Equinox Systems Nimbus User manual

USER MANUAL
Order code: EQLA15
www.prolight.co.uk
USER MANUAL

Equinox Nimbus Safety

Equinox Nimbus Safety
IMPORTANT:
The manufacturer will not accept liability for any resulting damages caused
by the non-observance of this manual or any unauthorised modication to the
equipment.
• Never let the power-cable come into contact with other cables. Handle the power-cable
and all mains voltage connections with particular caution!
• Never remove warning or informative labels from the equipment.
• Do not open the equipment and do not modify the equipment.
• Do not connect this equipment to a dimmer-pack.
• Do not switch the equipment on and off in short intervals, as this will reduce the
system’s life.
• Only use the equipment indoors.
 •Donotexposetoammablesources,liquidsorgases.
• Always disconnect the power from the mains when equipment is not in use or before
cleaning! Only handle the power-cable by the plug. Never pull out the plug by pulling the
power-cable.
• Make sure that the available voltage is between 220v/240v.
• Make sure that the power-cable is never crimped or damaged. Check the equipment and
the power-cable periodically.
• If the equipment is dropped or damaged, disconnect the mains power supply immediately.
 Haveaqualiedengineerinspecttheequipmentbeforeoperatingagain.
 •Iftheequipmenthasbeenexposedtodrastictemperatureuctuation(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 reached room temperature.
• If your product fails to function correctly, discontinue use immediately. Pack the unit
 securely(preferablyintheoriginalpackingmaterial),andreturnittoyourProlightdealer
for service.
• Only use fuses of same type and rating.
 •Repairs,servicingandpowerconnectionmustonlybecarriedoutbyaqualied
technician. THIS UNIT CONTAINS NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS.
• WARRANTY; One year from date of purchase.
OPERATING DETERMINATIONS
If this equipment is operated in any other way, than those described in this manual,
the product may suffer damage and the warranty becomes void.
Incorrect operation may lead to danger e.g.: short-circuit, burns, electric shocks,
lamp failure etc.
Do not endanger your own safety and the safety of others!
Incorrect installation or use can cause serious damage to people and property.

YoushouldndinsidetheLasercartonthefollowingitems:
1, Nimbus Laser 2, Power adaptor 3, Instruction manual
Technical Specications:
Laserdiodes:1x100mWRed(650nM),1x20mWGreen(532nM)DPSSlaser
Micro-stepping motor scanner with extra wide projection angle
Operating modes: Sound activated, strobe and Auto run modes
Power consumption: 5W
Powersupply:DC5V(byadaptorinc)
Dimensions: 130 x 120 x 95mm
Weight: 0.5Kgs
Features:
Clusterbeamreworkpatterns,withstrobeeffectsthatareidealwithorwithoutsmoke.
Overview:
Operation modes:
1, Sound active mode
To Set the Nimbus laser in sound active mode, press the “Music/Auto” button on the rear of the unit
inwards. The laser will now react to the beat of the music.
2, Auto run mode
To Set the Nimbus laser in auto run mode, press the “Music/Auto” button on the rear of the unit
outwards. The laser will now run through its built-in programmes. To change the speed of the auto run
use the “Motor speed control”.
3. Strobe mode
To set the Nimbus laser into strobe mode, select the strobe mode on the “On/Off/Strobe” switch on the
rear of the unit. To select the desired strobe speed use the “Strobe speed” control.
Note: The strobe mode can only be used in the above Auto run mode.
EquinoxNimbus     TechnicalSpecications
Identication:
1, Motor speed control
2, Music/Auto mode selector
3, Cooling fan
4, Strobe speed control
5, On/Off/strobe switch
6,Microphone
7, Laser aperture

Equinox Nimbus Safety
Class 3B Laser Safety Guide
Warning
Class 3B Lasers have the potential to harm eyesight if viewed directly and can also be harmful at
long distances.
Anyunitthatcontainsalaserdiodehastobeclassieddependinguponthelightoutputthatsomeone
maybeexposedto.Alllaserproductsareclassedasdenedinthe
Laser Product Safety Standard (BS/EN 60825.1). The classes range from the safest, which is Class 1,
through to the most hazardous, which is Class 4. A laser diode that emits more than 5mW of light and
less than 500mWcanbeclassiedasaClass 3B product.
Operation and installation Notes
Laser effects should only be installed and operated by persons who have been trained in how to operate
laser effects safely.
Laser effects should be located in a safe and secure position in the venue, so that once installed it can-
not be tampered with by unauthorized users.
Before operation the path of the laser beams should be taken into account in respect to how the beams
will scan the viewing audience.
If direct audience scanning is to be used then the laser energy levels from the effects needs to be calcu-
lated.
Health
If used responsibly and in accordance with the relevant guidance issued by the Health and Safety Ex-
ecutive a laser effect will not present a hazard to those viewing the show as long as the laser beams are
projected over the heads of the viewing audience. When laser effects are directed into the audience area
itbecomesdifculttotelliftheeffectsarecausingharm.
Class 3B laser beams can be harmful to eyesight if viewed directly The injury that a Class 3B laser can
inictisdependantuponseveralvarients,includingtheamountoftimethelaserbeamenterstheeyefor,
the intensity of beam and what part of the eye that actually receives the beam. The part of the eye which
is most susceptible to receive damage from the beam is the retina. The retina is the part of the eye that
receives the light signals that are sent to brain. All light entering the eye gets focused onto the retina.
Normal light sources including halogen lamps are not usually harmful to view. Lasers are different in the
fact that they can get the beam focused down to a very small point on the retina which can burn holes on
the back wall of the eye. There are no pain receptors on the retina and the damage can happen in less
time than it takes for a person to blink so the person will be not be aware of any damage taking place.
Damage to the retina cannot be repaired and therefore is permanent.
Symptoms include severe loss of sight and unnoticeable vision loss.

