How does a laser level work... spinning mirror? ...Jim Thompson
-- | James E.Thompson | mens | | Analog Innovations | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | STV, Queen Creek, AZ 85142 Skype: skypeanalog | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at
I think the good ones use a spinning pentaprism not a mirror.
The difference is: if the bearings of the mirror have a bit of play or wobble so that the mirror tilts by an angle of X seconds of arc, the beam after the mirror will tilt by 2X seconds of arc, and your construction project will be wonky.
If you use a penta-prism that is on loose bearings and so gets tilted by angle X, (at least for small X), there is zero change in the angle of the beam after the pentaprism, not 2X. With the penta-prism, the beam always gets bent by 90 degrees, defined by the grinding machines that made the penta-prism, not defined by whatever sub-standard skateboard bearings are used to rotate it. Provided the beam coming from the laser is accurately vertical (which is a separate problem...) after the pentaprism the plane swept by the beam will be flat and horizontal and not depedent on the bearings that carry the pentaprism.
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