text: LIQUID SKY LASER SCANNER
  Liquid Sky Laser Scanner, retail $35.00 (www.mi-lasers.com...)
  Manufactured by Panasonic (www.panasonic.com)
  Last updated 06-25-11
  The Liquid Sky laser scanner is a small device containing what appears to be a stepper motor with six rectangular mirrors mounted to its outer rim. When a visible-light laser is shone onto and reflected off these rotating mirrors and there is smoke or fog in the air, a "liquid sky" effect can be seen.
  It comes prepped with power wires that are approximately 7.5" long; the insulation on the ends of these wires is cut through but not removed, so you can strip them without tools.
  To use the laser scanner, mount it in whatever location you choose with screws, inserting them into the four holes provided on the corners of the product.
  Apply 15-24 volts DC to the power wires (red is (+) positive, black is (-) negative).
  Aim your laser at the rotating mirrors. When done correctly, you should see a line projected on the wall on the same side the laser is; view the scanner directly (but NOT the laser beam itself!!! ) to see the "liquid sky" effect. Smoke or fog enhances this effect.
  For maximum safety when using this product in public, mount the scanner and laser on the ceiling, orienting them so the scanned laser beam does not go below head-height of the tallest person you might normally encounter - seven feet in elevation is probably safe.
  Since this product uses any source of 15.0 to 24.0 volts DC you can find that can supply at least 400mA, this section will be skipped.
  Advertised current usage is 400mA at start-up, >100mA running.
  Since this is a circuit meant to be installed in or on something and then not screwed with, I won't throw it, try to drown it in the toilet bowl, kick it, smack it against a steel rod or the corner of a concrete stair, stomp on it, or otherwise abuse it like I might abuse a regular flashlight for the sake of this website. So this section of the web page will seem significantly more bare than this section of the web page on a page about a flashlight.
  According to the website, these are the specifications of the scanner:
  Speed: 8170 RPM.
  Rotation: Clockwise.
  Sweep: 817 Hz.
  Mirror Facets: (6) .80" x .125".
  Dimensions: 2.67" x 1.88" x .90".
  Here's a photograph of the laser scanner in action, using 40mW at 532nm..
  At least I *think* that's the fan-shaped beam, not the top of the scanner itself.
  Same photo, 2mW at 593.5nm.
  Beam color is *significantly* less reddish than it appears in this photograph.
  Same photo, 5mW at 645nm.
  Same photo, ~170µW at 473nm.
  ***VERY, VERY IMPORTANT!!! ***
  I CANNOT obtain good photographs of the "liquid sky" effect with the equipment at my disposal.
  Test unit was purchased on Ebay on 06-10-05, and was received on the afternoon of 06-20-05.
  UPDATE: 08-23-06
  Somebody asked me which pins were for power input; as they had purchased one without the power wires already soldered into place.
  As you can see in this photograph, (+) is pin 1, and (-) are pins 2 & 3.
  This is as the unit is upside-down and the connector on it is facing you.
  UPDATE: 06-25-11
  A website visitor emailed me and furnished me with a new (updated) link to this scanner on the Meredith Instruments website; thank you very much for that!!!