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Message no. 1
From: "Paolo Falco the FoxMaster" <FaLCo@****.iT>
Subject: LASER what???
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 1996 23:18:37 +0200
On 22 Jul 96, Ojaste,James [NCR] wrote the FoxMaster about RE:
shadowdawn -Reply:

> > Last time I looked it was rather tricky making a laser go around in
> > curves with a mechanism that would survive a couple of good solid hits.
>
> Just put the laser generator along the shaft, and have a
> prismatic mirror at the head of the axe, attach a motor to
> spin the mirror to cover the prescribed arc.

So that the axe goes *BZZZRRTTT*, *BZZZRRTTT*? :)

> > Look at the picture. It's got a great big solid thing that looks a heck
> > of a lot like an axe head to me.
>
> The crescent looks more like plexiglass to me. The big lumpy
> thing on the back of the axe head is probably where the laser
> is.

Actually, I have always thought that a laser axe/sword was a pretty
pointless and an un-scientific idea at best. IF you can make a
portable laser of sufficient power to be able to punch through armor
and flesh, then you have the most perfect 100-or-so-metre-long
lightsaber that you have ever imagined. You know, laser light is
pretty coherent, so that it doesn't scatter around as much as normal
light. This means that as soon as you have your "generator", you also
have a theorically infinite length laser beam of HUGE power. In fact,
the axe you were describing, would be something that actually gives
off a fan of laser light that "stops" (ie actually drops in power to
an extent to which it doesn't hurt except for minor burns and retinal
damage) at around, let's say... 1 metre? (to be optimist). You know,
FASA got it really, really, really wrong with having laser light that
stops and suddently goes down to zero potence where and when you
want. You could have lightsabers if you could simply tell EM
radiation of any given frequence to do what YOU want. To solve this
really un-scientific paradox, I have simply ruled that the laser
crescent axe is an axe with an especially fine blade cut and
perfected with a laser scalpel (not that any of my players goes round
with an axe, but, just in case...)
I will have to ask my pals at the CSELT laser labs more info, but
that means waiting until October or so, so for now my lowly
basic Electrodynamics and optics, plus a hint of laser-building
lessons, will have to suffice.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Paolo Falco | "I closed my shop and you brought only ONE
Ironbound Section | ball?" (from "Clerks" - and My Experience)
------------------------------------------------------------------
Skater's Site And Generally Paradoxal Poetry Page With Lemmings at
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/2717
------------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 2
From: Robert Watkins <robertdw@*******.net.au>
Subject: Re: LASER what???
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 96 18:01:55 +1100
>This means that as soon as you have your "generator", you also
>have a theorically infinite length laser beam of HUGE power. In fact,
>the axe you were describing, would be something that actually gives
>off a fan of laser light that "stops" (ie actually drops in power to
>an extent to which it doesn't hurt except for minor burns and retinal
>damage) at around, let's say... 1 metre? (to be optimist). You know,
>FASA got it really, really, really wrong with having laser light that
>stops and suddently goes down to zero potence where and when you
>want.

The trick, as I understand it, is the focus... The laser only burns at
the focus point.

Run the laser through a lens (breaking up the coherence). Run it through
another lens. Adjust until it is coherent at the point you want.

It's a safety device. (At least, I _think_ I've described it correctly).
But it's not something you want to swing around hitting into things.


--
* *
/_\ "A friend is someone who likes the same TV programs you do" /_\
{~._.~} "Eternal nothingness is fine if you happen {~._.~}
( Y ) to be dressed for it." -- Woody Allen ( Y )
()~*~() Robert Watkins robertdw@*******.com.au ()~*~()
(_)-(_) (_)-(_)
Message no. 3
From: "Ferri Pagano" <Ferri_Pagano_at_STRM__Amsterdam1@******.com>
Subject: Re[2]: LASER what???
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 96 14:33:53 EST
robert wrote...

>This means that as soon as you have your "generator", you also
>have a theorically infinite length laser beam of HUGE power. In fact,
>the axe you were describing, would be something that actually gives
>off a fan of laser light that "stops" (ie actually drops in power to
>an extent to which it doesn't hurt except for minor burns and retinal
>damage) at around, let's say... 1 metre? (to be optimist). You know,
>FASA got it really, really, really wrong with having laser light that
>stops and suddently goes down to zero potence where and when you
>want.

The trick, as I understand it, is the focus... The laser only burns at
the focus point.

=> A Large focus point, laser lights run almost parallel, with a lens
you could limit the burn area, but outside it it would still be a
BRIGHT flashlight.

Run the laser through a lens (breaking up the coherence). Run it through
another lens. Adjust until it is coherent at the point you want.

=> And ask your opponent to "please hold still for another minute"
while you fiddle around with lenses.... :)

It's a safety device. (At least, I _think_ I've described it correctly).
But it's not something you want to swing around hitting into things.

=> Not more than once , I'd bet.

-end-

While I can envision a powerful [and I mean POWERFUL] magnetic field
being used to focus lasser light in this manner, I don't see it
happening anytime in the next 300 years. Also, why bother? Laser guns
are better.
Laser tech is new in SR, lasers are just becoming available so I think
that the laser axe is just another typo [sort of] from Fasa, as in SR
the tech needed to build one is just not there, I prefer to consider
it as a battleaxe for posers, full of blinking lights along the edge..

Just about as "cool" as a ganger in pink.

Anyway, who cares? it's crap anyway, loads of better weapons around...

F.
Message no. 4
From: Robert Watkins <robertdw@*******.net.au>
Subject: Re: Re[2]: LASER what???
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 96 19:17:40 +1100
>Run the laser through a lens (breaking up the coherence). Run it through
>another lens. Adjust until it is coherent at the point you want.
>
> => And ask your opponent to "please hold still for another minute"
> while you fiddle around with lenses.... :)

That's if you DID want to change the range... in the laser crescent axe,
it's a fixed range (you only want it burning HERE).

The real advantage is that, by decreasing the burn size through the lens,
you INCREASE the power. So a relatively weak laser could produce a fairly
hefty burn, in a small place. And THAT is what you're after, 'cause with
the speed of a swing, the laser isn't going to get a chance to burn for
long.

But where the heck is the power pack for the damn thing? (Objection
number 4, I think)

> I prefer to consider
> it as a battleaxe for posers, full of blinking lights along the edge..
>
> Just about as "cool" as a ganger in pink.
>
> Anyway, who cares? it's crap anyway, loads of better weapons around...

That's exactly what I've been saying.


--
* *
/_\ "A friend is someone who likes the same TV programs you do" /_\
{~._.~} "Eternal nothingness is fine if you happen {~._.~}
( Y ) to be dressed for it." -- Woody Allen ( Y )
()~*~() Robert Watkins robertdw@*******.com.au ()~*~()
(_)-(_) (_)-(_)

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