might just want a big green laser to add to his collection.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/190843533907
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2013-09-04 20:29
    For more laser fun, I just ordered one of these high-power (whatever <200 mW means) laser pointers, which can light matches, and I sure hope pop black balloons for more dramatic "seek and destroy" fun. http://www.ebay.com/itm/111158047624?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woiTedSKPrk

    Chain reaction balloons: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Oknc8onG8
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2013-09-04 21:43
    Cool, it has a range of 20.005 meters. My laser only has a range of 20.000 meters and it's also <200mW in power?

    Edit: As can be seen in Publison's post below, I neglected to add the "million" before meters.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2013-09-05 03:41
    • Laser range: 20.005 million meters.

    ?? :innocent: ??
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2013-09-05 07:01
    Publison wrote: »
    ?? :innocent: ??

    20 million meters is a little shy of the distance to the moon and back. Maybe they cite the range as less than this distance so we're not upset when we don't see our laser light being reflected back from the mirrors the astronauts left there?
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2013-09-05 07:19
    So we should be able to bounce off the ISS with ease. :)
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