Equinox Nimbus Safety
Licensing and Laws
There are no U.K. “laser laws” or any “laser licenses” that need to be obtained in
ordertoownoroperatealaserforlightshowuse.DetailedandspecicguidanceisissuedbytheHealth
andSafetyExecutiveintheformofabookcalledHS(G)95TheRadiationSafetyofLasersUsedfor
Display Purposes.
Class 3B Laser Safety Features
Class3Blaserproductsneedtobettedwithspecicsafetyfeatures.Thesefeaturesareissuedinthe
British Standard on Laser Product Safety
BS/EN60825-1andareaneededfortheproducttomeetCEapproval.
The important warnings are listed below:-
1) Emissions Indicator
2) Remote Interlock Connector
3) Laser Safety Warning Labels
Summary of each Feature
Class 3B lasers need to contain three very important Laser Safety Warning Labels; the starburst symbol,
aperturelabel,andthewarning/classicationlabel.Thestarburstisusedtoindicatethattheproduct
is a laser product. The aperture label is located next to the aperture to show where the laser emits it’s
beam(s).Thewarning/classicationlabeldetailstheclassofthelaserproduct,themaximumoutput
power,andthewavelength(s)(colours)ofthelaser,alongwitha
“Laser Radiation – Avoid Exposure To The Beam” warning
The Remote Interlock Connector will only allow the laser to function when the two pins are shorted
together.ForlightshowuseitisrecommendedbyHS(G)95lasersafetyguidancelasereffectscanbe
overridden by a remote Emergency Stop switch. The remote interlock connector provides a convenient
way for such a switch to be easily added to the laser system, to provide this control.
Theemissionsindicatoristtedtoindicatewhenthelaserisreadytoproducealightoutput.
Audience Scanning
Audience Scanning is when laser beams are directed at the viewing audience. Because the laser output
beam can scan people’s faces it carries a risk that it could cause damage to eyesight, if over exposed to
the laser beam.
Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE)
The amount of laser light that a person can be exposed to without it causing harm
to eyesight is known as the Maximum Permissible Exposure or MPE. These levels
aresetdownbytheBritishLaserSafetyStandardBS/EN60826-1.Whenpeople
are exposed to laser light output which is above the MPE, it may potentially pose a risk of
causing eye damage. Calculating what the MPE and exposure level is for a given laser effect is quite a
complicated process and it is dependant on a whole number of factors and conditions. The laser safety
standardBS/EN60825-1containstheinformationanddatarequiredtocalculatetheselevels.

Equinox Nimbus Safety
Laser Safety Ofcer
TheBS/EN60825-1LaserSafetyStandardrecommendsthatallvenuesthatuse,orbusinessesthat
workwithClass3Blaserproducts,shouldappointaLaserSafetyOfcer(LSO).TheLaserSafetyOfcer
should be aware of the many safety issues when using lasers, and will also be responsible for oversee-
inghowthelaserisused.Insmallerbusinesses,the(LSO)couldbetheinstaller,operatororowneretc.
Separation Distances
Health and Safety guidance details that for supervised installations of lasers which are above the Maxi-
mumPermissibleExposure(MPE)shouldnotbeaccessibletopersonsintheaudience.Alsorecom-
mended is an area where the MPE may not be exceeded and extends from 3m above to 2.5m laterally
from any point in the venue where the public may have access during the lightshow. The illustrations
below show the separation distances.
Separation Distance Drawing:
Note. The 3 metre height specied is not the height of the actual laser unit, but it
refers to the height of the laser beams emitted.

Equinox Nimbus Safety
Hazard Distances
All lasers for display purposes feature a characteristic called the hazard distance for direct
viewing(NOHD).The(NOHD)isdistanceatwhichviewingthelaserdirectlyisnolonger
considered a hazard. Note at any point between the laser unit and the calculated hazard distance, it may
be hazardous to directly view the laser beams. Exposing the eye to the laser directly from outside the
hazard distance is considered to be no longer a risk.
The most dangerous senerio is to look directly at a static single beam, because all the light energy is
concentrated into one small point. The hazard distances for various different powers of Class 3B laser
are shown in the table below.
Laser Output Power
Hazard Distance
Note - The above values in the table have been calculated assuming the characteristics of a
typical laser, which has a beam spread of 2mradians. Not all laser units have the same
specication.
Remember: Static laser beams are hazardous for long distances so it is recommended that the laser
beams are projected overhead and not into the viewing audience
Laser Safety Books
TheRadiationSafetyofDisplayLaserInstallationsHS(G)95
PublishedbyHSEBooks1996ISBN071760691
Health & Safety Executive
Website - www.hse.gov.uk
Laserdisplaysafetyguidancepage-www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/INDG224.htm
Health Protection Agency
Website - www.hpa.org.uk