DrSid
0
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2010
- Messages
- 1,506
- Points
- 48
As you might have noticed from my sig, I like ABL. While it might take few years since megawatt class lasers will be made available for hobbyists, time for some kind of airborne laser is already here.
What am I thinking off ? You can get RC quadcopter for like $50 these days. I recently did get one. It can lift about 20 grams, maybe 30, and it already has decent battery (for a flying thing). It even has special channel for turning accessories on/off.
So what if I put a 445nm laser on it ? Something just to pop balloon. Just for fun. Just for the heck of it.
Now of course .. first problem .. safety. Those quadcopters are pretty stable these days .. but it's by no means well controlled mount. It's just not. I'm thinking about making video .. no persons around, me and cameraman with goggles, outside in the fields. Probably in the evening. Would that be safe in your book ?
Second problem .. is that even good idea ? If it works, and if the video is good .. it might go viral, even hit the news in the worse case. What I certainly do not intend is to cast more bad light on the hobby .. both RC and lasers. What do you think about this ?
And last .. of course .. is it even technically possible ? I would not push it hard .. 500mW should be enough for black balloon and few feet (control over that quad is rather nice, I can get close). I would go for a second long pulse or something like that, so I would not bother much with heat sinking .. module alone can do this, I did this at this power. Drivers are very light, no problem here. It would need some switching, but that's no biggie. I would try to use original battery, if it shows troublesome, I would use additional small Li-pol cell. I only want few pulses of it. Something does not sound right for you about this setup ?
Btw. as for aiming, I would use 1mW red.
What am I thinking off ? You can get RC quadcopter for like $50 these days. I recently did get one. It can lift about 20 grams, maybe 30, and it already has decent battery (for a flying thing). It even has special channel for turning accessories on/off.
So what if I put a 445nm laser on it ? Something just to pop balloon. Just for fun. Just for the heck of it.
Now of course .. first problem .. safety. Those quadcopters are pretty stable these days .. but it's by no means well controlled mount. It's just not. I'm thinking about making video .. no persons around, me and cameraman with goggles, outside in the fields. Probably in the evening. Would that be safe in your book ?
Second problem .. is that even good idea ? If it works, and if the video is good .. it might go viral, even hit the news in the worse case. What I certainly do not intend is to cast more bad light on the hobby .. both RC and lasers. What do you think about this ?
And last .. of course .. is it even technically possible ? I would not push it hard .. 500mW should be enough for black balloon and few feet (control over that quad is rather nice, I can get close). I would go for a second long pulse or something like that, so I would not bother much with heat sinking .. module alone can do this, I did this at this power. Drivers are very light, no problem here. It would need some switching, but that's no biggie. I would try to use original battery, if it shows troublesome, I would use additional small Li-pol cell. I only want few pulses of it. Something does not sound right for you about this setup ?
Btw. as for aiming, I would use 1mW red.