I'm going to "Laser" a pilot.

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...

Big Snip!!


What magnitude of laser power would you estimate to be required to
cause retinal damage at say 1 mile for what period of time?

If I may change to a different laser wavelength with a conforming
lens, a 1 megawatt laser will cause nearly instantaneous, and irreversible,
damage at ranges beyond one mile.
I agree with Happy Dog. The toys being bandied about here, and what
are available on the consumer market, are virtually harmless. On the other
hand, a NdYAG for example, is NOT in the visible spectrum and you wouldn't
know to look away until that blurry spot appeared in your visual field. Same
with CO2 and a host of other weapons grade gadgets.
My work with lasers, admitedly years, decades ago, made me
hyper-concious of the dangers. Especially having to sit through a
comprehensive retinal scan and image record every three months, just to make
sure I hadn't screwed up. Which in my lab was very difficult -- it two
people with separate keys on opposite sides of the room and a 3-second
klaxon to turn the gadgets on. I don't even like to see laser pointers used
in darkened rooms, even though I would testify to their safety.

"Casey Wilson" N2310D @ gmail.com wrote in

If I may change to a different laser wavelength with a conforming
lens, a 1 megawatt laser will cause nearly instantaneous, and
irreversible, damage at ranges beyond one mile.
I agree with Happy Dog. The toys being bandied about here, and what
are available on the consumer market, are virtually harmless. On the other
hand, a NdYAG for example, is NOT in the visible spectrum and you wouldn't
know to look away until that blurry spot appeared in your visual field.
Same with CO2 and a host of other weapons grade gadgets.

NdYAGs are available in visible wavelengths. As for UV or IR lasers, how
would you aim them?

moo

Happy Dog wrote:

As for UV or IR lasers, how would you aim them?

Possibly by "piggybacking" them to one of your "toy" lasers such that both hit
the same spot.

George Patterson
He who marries for money earns every penny of it.

George Patterson wrote:

Happy Dog wrote:

As for UV or IR lasers, how would you aim them?

Possibly by "piggybacking" them to one of your "toy" lasers such that both
hit the same spot.

And there you go. We have gone from a claim that laser pointers can cause
retinal damage of pilots in aircraft several thousand feet distant, and
bring down airliners in the process, to a claim that laser pointers can be
used as sighting devices for a CO2 or other high power laser with an
invisible beam. Why would you give yourself away with a visible beam when
you can use a high powered optical sight? You don't have windage or gravity
to deal with. Should we mitigate the risk posed by high power invisible
laser beams? How should we mitigate the risk?

10Squared wrote:

Why would you give yourself away with a visible beam when
you can use a high powered optical sight?

Ever tried to use one at night?

George Patterson
He who marries for money earns every penny of it.

"George Patterson" \ 10Squared wrote:

Why would you give yourself away with a visible beam when
you can use a high powered optical sight?

Ever tried to use one at night?

Yeah. The whole thing is absurd. If a pilot was blinded by UV laser, you
can bet that commercial passenger jets would be equipped with UV detectors
(mundane technology) and pilots would be wearing protective goggles on
approach (again, commonly available). The whole idea is silly, from a
terrorism POV.

moo

George Patterson wrote:

10Squared wrote:

Why would you give yourself away with a visible beam when
you can use a high powered optical sight?

Ever tried to use one at night?

Well, since this fantasy involves well-equipped evildoers they have night
vision scopes on their invisible ray guns.

On Sun, 30 Jan 2005 11:56:49 +0000, 10Squared
wrote:

George Patterson wrote:

10Squared wrote:

Why would you give yourself away with a visible beam when
you can use a high powered optical sight?

Ever tried to use one at night?

Well, since this fantasy involves well-equipped evildoers they have night
vision scopes on their invisible ray guns.

If they're going to use optical scopes and invisible rays, why does it
have to be at night?

Don

On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 03:56:23 GMT, "Casey Wilson" N2310D @ gmail.com
wrote in HPDKd.2876$RI.2060@trnddc06::


"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
.. .

Big Snip!!


What magnitude of laser power would you estimate to be required to
cause retinal damage at say 1 mile for what period of time?

If I may change to a different laser wavelength with a conforming
lens, a 1 megawatt laser will cause nearly instantaneous, and irreversible,
damage at ranges beyond one mile.

So you figure that 1-megawatt is the MINIMUM power necessary? Given
the fact that the majority of homes in the US are served by a
24-kilowatt (2.4% of a megawatt) electrical service, it's not likely
that any retinal damage is possible without browing out half a
neighborhood. :-)