R5800 Solar Death Ray

[Pheran]

Remember when you used a magnifying glass to burn paper and ants as a kid? This guy has taken it to a WHOLE new level!

R5800 Solar Death Ray (video)

The R5800 is my latest and greatest solar creation. Made from an ordinary fiberglass satellite dish, it is covered in about 5800 3/8" (~1cm) mirror tiles. When properly aligned, it can generate a spot the size of a dime with an intensity of 5000 times normal daylight. This intensity of light is more than enough to melt steel, vaporize aluminum, boil concrete, turn dirt into lava, and obliterate any organic material in an instant. It stands at 5'9" and is 42" across.

Also, pseudo-irony:

Unfortunately, the R5800 was completely destroyed in a storage shed fire on December 14, 2010.

Hopefully not a repost, I did search (only came up with the Vegas hotel death ray and Archimedes test).

 

[Rubycon]

The next time you see someone hauling a RPTV to the curb, take it!
Large ones (>60") especially - those huge Fresnel lenses can do some serious damage. You have to be careful though, it's like playing with a CW laser of several kW. An "oops" can put you in the burn center of your local hospital before you know what happened.

 

[Zargon]

mmmm maybe I should do this with my old dish

my neighbors yappy dogs might STF up then

 

[Pheran]

The next time you see someone hauling a RPTV to the curb, take it!
Large ones (>60") especially - those huge Fresnel lenses can do some serious damage. You have to be careful though, it's like playing with a CW laser of several kW. An "oops" can put you in the burn center of your local hospital before you know what happened.

Yeah, that guy had his hands uncomfortably close to the focal point in a few places in that video. I would have been using some longer tongs or something to hold that stuff!

 

[n7]

 

[qliveur]

"Do you expect me to talk?"

"No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"

It's amazing what you can make out of household junk.

 

[JS80]

Cool. I'd pay like $300 for that "toy."

 

[skyking]

You can use simpler mirrors (even paint!) in one of those old 8' dishes, put a beer keg at the focal area and have a fantastic boiler system. build an auto tracker and have all the hot water you could use.

 

[zinfamous]

Also, pseudo-irony:
Unfortunately, the R5800 was completely destroyed in a storage shed fire on December 14, 2010.

Obviously a coordinated attack by a coalition of local ant colonies.

 

[SunnyD]

I once had a fresnel lens from an overhead projector. I had fun setting ant colonies and things like asphalt ablaze. Gutted a 2x4 once with it too. Ahh those were the days.

 

[MegaVovaN]

Here's mine...
http://i55.tinypic.com/n2bdsh.jpg

For sale in Houston area..


Mine sets wood on fire instantly, turns aluminum and some other metals into oxide/liquid form easily. Burns asphalt like nothing.

 

[IronWing]

I missed this thread earlier. Here's mine:
http://www.mineralarts.com/solar/solar.html

We discussed switching to mirrors but never did.

 

[MegaVovaN]

I missed this thread earlier. Here's mine:
http://www.mineralarts.com/solar/solar.html

We discussed switching to mirrors but never did.

The oven is neat! What you use for mirror-like material?

edit: reading comprehension fail - I see you bought it premade.

There's info online on making your own solar oven: I got to try it sometime... Lots of sunny weather down here!