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What is a laser?

A laser is device that produces a special kind of light that is different from normal light sources. 

Laser light sources differ from normal light sources in that they can produce very intense beams 

of light that can remain parallel over long distances. It is this high concentration of light that can 

sometimes make lasers harmful to look directly into.

What is a Class 3B Laser?

Any device that contains a laser has to be classified depending upon the amount of laser light that 

someone might be exposed to. During design and manufacture of the product, the manufacturer 

assigns the laser product to one of the various classes defined in the Laser Product Safety 

Standard (BS/EN 60825-1:2007). The classes range from the safest, which is Class 1, through 

to the most hazardous, which is Class 4.

For example, CD and DVD players contain lasers to read the disk, and because they are normally 

inaccessible to people, they are classified as a Class 1 laser products. Laser Pointers output more 

accessible power than CD/DVD players and are normally limited to being Class 2 devices. While 

most laser lighting effects products are Class 3B and Class 4 laser products. These two classes 

have the highest potential to cause harm because they emit the greatest light output. This is, of 

course, desirable and necessary for laser lighting effects!

A laser product that emits more than 5mW of light and less than 500mW is normally classified as a 

Class 3B laser product, meaning it carries a risk of harming eyesight if viewed directly.

Are Class 3B Laser Lighting Effects safe to view?

Yes, if used responsibly, and in accordance with the relevant the guidance issued by the Health 

and Safety Executive. 

In the simplest terms, generally keeping the beams and effects above the audience will not 

present a hazard to those viewing the show or effects. When you start to aim the laser effects 

down into the audience area is when it becomes harder to tell if the effects could cause harm. 

With a Class 3B laser lighting effect, the problem can arise if the beams or effects actually hit 

someone’s face. 

If in doubt, keep the effects above the audience.

 Equinox Lexor Laser 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

     Safety

Summary of Contents for Lexor

Page 1: ...Order code EQLA41 User manual ...

Page 2: ...RE USING THIS EQUIPMENT HIGH VOLTAGE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK Before your initial start up please make sure that there is no damage caused during transportation Should there be any consult your dealer and do not use the equipment To maintain the equipment in good working condition and to ensure safe operation it is necessary for the user to follow the safety instructions and warning notes written in...

Page 3: ...able periodically If the equipment is dropped or damaged disconnect the mains power supply immediately Have a qualified engineer inspect the equipment before operating again If the equipment has been exposed to drastic temperature fluctuation e g after transportation do not switch it on immediately The arising condensation might damage the equipment Leave the equipment switched off until it has re...

Page 4: ...anner angle Operating modes 1 Sound Activated 2 Auto Run 3 DMX Power consumption 21W Power supply 240V Dimensions 255 x 213 x 164mm Weight 2Kgs Fuse 2A Features The Lexor features 7 DMX channels and many laser patterns that are ideal with or without fog Equinox Lexor Laser Technical specifications Rear view Identification 1 Keylock 2 Cooling fan 3 DMX In 4 DMX out 5 Audio sensitivity knob 6 Dip sw...

Page 5: ...l programmes In this mode the laser diodes will remain on constantly until the power is turned OFF or the mode is changed 3 DMX mode To select DMX mode set dip switch 10 to OFF You can now set the required DMX address using dip witches 1 to 9 Please refer to the chart below for DMX functions DMX function chart Equinox Lexor Laser Operation modes Channel Value Function CH1 CH3 CH4 CH5 CH6 CH2 CH7 0...

Page 6: ...re that occupies or uses 7 channels of DMX and was addressed to start on DMX channel 100 would read data from channels 100 101 102 103 104 105 and 106 Choose a start address so that the channels used do not overlap E g the next unit in the chain starts at 107 Set the start address using the group of dip switches located usually on the back of the fixture Each dip switch has an associated value Add...

Page 7: ...he order in which fixtures are connected in a DMX line does not influence the DMX addressing For example a fixture assigned to a DMX address of 1 may be placed anywhere in a DMX line at the beginning at the end or anywhere in the middle When a fixture is assigned a DMX address of 1 the DMX controller knows to send DATA assigned to address 1 to that unit no matter where it is located in the DMX cha...

Page 8: ...cable terminator part number CABL90 will decrease the possibilities of erratic behaviour 5 Pin XLR DMX Connectors Some manufactures use 5 pin XLR connectors for data transmission in place of 3 pin 5 Pin XLR fixtures may be implemented in a 3 pin XLR DMX line When inserting standard 5 pin XLR connectors in to a 3 pin line a cable adaptor must be used The Chart below details the correct cable conver...

Page 9: ...Equinox Lexor Laser Dip Switch Reference Chart DMX Dip Switch Quick Reference Chart Dip Switch Position ...

Page 10: ...n be harmful if not properly setup or is misused But when used following the recommended health and safety guidelines laser lighting effects no more harmful than looking at any conventional lighting effect This guide has been put together to provide you with some background information about laser safety and guidance on the recommended health and safety requirements for using lasers in public plac...

Page 11: ...nters output more accessible power than CD DVD players and are normally limited to being Class 2 devices While most laser lighting effects products are Class 3B and Class 4 laser products These two classes have the highest potential to cause harm because they emit the greatest light output This is of course desirable and necessary for laser lighting effects A laser product that emits more than 5mW...

Page 12: ...r for lightshow use However there is specific guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive in the form of a document called HS G 95 The Radiation Safety of Lasers Used for Display Purposes HS G 95 outlines a number of detailed points to consider when using lasers for lightshow purposes Furthermore since April 2010 new health and safety legislation was introduced in the UK that sets legal lim...

Page 13: ...elp limit the use of the laser projector to those that have key access Without the key inserted and in the on position the laser will not emit an output The idea behind laser products having key switches is that only those people that are aware of how to operate the laser safely should be given access to the keys The emissions indicator is intended to show when the laser is ready to produce a ligh...

Page 14: ...aser Safety Officer LSO The Laser Safety Officer should be aware of the safety issues when using lasers and is responsible for overseeing how the laser is used In smaller businesses the LSO will probably also be the installer operator owner etc Diffraction vs Direct X Y Scanning Lasers Diffraction type lasers have become increasingly popular in recent years creating laser effects that split the be...

Page 15: ...e height specified is not the height of the actual projector but it refers to the height of the laser effect Therefore having the laser projector positioned at 3m height and aimed directly down is not what the guidance is saying Equinox Lexor Laser Safety ...

Page 16: ...he table below to give an idea of the distances involved Laser Output Power 10mW 30mW 50mW 100mW 250mW 450mW Hazard Distance 12m 20m 25m 36m 56m 76m Table 1 Static Beam Hazard Distances Note The values have been calculated assuming the characteristics of a typical laser lightshow device which has a beam spread of 2mradians Actual devices may differ in practice so this table should only be used as ...

Page 17: ...5 3 2008 Guidance for Laser Displays and Shows Issued by British Standards Institute Website www bsigroup co uk PD IEC TR 60825 14 2004 Laser Safety User Guide User Guide Issued by British Standards Institute Website www bsigroup co uk Health Safety Executive Website www hse gov uk Laser Information and Safety Advice Health Protection Agency Website www hpa org uk Laser Show Safety Information Web...

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