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FrozenGate by Avery

Laser Trackers on UK Helicopters






Technology is skyrocketing every second.

I couldn't do that to aircraft though... That's messed up. The day that the pilot gets scared and they jerk the aircraft into a crash... I'd feel like hell. Besides, at first glance a laser could be confused for anything... like another helicopter/plane. The people that do this deserve what the get.
 
Indeed.

I'm wondering if this story has our UK members going underground. May be dangerous to lase in public for a while. At least Andy can do his shows indoors. :)

Is it time to get paranoid? Is this the revenge of TL ? :-X

CC
 
I'm in the UK and this won't change anything I do as I don't try and hit aircraft, cars, people... etc.

I live in a rural area so there is a measure of safety but there is also a copper-chopper posted at a nearby airfield and is a regular potential target for the reckless; and it's being reckless with your laser that is the point here. I have no problem with the law being changed to make it easier to prosecute dangerous use and was pleased to see that, on this occasion, the suggestion is NOT to blanket ban hand-held lasers.

The sceptics may say this is just a step closer to that ban but, for once, I applaud the law-makers for their restraint and hope their good sense continues.

No paranoia here.

Thanks,

M :)

(p.s. I think the police were a little silly not to provide their pilots with suitable eye-protection! They may have been TOLD it was safe but I might have requested some anyway. I hope they bought a sensible IR filtered pointer! Should we give them any tips?!! ;D)

(p.p.s I would have thought that simply putting a corner reflector on the bottom of their aircraft would deter attacks!)
 
LOL I like your corner reflector idea! I'm still trying to figure out how they think they can "Fingerprint" a laser from it's wavelength. I would think that all greenies would have the same wavelength (+- a few nm). They say it's like matching bullets to a gun, but I can't see how it's possible to be that precise. Maybe they're just putting a bit of disinformation out there to act as a deterrent. ;)

The device in the photos looks the size of a digicam, anyone know who makes it? Frothy?

CC
 
Matching wavelength? That's just stupid, a simple temperature change will throw the wavelength off. Now some innocent laser owner will get blamed for a laser attack because "the wavelength matches".
 
I think it's a touch of scare-mongering. Either that or Police are colour blind and need a machine to tell them if the laser was red, green, or violet!

[Disclaimer: other colour lasers are available. Your wavelengths may go down as well as up. You are at risk of blindness if you do not keep up your safety requirements. ;D ;D]

M :)
 
That's what I was thinking. I'm hoping that one of our scientists here can debunk this nonsense (or lend credibility if they know who might manufacture the device they are seen using). It seems pretty far-fetched if you ask me. Like I said, it's probably disinformation, put out there to scare the dumb yobs & chavs who keep shining pointers at aircraft. So in that context, it actually makes sense. I wonder if shows like CSI have had any deterrent effect on crime? :-?

CC
 
This "laser tracking system" only detects lasers directed at the aircraft, as long as you're not deliberately targeting planes/heli, you shouldn't be too worried.
 
we are more or less talking about green lasers only, since reds arent that bright, have less range and dont seem to be widespread in higher powers.
greens have exactly three wavelengths coming out: 532, 1064 and 808. sure, the 808 could be +- a few nm. but the two IR wavelengths wont make it to the plane anyway, since they arent collimated enough. any and every green laserpointer will register as exactly 532,8nm, with absolutely no change. not by heat, not by misalignment, not by malfunction, not by tweaking. the way the green light is produced only allows exactly that single wavelength. but it surely does sound scary in that article.. ;-)

manuel
 
laserbee, (I think), has found this link relating to the bit of kit being used.:

http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1239315410

It was in a, "Geek's Corner", thread.

Still think the coppers must be colour-blind to need to use one!  ;D I mean it's either GREEN or, it isn't!

Hope this was a good post.

M :)

(Why do I seem to be the only one with no, "+", or, "-", by my rep point score? :-?)
 
Morgan said:
laserbee, (I think), has found this link relating to the bit of kit being used.:

http://www.laserpointerforums.com/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1239315410

It was in a, "Geek's Corner", thread.

Still think the coppers must be colour-blind to need to use one!  ;D I mean it's either GREEN or, it isn't!

Hope this was a good post.

M :)

(Why do I seem to be the only one with no, "+", or, "-", by my rep point score? :-?)
Click to expand...

It seems the unit also gives GPS info as to the location of the originating beam

BTW... You are NOT the only one with "0" rep points...
It took a while to get my 1st Rep...... ;)

Jerry
 
styropyro said:
Matching wavelength? That's just stupid, a simple temperature change will throw the wavelength off. Now some innocent laser owner will get blamed for a laser attack because "the wavelength matches".
Click to expand...

Or with a green laser they will check the first person they find with a green laser and then that person will go to jail because its 532,8nm just like the other green laser... I don't know...Maybe its super accurate or something...Or its just a scare tactic.

--Hydro15
 
Helicopter crew use hand-held Laser Event Recorder to locate pointer. It records wavelength to match beam to pointer - like matching bullet to a gun
Click to expand...

That made me laugh lol, to be honest it probally isn't a police statement but just bullshit coming from the reporter, or maybe they didn't mean to use it as the only form of tracking the laser pointer but a rough guide.. so if they find someone with a red laser pointer then they can recall on the wavelength information and relise it was green and this isn't the right person.

but the matching a bullet to a gun is funny lol.
 
i bet the laser tracker's wavelength measuring device only does two. red and green
;D
 
... Just a note.

Quote from laserbee, "BTW... You are NOT the only one with "0" rep points...
It took a while to get my 1st Rep......

Jerry "

Rep points should be earned, of course. I was just querying why there was no red or green buttons by the score? :-?
 
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