Sweden proposes banning pointers >1 mW; asking for comments by Oct 4 2013

[Spooky]

Probably not good to build this into a pointer then?

Crazy thing is there are no restrictions on buying these of any kind.

best wishes

Dave

 

[Sigurthr]

This one?

Thanks for finding that thread! I had someone PM me a few months ago about legal issues and I was trying to explain the situation in that thread but could not find it when I looked for it.

 

[InfinitusEquitas]

Probably not good to build this into a pointer then?

Crazy thing is there are no restrictions on buying these of any kind.

best wishes

Dave

If you can turn that into a pointer... I want pictures

Kind of reminds of the nail clipper/tiny knife on a plane argument.

If you can take over a plane with a set of nail clippers... you deserve to be in charge of where it goes.

 

[Spooky]

hehehe IE if somebody ever does with one of these my day job is going to get a lot harder

Its 90mm in diameter and 1.87 meters long, 188 watts peak but sadly no beam shots ( IR sucks for beam shots)

It does however leave me with a nice 80 watt tube and PSU to play with

cheers

Dave

 

[Sigurthr]

If you can turn that into a pointer... I want pictures

Kind of reminds of the nail clipper/tiny knife on a plane argument.

If you can take over a plane with a set of nail clippers... you deserve to be in charge of where it goes.

I'm basically half way there with my 15W one, IE. I just need a cheap 150W car inverter and a 3x 18650 cradle. The laser itself is all completely self contained with internal coolant pump and heat exchanger in a 2 hand format.

 

[pmurph5]

Mention has been made of the Australian ban, and how that has worked out.

There are some articles here about the Australian situation: http://www.laserpointersafety.com/news/news/other-news_files/tag-australia.php

One of them says that the ban may have backfired because imported pointers are being labeled as less than 1 mW but 78% were between 5 and 100 mW.

Also, the number of laser/aircraft incidents has increased from 648 in 2007/2008 (before the ban) to 828 in 2010/2011.

The rate of laser/aircraft incidents in Australia is actually greater on a per capita basis than the rate of incidents in the United States.

On the other hand, Myrtle Beach SC is reporting that laser harassment and incidents have drastically declined since they instituted a ban on selling laser pointers above 1 mW, and a ban on selling any pointers to youth under 18.

The above data points are for your consideration in thinking about Sweden's proposed ban.

 

[InfinitusEquitas]

Possession a laser pointer in Myrtle Beach greater than 1mW is actually illegal now... yes the law there is geared primarily toward merchants, but that does not mean that you are stopped, and frisked, you won't be in trouble for merely having the laser...

Any person of 17 years or older who possesses a laser pointer or device unlawfully, or who points a laser beam toward any vehicle, person or animal is subject to a conviction for violation of City ordinance, for assault and battery, and/or for mistreatment of animals, with a $500.00 fine and up to 30 days imprisonment, or both, as well as being civilly liable for any personal injury to a person or animal, or damage to property, that might result from this illegal act.

a) any laser pointer or device that is used unlawfully, or
b) any laser pointer or device that is greater than 1 milliwatt, as shown by the manufacturer's or distributor's technical specifications as shown on the pointer or device or otherwise

http://www.laserpointersafety.com/rules-general/uslaws/uslaws.html#SOUTH_CAROLINA_New_North_Myrtle

 

[EpicHam]

I'll hate to pop your bubble, but as the old saying goes.

Bradley Manning , Snowden , Julian Assange .
They all stood for the freedom of the mass , now they are enemy of the state .
Hunted , persecuted and imprisoned .

What are we gonna do about it?
Rebell against the government with spoons only to plant a new figurehead into the system which would just do the same thing over and over again?

 

[Spooky]

The original firearms laws of the UK enacted in 1906 were to "prevent armed insurrection among the lower classes"

As Orwell said "If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face...forever"

best wishes

Dave

 

[Optik Illusion]

this is the last day for this ..bump..

 

[Blaster]

Well lets hope they don't pass it but more than likely there will be another Nanny Country i should know. Sigh

 

[OrionBLF]

The nanny state syndrome seems to be getting infectious; with the way this rhetoric and paranoia about the potential threat to planes and public servants. Before long, they may say it's due to counter-terrorism measures even.

 

[Spooky]

Guys, it's never about safety, it's never about stopping crime or protecting people, it's simply about votes.
The person that is perceived to be protecting the masses will be perceived as a saviour even when no real problem exists or the problem that does exist can be dealt with another way.

The leader of genius must have the ability to make different opponents appear as if they belonged to one category.

So disincentivised tossers lasing planes (so nasty little jonny who has no pointer will end up playing with weedkiller and sugar)
Uneducated tossers lasing planes (the guy who is too stupid to realise the danger will likely do something else just as dangerous when he loses his lasers)
Malicious tossers lasing planes (Lasers are easy to get hold of, so are guns)
Bored tossers lasing planes (the devil makes work for idle hands)
Insane tossers lasing planes (don't you just love "care in the community?)
Terrorist tossers lasing planes (they started using plastic IED's in Afganistan as the metal mines / bombs could be detected)(where there is will there will be found method)

For the purpose of votes all you need do is make it appear to be a single entity problem, ie: people lasing planes, that way you get public opinion behind you, score some votes and get re-elected.(when in reality you just shift the problem to another means)

In reality it is a myriad of problems leading different groups of people to point lasers at planes for different reasons but if the people (US) expected the Governments to deal with the individual problems such a feat would be close to impossible ergo: no votes get scored as treating the cause rather than the symptoms leads to failure due to the sheer bulk of different causes. No nice decrease figures to post next election time.

oh and the "leader of genius" quote?


Hitler!

cheers

Dave

 

[Optik Illusion]

The nanny state syndrome seems to be getting infectious; with the way this rhetoric and paranoia about the potential threat to planes and public servants. Before long, they may say it's due to counter-terrorism measures even.

I have no doubt that they will soon make that connection - purely to be able to control something else. Just like what Obama is doing to the US parks and border patrol during the government shutdown - making completely unrelated links just to make people miserable because he cannot have his way.

 

[Blaster]

I have no doubt that they will soon make that connection - purely to be able to control something else. Just like what Obama is doing to the US parks and border patrol during the government shutdown - making completely unrelated links just to make people miserable because he cannot have his way.

I from Australia i heard about the shutdown WTF does that mean i don't want to hijack this thread just short reply .

 

[Optik Illusion]

This post is being rewritten - I had a horrible first draft

The Government Shutdown here in the U.S is caused by our two parties being unable to reach an agreement on the budget. Recently they have been shutting down things like parks, memorials, and other publicly funded places in an effort to "save money".

In context to my post - The government is currently shutting downs things unrelated to the budget crisis (i.e privately owned parks), making connections where there is none, hoping that the public will be outraged. Even though there is no reason for some of these places to be closed - they close them hoping to turn the public on the other party. I feel this is like what is happening to our hobby of lasers

The governments call kids shining lasers up at the sky "attacks" when in reality they are not. They will make completely unrelated connections with hopes of causing the general public to panic and in a knee-jerk reaction ban them. It seems recently the government will spew whatever garbage out of their mouths that they can in an effort to get more control over the general public. We all know that it is very unlikely, if not impossible for a laser pointer to crash a plane...but the general uneducated public does not. If the government says "Laser ATTACKS" are increasing, it is going to cause mass concern by the general public...when reality that laser attack is some doff looking at stars. If the government wanted to be straight forward about lasers, they would simply say "some kid accidentally shined a laser at a plane". Instead they want to cause mass panic by calling it a "Laser Attack".

That is just my two cents.