Slow-scan CRTs were never exactly common compared to their faster cousins, but given the popularity of Slow Scan TV (SSTV) amongst hams and NASA broadcasts, many of you are probably familiar with them. The slow scan rate of SSTV meant it required much less bandwidth, but in the early days you needed a CRT with a long-persistence phosphor to hold onto the image. [AJRussell]’s Glow Engine works much the same, with one key difference — instead of cathode rays, he’s using a frikkin laser beam.
In this case, the phosphor is Strontium Aluminate, the same stuff that gives most glow-in-the-dark toys and filament its kick. Energized by a 405 nm laser of questionable wattage, the phosphor will glow for several seconds, allowing the creation of an image. So while this is a laser projector, it works more like a CRT than most galvo projectors, which rely on Persistence of Vision to create an image. Here it’s persistence of fluorescence.
Continue reading “2026 Frikkin Lasers Contest: Glow Engine Is Like An Open Air Slow Scan CRT”
