How legal are Class 4 laser pointers?

edslittleworld · Feb 10, 2016

Are Class 4 laser pointers 100% legal with regards to selling, buying, transporting, etc? Other than trying to blind people and blasting airplanes, is their use pretty much unlimited?

I'm asking because I'm also a drone pilot and regulations are really tightening up.

I have to admit that I have a decoy/donor laser I paid $5 for in eBay...in case I'm forced to forfeit one.

cistercian · Feb 10, 2016

edslittleworld said:
Are Class 4 laser pointers 100% legal with regards to selling, buying, transporting, etc? Other than trying to blind people and blasting airplanes, is their use pretty much unlimited?

I'm asking because I'm also a drone pilot and regulations are really tightening up.

I have to admit that I have a decoy/donor laser I paid $5 for in eBay...in case I'm forced to forfeit one.

There is no such thing as a class 4 pointer in the US.A class 4 laser may be portable...but a pointer it is not.In the US a pointer is 5mw or less.

Of course being able to own portable class 4 lasers is nice and I own one...it is a lot of fun for various experiments.The class 4 greens and blues and reds have poor divergence...over a long path they are not as much as a hazard as a really fine DPSS class 3b would be.That being said at closer ranges they are very dangerous.What you can do depends on where you live and how you present yourself as well.Here in my mountain home I enjoy seeing the various layers of moisture in the atmosphere...and it also dovetails nicely with my ham radio hobby.Most people think the beam looks cool and if you are not an ass you can do what you want.I wait until the local airport closes until I blast the sky...and I keep a very sharp lookout for med-choppers.

I think if you are considerate you can do as you please.But I am in my 50's and can articulate well what I am doing.Trying what I do at age 18 may yield different results.

I should add many have asked if I point at planes.My response is as follows:

Do I strike you as the kind of man who throws cinder blocks from overpasses into car windshields?Hell no I am not that man!!!I would never shine my laser at a plane!Only an imbecile would do something so evil and dangerous!!!

I hope this answers your question.If in doubt...retain counsel.

Seriously.

OVNI · Feb 10, 2016

Basically, in the USA you cannot sell or import any laser pointer over 5mW. A couple websites to wade through are laserpointersafety's site and FAA's site. There are additional State and Local laws at www.laserpointersafety.com. It is not (yet) illegal to own a laser pointer (or portable laser) over 5mW but there are severe penalties for misusing any laser.

edslittleworld · Feb 10, 2016

cistercian said:
There is no such thing as a class 4 pointer in the US.A class 4 laser may be portable...but a pointer it is not.In the US a pointer is 5mw or less.

Of course being able to own portable class 4 lasers is nice and I own one...it is a lot of fun for various experiments.The class 4 greens and blues and reds have poor divergence...over a long path they are not as much as a hazard as a really fine DPSS class 3b would be.That being said at closer ranges they are very dangerous.What you can do depends on where you live and how you present yourself as well.Here in my mountain home I enjoy seeing the various layers of moisture in the atmosphere...and it also dovetails nicely with my ham radio hobby.Most people think the beam looks cool and if you are not an ass you can do what you want.I wait until the local airport closes until I blast the sky...and I keep a very sharp lookout for med-choppers.

I think if you are considerate you can do as you please.But I am in my 50's and can articulate well what I am doing.Trying what I do at age 18 may yield different results.

I should add many have asked if I point at planes.My response is as follows:

Do I strike you as the kind of man who throws cinder blocks from overpasses into car windshields?Hell no I am not that man!!!I would never shine my laser at a plane!Only an imbecile would do something so evil and dangerous!!!

I hope this answers your question.If in doubt...retain counsel.

Seriously.

Hey man...you sound like me. I'm in my 50s, am a ham operator and have a few greenies (WL, DL, etc).

cistercian · Feb 10, 2016

edslittleworld said:
Hey man...you sound like me. I'm in my 50s, am a ham operator and have a few greenies (WL, DL, etc).

The ability to id tropo openings is nice.
Extra here.Main rig is an icom 7410.With all filters...a great DX machine.

Hope to add you to the log OM.I hang in the window on 75 working my pals from across the pond.Good DX and 73's!

edslittleworld · Feb 10, 2016

cistercian said:
The ability to id tropo openings is nice.
Extra here.Main rig is an icom 7410.With all filters...a great DX machine.

Hope to add you to the log OM.I hang in the window on 75 working my pals from across the pond.Good DX and 73's!

Cool! My only rig is a Yaesu FT-817 just sitting right by my keyboard. We'll have to meet up on 20M sometime. BTW...I'm just a General, but I earned it with 13 wpm of code about 30 years ago.

