Season 2, Episode 1: Pricing Guideline

Welcome to Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser podcast, with your host Louie Alvarez.

Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser podcast

All areas of the country will have different pricing structures. This is inherently due to the fact that all markets determine the price point of a product. Because there are so many variables in how to price a product that providing specific pricing is nearly impossible as the so many variable must be factored in.

Read the associated article here: Pricing Guideline

Episode 10: Laser Safety

Welcome to Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser podcast, with your host Louie Alvarez.

Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser podcast

A major incident occurred with a customer, fortunately based here in Las Vegas only a couple miles from my office, which required an extremely prompt response. Being so close in our isolated desert city, I was able to personally oversee the incident within about 15 minutes.

The occurrence was a fire last Wednesday, that occurred a second time two days later on Friday, this prompted me to take this topic and expand on the necessity of safety when using a laser system, especially when vector cutting materials, in this case acrylic. So listen in as I explain laser safety, when a fire happens, what causes it, how to prevent it, what to do if it happens to you.

[View with PicLens]

Episode 9: Laser Markets

Welcome to Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser podcast, with your host Louie Alvarez.

Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser podcast

The weeks show focuses on Laser Markets. Your considering purchasing a laser system or your looking for new areas to generate revenue or your ready to move on beyond your bread and butter projects and want to expand your horizons. Well this is the show for you, I first discuss establishing a core product line to create stability and reliability, after that has been successful then it is time to look at new market opportunities and new product lines.

Take a listen and make a comment at the bottom of this post; the good, the bad or the ugly. Make a request for a topic if you like, and of course check out the accompanying article linked here to this podcast.

Episode 7-8: Laserable Materials

Welcome to Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser podcast, with your host Louie Alvarez.

Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser podcast

• Audio links located below.
• Read the accompanying article…

This weeks show was inspired by a request from a prospect many weeks ago, asking what materials and markets would I consider working with if I was to jump into a new laser business. After much thought I sat down and put together an outline, spelling out the many markets and the products that best work within those markets and then next I touched on the materials to concentrate my efforts on.

This podcast covers the most popular materials in use in our industry as well as the ones that have the highest perceived value. Then I close the show with alternative materials for niche markets that for some customers in the past have built their business around. Hope you get some helpful information from it. Broken up into a 2 part series.

Episode 7, Part 1. (00:18:20)
Raw Metals, Processed Metals, Acrylic, Wood, Glass, Marble

Episode 8, Part 2. (00:16:44)
Plastics, coated metals, fabPaper Products, Rubber, Matte Board, Delrin, Veneer

Episode 6: Laser Accessories

Welcome to Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser podcast, with your host Louie Alvarez.

Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser podcast

This weeks show focuses on the various laser accessories available, explaining what they are, if there are alternatives, do we need them immediately upon purchase of a laser or can they be purchased at a later date and finally what accessories do the future hold.

• Red laser pointer
• Auto focus
• Air Assist
• Rotary Attachment
• Vector Red table
• Odor reduction
• Fine nozzle
• Fire guard protection
• Emergency switch
• Memory module

Episode 2-5: Explanation of Lasers

Welcome to Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser podcast, with your host Louie Alvarez.

Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser podcast

This podcast is inspired by the many inquiries I get regarding lasers, what are they, what should I be looking for, what is this component vs. this component, what can they laser do, what does power mean, new vs. used and on and on. Here’s my take the topic. 72½ minute podcast in a four (4) part series, each part not more than 20 minutes.

• Audio links located below.
• Read the accompanying article…

Episode 2, Part 1. (17:58:00)
Manufacturers: GCC LaserPro, Epilog, ULS, Xenetech, Gravograph, Trotec, Vytek
Tube Types: CO2, YAG
Power choices: 12 watt to 120 watt
Power upgrade ability: Is it relevant

Episode 3, Part 2. (20:39:00)
Table size: 8.5″ x 11″ to 6′ x 8′
Servo vs. Stepper: What’s the difference
Speed vs. Throughput: What to really look for
Lens availability: 1.5″, 2″, 2.5″, 4″

Episode 4, Part 3. (20:54:00)
DPI vs. PPI: What’s the difference
Speed vs. Power: What should you use
Features of Interest: Auto focus, LED pointer, pass thru, relative home

Episode 5, Part 4. (14:05:00)
Necessary accessories: Exhaust, compressor
New vs. Used: Pros and cons

Episode 1: Show Introduction

Welcome to Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser podcast, with your host Louie Alvarez.

Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser podcast

Woohoo, finally completed the Premier Episode, of the first, one and only “Laser Lowdown, the All Things Laser” podcast last night!

Wow, there so much work involved to produce a podcast. I see though that after a few initial episodes this will get easier, but the first production took quite a lot of time. The dilemma is that I hadn’t hosted a talk show in over 9 years so was very rusty. Plus I had to learn new software for recording and editing since now not only am I the host but also the producer. Fortunately I learn software rather quickly so that part of the equation wasn’t so difficult, now I’m not saying I am an expert (yet) but at least I am now competent enough to produce this show. You can be the judge of this by listening to the premier episode, located at the end of this posting.

The labor intensive portion of creating podcasts I find is the editing, that alone can take hours upon hours. My first podcast is only 10 minute, 30 seconds long, yet it took me a day and a half because I kept changing, adding, deleting and manipulating the content. Even brought my 9 year old daughter Nessa in to do the intro and outro. That alone took well over 50 takes.

All in all though it was fun (my daughter and I had a blast), I learned a lot, taught my daughter quite a bit, fairly mastered the tools in the software, created somewhat of an outline and a procedure so each podcast can only get easier and faster. According to the experts that be, I should record at least 4 or 5 episodes to get competent and comfortable in the process then release, announce and publish my work.

I think I will do that and begin marketing the podcasts to iTunes, the industry, online, etc. after 4 or 5 episodes. In the meantime, you the visitors to www.LouieAlvarez.com can enjoy the fruits of my labor today!