Re: Laser lunacy

From: Tim Killian (TJK_at_notmyrealemail.com)
Date: 12/30/04 

Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 10:58:35 -0700

Someone with a laser collimator (are there green models?) could use
their scope as a "light cannon" where the optics broaden the beam and
reduce divergence. An 8 inch aperture could easily illuminate an
aircraft cockpit several miles away at night. That's why I'm concerned
this might end up in the lap of the amateur community, as in "Look what
those crazy astronomers are doing!"

Pilots flying at night are very paranoid -- any unexpected bright light
that appears to be headed their way will really piss them off.

matt wrote:

> Seriously now, how did this legend and paranoia get started , that a low
> power laser beam with known large beam divergence would be able to
> illuminate in any significant way a distant moving target, without having
> tracking capability ? Even a half Watt laser with the kind of divergence
> these small pointers have would not pose any risk thousands of feet away for
> anybody's vision .
>
>
> best regards,
> matt tudor
> 4-
>
>

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