Air to Ground Pointer - Green + IR

[FlyArmy]

Hope a few experts out there can advise me on this...

Lately you see in the news people lasing aircraft. I want to do the opposite.

Here is my application for a green laser. I want to point from a helicopter to
individuals on the ground. In a non-shooting environment at night. I would be a minimum of about 2000ft from the individuals I want to point at. I need to direct my guys on the ground onto the people I am pointing out. My aircraft has an IR laser integrated into its FLIR. But often the ground elements I am trying to direct onto a location do not have NVGs. I would occasionally like to manually put a green laser out my door so that the guys responding can see where the helicopter is looking. But due to terrain, they probably can't see the spot on the ground - they need to see the laser beam to get an idea of the location. They could be say 1/2 mile to a mile away. They get a general idea of where the helicopter is, but due to it being up in the air and flyign in a circle, they need a lot more guidance.

I have tried this a couple times. The 1st 5mw presentation pointer I tried isnt really bright enough for people to see from any distance and was no help. I brought one laser pointer that I had good sucess with, but it stopped working after short order.

Two requirements I am looking for in the product are, 1) A constant ON switch. I'm busy and don't want to have to keep my finger on a momentary switch. 2) A non-IR filtered beam. What I found with the 1st laser I tried, was that I had to look under the NVGs to see the beam since it was filtered. The 2nd one I could see the green beam without NVGs, but could still see it through the NVGs since it wasn't filtered. That was a lot easier to use. I understand generally lasers are supposed to be IR filtered, but you see why I don't want it to be.

If you can point in a good direction I would appreciate it.

Thanks.

 

[anselm]

Hello and welcome to the forum!:wave:

How much do you want to spend?
I'd suggest you get a cheap "200mw" green pointer from one of the many cheap
chinese retailers, ALL their lasers are IR-unflltered.

Browse the "green laser" section in websites like
Focalprice,
Dealextreme (if not US),
Priceangels....

You will find models that have a so called "clicky", constant on, switch.

You might find those not reliable enough for a serious, professional application though....


A bit higher quality can be had at:
rayfoss or
o-like.

Even better (but $$$) are companies like:
jetlasers,
optotronics,
CNI,
viasho.

You're not the pilot, are you? So would you be pointing by hand or attach the laser
to a "pointable" gadget on the outside of the aircraft itself?

 

[Cyparagon]

A spotlight might be better. A pointer's beam is not visible enough to be seen from far off unless you're looking along a similar path to the beam (ie towards the source with the source pointing in your area). What power was the one that you were using?

 

[FlyArmy]

We do have a regular spotlight on the aircraft. But it is not slaved to the FLIR. So we can't effectively use both the FLIR and the searchlight at the same time. We are able to standoff at a much higher altitude and distance with the FLIR than with the searchlight. So we would rather stay on the FLIR. We have another slewable light that we can put on the target, but from a distance its beam is very spread out and it it not very bright and it doesn't really help our guys on the ground get a specific location.

The laser I used that I found effective was advertised as 150 mW I believe. But as I mentioned, I do need both a green and an IR component to the beam.

I am the pilot, and want to be able to stick the laser pointer out the window, and while looking at the IR component of my handheld laser pointer through my NVGs, I can simply put the pointer on top of the IR laser our FLIR is putting on the target. Then, my guys responding on the ground who don't have NVGs can see the green laser, and know exactly where the FLIR is looking.

Ideally this would be built into the aircraft systems, but its not. I found the handheld laser out the window to work great on one occasion. But need an appropriate laser that will last more than the one use the last one I bought did.

Price is not too big a factor. But it will be bought by my funds. I found an actual mil-spec pointer that was great, but it was like $3000. So can't do that. But under say - $200 would be fine. A concern of mine is, that once I get into the realm of a quality laser, the IR is filtered out.

 

[rhd]

Why not give this a shot?
200mW transformable green laser/adjustable [OLV6200] - $129.99 : Welcome to O-Like.com, Your source for laser products

I don't think it is IR Filtered, but you can certainly ask them first.

 

[anselm]

I am the pilot, and want to be able to stick the laser pointer out the window,

Excuse my naivete, but how can a helicopter pilot afford to take ANY hand
off the cyclic and/or collective? Or do you say "You have the controls" everytime
you need to flash your greenie out the window?:thinking:

A concern of mine is, that once I get into the realm of a quality laser, the IR is filtered out.

On most models, you could easily remove the filter yourself once you get it, or
better yet have the company remove it for you before they send it.

A pointer's beam is not visible enough to be seen from far off unless you're looking along a similar path to the beam

He does have quite a point there you should consider.

 

[GoolGaul]

what if you actually attached a laser to your FLIR, so it'd point wherever FLIR points.

there are numerous wireless links and bluetooth solutions for on/off.

 

[Cyparagon]

I'd recommend having two lasers. The IR component of crappy Chinese greens is... well... crappy. Mount them side by side - they'll diverge into each other in short order anyway.

 

[rhd]

Good call -

Why not buy 2 Rayfoss waterproof hosts, stick a 200mW DX green module in one, and an aixiz module containing a 500mW IR diode in the other. Mount them side by side.

Probably accomplish this for ~$150 all said and done.