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News from Isher
8/28/06
We miss LAConIV
 Limited production at Isher’s headquarters facility this year means that only a few lucky people will be able to buy a raygun or techie toy. You have our deepest apologies, and we will try to do better next year!

Seriously, we’ve had a challenging year, but as you might expect, Tullio rose to the occasion and managed to build a few toys for this year’s WorldCon.

Thanks to our friends Gretchen & Bill Roper, and Alice Bentley, those toys will be available for you to purchase during LAConIV. They will be happy to take your cash, check, or credit card (AmEx, Visa, MC, Discover).
10/24/04
New Model Q		 We always like to come up with something new for WorldCon (the World Science Fiction Convention) and this year we did a re-design of the Model Q. The earlier version (Q2) used a mechanical switch to fire the laser but it would occasionally stick so we decided we could improve performance by applying our "touch switch" technology. While we were at it we added a blue LED and made the beam intensity variable. Four prototypes were produced and sold at the convention. They had wildly different bodies but the same electronics. After surveying our customers we decided to put one design into production—the QT shown below. Final price to come.





We are interested in contacting the person who bought this prototype at NorEasCon4 (Boston, 2004) — please email us!
12/8/03
Manuals
One of our projects is to get our field manuals on the site.

The field manual for the charge detector is finally ready and you can download it here: 38k pdf file
We also have a Japanese language flyer: 1,281k pdf file
9/5/03
A Call for Photos
 Isher has been producing rayguns for 27 years and that means a lot of guns. However, many of these pieces were produced in very limited quantities and, sad to say, no drawings or good photos were retained in many cases. Even the more common pieces changed from year to year as the design evolved. In an effort to chronicle this evolution we are asking our old customers to send in digital photos of their rayguns (and other Isher gadgets), which we will compile into a history - "The Guns of Isher". This project will take a while so we are setting a goal of finishing by 2006, our 30th anniversary. This work will include a bit of the history of Isher itself as well as what drawings and photos we do have. But to succeed we need your photos so if you have an old Isher gun and a digital camera send us your pictures. Include whatever other information you may remember (when and where you purchased it).
Here are a few of the pictures we have received so far:
Model S Beal
ca. 1980

OWNER:
Mark A. King
Model S special with removable barrel

OWNER:
Dave Taylor
Model S special
ca. 1978

OWNER:
Dave Taylor
Model S standard
ca. 1978

OWNER:
delphyne joan hanke-woods
Early Model F
ca. 1993

OWNER:
Paris Collection
Model T-A
"The Assassin"
ca. 1991

OWNER:
Proni Collection
Model H
ca. 1993

This model was featured in Playboy, February 1994.

OWNER:
Wicker Collection
10/30/02
New handles!

The 2002 World Science Fiction saw the introduction of a radical new handle for several Isher guns.

The Models A, B, C, and Su now have a solid Alumilite handles and it is our plan to switch all other models over to this handle in the coming years.

The new handles have several advantages but perhaps the greatest is that they simply look and feel better. The old handles were basically a box made of 1/8" acrylic with slightly rounded edges while the new handles are sculpted to fit the hand. They are also a lot sturdier being made of Alumilite (a urethane plastic) and, aside from a cavity for the electronics, they are solid.

Other differences are that the new handle isn't glued to the body and the 9V battery has been replaced with a small 12V remote control battery.

2/04/02
High intensity LEDs replace incandescent bulbs!
 Two changes were made in Isher products.

First the Model Q was modified so that it was closer in size to the Model J. This allowed us to lower the price which is always good news.

Second, we began using high intensity LEDs instead of miniature incandescent (christmas tree) bulbs in more of our guns.

      LED

We had been holding off on this change because the incandescent bulbs had been brighter and more inexpensive than the LEDs. Well, they are still cheaper, but the LEDs now are so bright that they blow the incandescent bulbs away. There is also the advantage that they don't burn out and they use much less battery power. So we are gradually changing over to all LEDs.

The plus side is that the guns look better, a lot better, but the down side is that the colors can't be changed by the user since they are soldered in place. This means that you will have to specify the color you want when you order.

We have very good red, blue and aqua LEDs and the green will knock your socks off. We are not as happy with the yellows and amber but we can get those colors also.

     Miniature incandescent (christmas tree) bulb


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Last updated 8/28/06. AP.