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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Airborne laser .. 445nm one ?

DrSid

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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.
 





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Hi Dr! I believe it might be possible, but in the interests of public safety and the welfare of the LPF community, this idea and gun hosts are generally frowned upon. I'm new here too, but I would think that may be something for the vets section. Super Moderator Daguin has also stated before that additional youtube hits should be discouraged for seriously irresponsible laser use videos ;)

PM sent

~ LB
 
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Please don't do this. This is exactly how lasers should not be abused. It's bad enough the likes of Kipkay inflict themselves on the world; we shouldn't have that shit coming from LPF too.

Technically, it's hard enough to control those RC helicopters, let alone aim something with them without some sort of servo mechanism to compensate for the motion of the craft. You're liable to blind someone or yourself. If this kind of thing gets out it'll attract all kinds of unwanted attention from people thinking that kids are going to fly Class 4 laser-toting remote controlled aircraft.
 
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I just weighed a brass Aixiz module (with back portion) with a diode + small driver installed + spring and acrylic lens and I'm getting 11.1g. The brass focus ring (standard aixiz one) weighs an additional 2.1g.
A copper module with aluminum back, FlexDrive, diode, acrylic lens, brass focus ring and some wire weighs 10.1g.
An all-Aluminum module will weigh less than either... if you really need to save weight.
If you can't get enough power from the quad copter's battery a 10440 or cr2 should do the trick. Both are lightweight and compact.
I think you should have no problem keeping it under 50g.

But maybe you should try taping a couple aixiz modules and a battery to the copter and test it out just to see what the real limits are.
I'm guessing you will need to position the package in the right place, too, so as not to make it unbalanced.

I think it would be cool to see something like that. My only other concern with safety besides the obvious would be accidentally shooting the beam out toward the horizon where buildings, vehicles, or people may be.

[Insert safety rant]

Edit: To be honest, I don't think a video like that could really damage "The Hobby" any more than the hundreds of jackasses doing it for us. Sure it's not the most "responsible" thing to do but it's a cool idea (I'm sure many of us have thought about it) and if safety practices are used under controlled conditions and it is obvious in the video... then why the hell not?
 
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Still in the works for my hex rotor is a lasrr mounted on my gible boresighted to the camera. Set it up on a route based of gps coords and I can switch my radio over to controling the gible and in turn aiming the laser. First runs are going to be with a 2mW 638 but I plan to step it up to a 2W 445 and a 808nm 500mW illuminator. Mine can life arpund 12 pounds. Also was thinking of addint on of the red LEDs from DTR to come on when my sonar unit detects the ground within 10 meters or so. :)

Edit: I have a very large field sheilded from public access and well outside of the city. Also glasses will be worn and I have an extremely stable platform capable of altitude and position hold to within cm. Im asuming yours is one of those little indor ones?
 
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DrSid

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I have a very large field sheilded from public access and well outside of the city. Also glasses will be worn and I have an extremely stable platform capable of altitude and position hold to within cm. Im asuming yours is one of those little indor ones?

Yep .. well it's right on the indoors/outdoors border. Too big and fast for indoors, too light for outdoors. It weights 70g as it is, but there is some room for stripping. I'm no hard RC fan (lol) but at this price I just had to grab one.

If you're this guy I say go for it.
Wow .. now this would be a weapon of mass destruction .. I for sure had something a lot more settle in mind. :beer:

Nah .. looks like someone more or less did it .. which makes it a lot less interesting, doesn't it ..


On the other hand, putting it on heavy quadcopter is no challenge at all ! And they don't even switch it, much less pop a balloon.
 
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Well, considering what I do for work, combined with this awesome idea, and now your's (only under the safest conditions) would make a serious custom hexacopter!

 
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You're liable to blind someone or yourself. If this kind of thing gets out it'll attract all kinds of unwanted attention from people thinking that kids are going to fly Class 4 laser-toting remote controlled aircraft.

Thank you Bionic-Badger I should've stresed the danger more. As I was into RC before lasers, the thought had crossed my mind, but when I really began to understand what the numbers meant and the awesome power in these technical marvels I thought better of it. As I can barely solder, I think the world is safe.

I don't see a way to do this safely outdoors outside of a controlled environment by professionals who truly understand the inherent dangers (please don't blind the little animals.) LPF vets would be considered pros of course ;)

That person in the above vid is a straight up idiot.

deer-240.jpg


Don't Lase me Bro!

~ LB
 
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ok, how about this compromise? Outfit a copter with lots of servo-driven 5w disco PJ style diodes and it could be flown around in large interior spaces for LEMs, etc..
 
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I wouldnt be flying it around the neighborhood or anything. Like I said with it on altitude and position hold its as stable as if it were sitting on the ground. The gimble is very acurate as well. its also gyro corrected so any yaw pitch or roll in the hex is corrected out of the gimble. Also should be able to write code so i will only be able to remotley fire it if its facing north +-30 degrees or so and ill stand south of it. This coupled with only flying it a few meters off the ground will be safer than half the things I see on here. Like lighring fires in your house :)
 
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ok, how about this compromise? Outfit a copter with lots of servo-driven 5w disco PJ style diodes and it could be flown around in large interior spaces for LEMs, etc..

I thought this was very cool :)
MEET YOUR CREATOR - QUADROTOR SHOW - YouTube

Speedy78, I always thought a pan/tilt camera mount with headtracking ie;wireshark would be best, because with a low wattage targeting laser you could at least see what was going on. I had visions of losing signal or a stray signal affecting the quadrotor and losing control for even a split second though. I have some ideas but they are definitely indoor and not for public consumption ;)

~ LB
 

DrSid

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Laser pointing downwards sounds easier to do and easier to control .. and safer, as it won't point above horizon. Even that cheap quad of mine does not allow that.
I did direct drive before with 3 AAAs .. I could do 600mA like that. I tried today with Li-pol from the quad. It has lower no-load voltage (4.2 when full) but it pushes 800mA ! That's almost too much. Direct drive would be nice as it would save some weight.
Anyway I most probably won't be able to just plug the diode into accessory output on the quad. It might fry the receiver, but some hi voltage spikes might also go into diode from motors or their regulation.
 
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Its to hard to fly IMO from thos fpv. I only use it once its in some position hold or something. Or if it gets to far away and I dont know which way its facing. I can glance down at a screen and see. It would just be like aiming witb an xbox controler or something. Also I have all kinds of fail safes that will return it to where I am if I lose signal or telemetry. I think youre underestimating what my set up is all about haha.
 
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I think youre underestimating what my set up is all about haha.

Your way ahead of me Speedy. I only have a micro quad that has a weird throttle issue, I've destroyed my helis :whistle: . I picked up this recently though...
143-353-large.jpg


As I can barely solder and have no wireless receiver yet it sits in the box. but I've seen a youtube video of a cam mounted to a micro heli. It's tiny :) I don't think I'll be mounting anything more powerful that a targeting laser and a water/nerf gun ;)

~ LB
 
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We also have in the works a roman candle ignighter for the 4th of july haha. Thats a neat little camera.
 




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