cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/64612634
Error in the text: 1000mW laser with 532nm wavelength which is green light.
1000nm light is infrared.
I have a green laser pen. It’s fun. Like you can see the beam when it isn’t even dark. It feels like it should burn skin, but it doesn’t. It will damage eyes though. It is not a toy and I don’t let children handle it. Well, it’s a toy for me, but I know what I’m not to do with it.
If there were Flock cameras near me, I wouldn’t think of pointing my laser at one! That said, how long do you have to sustain the beam?
Never point a laser at a human being or a moving vehicle being operated by a human! It is an act of violence!
Stupid dystopia camera towers on the other hand are not human beings and are not moving so that is a different topic.
Not only that, if you point them at aeroplanes, it will fuck with their guidance and such. Also, they can pinpoint your location and call the police. In many places (if not everywhere) it’s a crime to point lasers at aircraft. Don’t do that.
It’s not that it messes with their guidance, but the materials the cockpit windows are made of scintillate when hit with a laser, make it impossible for the pilot to see out. It’s a problem at altitude, and could easily cause a crash at low altitude when approaching landing.
I’m curious how they can pinpoint your location.
Seems like it would be difficult, at best.
I’m NOT recommending doing it, just sounds like FUD is all.
You can literally see the beam all the way to the source.
Yes but as long as you aren’t wearing cement shoes in the middle of a field, you would think you could get away with it somewhat easily
I mean sure, if you just flash a plane once and quickly leave you probably aren’t getting caught. I think the bulk of people dumb enough to do so though probably do it more than once, at which point I don’t think it’d be hard to track you down.
Fair
Yeah, I honestly have no idea. I look in at the cockpit of a jumbo jet when I board, and I look at the pilot and copilot with respect, because I have no idea what half of those controls do, or what those screens all mean. Aside from the iPad they tend to have, that’s just their in-flight entertainment (and other things, I’m not sure). Maybe they can and maybe they can’t.
Don’t worry, a non-zero number of those crews were likely too drunk to notice your respectful nod.
Unfortunately, that laser shown is 1,000 mW but mislabeled as 1,000 nm. That’s 200 times stronger than you can get in a regular laser pointer.
Styropyro disagrees
I also have one that is great for pointing at stars. Powerful enough to burn dark colors, pop a baloon or a slight burn on skin. Easier to burn if your skin is darker. Mine I think is 50mW. Typical pointer is 5 or less. A 1W pointer is extremely powerful. I was surprised they even exist battery powered, but I guess there’s been advancements since I bought mine.
I suspect if someone sold a little automated “turret” that recognizes cameras and lasers them they could make big money off all this flock drama.