Ed

Laser Chick · Feb 10, 2016

I have a stable of class IV handheld lasers and have never had a single run in with the authorities.
I do like your idea of having a cheap laser on you and if you ever are stopped. You pocket the good laser and give up the cheap laser. Would break my heart to hand over one of my 1100mW 532nm or 3800mW 445nm lasers

The wisest thing to do though is never get yourself in that situation in the first place

cistercian · Feb 10, 2016

edslittleworld said:
Cool! My only rig is a Yaesu FT-817 just sitting right by my keyboard. We'll have to meet up on 20M sometime. BTW...I'm just a General, but I earned it with 13 wpm of code about 30 years ago.

20m is not very good on my system...but I have a Icom tuner on the way that should help.An AH-4.Until then good dx and 73!

No.I won't actually post my call here.Call me paranoid...but the qst lookup is so easy.I am a no coder...and have had no replies when I tried on 40 and 80 to cw.

I really like ssb.,..and with digital enhancement even more so.

Colorado springs......Tesla land.....EPIC. You lucky dog...such a great QTH!!!
Hope to work you soon...with my epic 100w station!Hee hee!

edslittleworld · Feb 10, 2016

Laser Chick said:
I have a stable of class IV handheld lasers and have never had a single run in with the authorities.
I do like your idea of having a cheap laser on you and if you ever are stopped. You pocket the good laser and give up the cheap laser. Would break my heart to hand over one of my 1100mW 532nm or 3800mW 445nm lasers
The wisest thing to do though is never get yourself in that situation in the first place

Agreed, but S___ does happen. You may need to make that $5 "investment". I'd sure hate to lose my Dragon/Wicked lasers. My little "overclocked" cheapo can look the part and how would an LEO dude be able to distinguish 50mW vs 500mW from a sky view??

edslittleworld · Feb 10, 2016

cistercian said:
20m is not very good on my system...but I have a Icom tuner on the way that should help.An AH-4.Until then good dx and 73!

No.I won't actually post my call here.Call me paranoid...but the qst lookup is so easy.I am a no coder...and have had no replies when I tried on 40 and 80 to cw.

I really like ssb.,..and with digital enhancement even more so.

Colorado springs......Tesla land.....EPIC. You lucky dog...such a great QTH!!!
Hope to work you soon...with my epic 100w station!Hee hee!

Funny...but I just moved from Colo Spgs to Tulsa via Tucson. May be back in Littleton in the very near future. Sure miss the Springs and the myriad activities there (rock climbing, cycling, hiking, etc, etc). BTW...I might have you delete my callsign from your quoted reply...thanks!

diachi · Feb 10, 2016

edslittleworld said:
Hey man...you sound like me. I'm in my 50s, am a ham operator and have a few greenies (WL, DL, etc).

Quite the influx of hams recently. I like it!

73

Trendkilla254 · Feb 10, 2016

I'm sorry to continue the off topic discussion; can anyone direct me to a good source to learn about HAM? I want to go from 0 information to the 2nd tier (I think it's General license) and eventually go to Extra. I don't have the skills and information yet. I'd like to learn, how and where should I start?

diachi · Feb 10, 2016

Trendkilla254 said:
I'm sorry to continue the off topic discussion; can anyone direct me to a good source to learn about HAM? I want to go from 0 information to the 2nd tier (I think it's General license) and eventually go to Extra. I don't have the skills and information yet. I'd like to learn, how and where should I start?

This is a good resource for hams in the US:
hamstudy.org/

There's also the reddit.com/r/amateurradio

Also, its ham not HAM

not an abbreviation.

NightExplorer96 · Feb 10, 2016

^Oh, I thought you guys were talking about ham, like the meat ya know? :yh:

-Alex

cistercian · Feb 10, 2016

Trendkilla254 said:
I'm sorry to continue the off topic discussion; can anyone direct me to a good source to learn about HAM? I want to go from 0 information to the 2nd tier (I think it's General license) and eventually go to Extra. I don't have the skills and information yet. I'd like to learn, how and where should I start?

Don't capitalize ham...it makes you look like a noob!Get your hands on an amateur radio handbook.Read it over and over again.Even an older one will teach you electronics.I read my dad's 1955 handbook until the cover fell off...then I started getting more of them.I am a bit of a bookworm...
On the website eham.com you can take practice tests using the actual questions.There are guys who do this until they pass easily but they don't actually know the theory which is a huge handicap to setting up a good station.

Local amateur radio clubs also teach classes which is another way to get started.Like any community ham radio has some very mean people in it.Ignore them...most hams are very nice and I still get very excited when I talk to someone very far away.It is just an absolute blast.

Good luck and don't put it off...it would be fun to talk about lasers on the air!!!

diachi · Feb 10, 2016

cistercian said:
Good luck and don't put it off...it would be fun to talk about lasers on the air!!!

I can PM you my call - that way of we bump into each other on the air we can chat about lasers!

How legal are Class 4 laser pointers?

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edslittleworld

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diachi

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