green lasers

Might be an idea to purchase them if you want one before the US bans them:

edition.cnn.com/2004/US/12/09/terrorist.laser.ap/index.html

Aggghhhh! Terrorists! Lasers! Planes! Panic!

I'll check up with the IAA here to see what they have to say about their use.

Cheers,
~Al

Might be an idea to purchase them if you want one before the US bans them: edition.cnn.com/2004/US/12/09/terrorist.laser.ap/index.html
Aggghhhh! Terrorists! Lasers! Planes! Panic!
I'll check up with the IAA here to see what they have to say about their use.Cheers,~Al

This topic has been doing the rounds on a few Yahoo groups lately due to a CNN scare story and there is one guy in particular trying to whip up a frenzy. Most sensible astronomers are downplaying this scare. Yes, some pilots are quoting incidents close to landing at airports, none of which involve amateur astronomers trying to down planes with their green lasers. The FAA ban lasers near airports and in C airspace (whatever that is) and users need a licence to buy a green laser over 5mW. Most lasers used by astronomers are 3-5mW although I read about one guy using a 100mW. Now that is dangerous and could blind someone if accidentally pointed that way.

It seems extremely unlikely that an amateur astronomer on the ground could manage to accidentally hit a pilot's eye in a plane thousands of feet up and even if he did, the beam has widened considerably by then and of little risk. These stories are typical US terrorist phobia. Homeland Security probably devise these scares to keep terrorist threats in people's minds but "attack of the green lasers"!

Gordon

I got to play with a "tuned up" green Laser while in Belgium (it belonged to a certain onbservatory I have links with). They are just amazing! The modifications to the original were tiny, simply replacing a resistor with a different one but the effect is simply dramatic, even on a crystal clear night with a full moon the laser can be clearly made out when you point with it as a green beam heading skywards!

To give you an idea of the power, I managed to see a spot on the local church about a KM away with it!

Bart.

Can you post the laser type and the exact mod they made,
This would be very interesting, and not for downing planes by the way

heres one to read
www.dailyrecord.com/news/articles/news2-laser.htm

Are these lasers similar to the ones we have Al?