How to Safely use a Green Laser Pointer for ufo/star Spotting?

I'm paranoid I admit, especially after reading about people getting arrested for accidentally hitting a plane.

Does anyone have experience with pointers? How far away can you point one from a plane without being a bother, or a notice? How bright are these things really? Can I 'circle' a point in the sky with one without being harmful to another person?

I want to point it at a black part of the sky, and send out a beacon of sorts really, is this okay? Below is a chart discussing my specific pointer. Does the average plane fly at around 30,000 feet?



I just bought this off ebay, and I'm really happy with it so far. The light is very beautiful and bright. I just want some advice before pointing it around randomly.

Thanks! (Help me understand this chart?) Mine is 5mW, the first one.

reply to post by Lunette


Be careful you don't blind the Aliens and make them crash. We don't want to create another Roswell incident.

reply to post by Lunette


Easy - your tiny laser wont piss off anyone.

Personally... I would go for a 500 and piss off EVERYONE! But thats just me...

reply to post by rickymouse


Thank you you made me laugh.

reply to post by FraternitasSaturni


You made me laugh too. 500? Dang that must be one hot pointer. XD I wonder how long you can keep it on before it burns you?

reply to post by Lunette


The following link (found easily through Google search) has many examples and safety tips regarding pointing lasers at the sky:

www.laserpointersafety.com...

reply to post by rickymouse


Yes we do!! That's exactly what we want! With loads of witnesses and cameras and proof!



But I have no idea about your laser though. Hope you get help to work it out.

reply to post by Lunette


A plane at 30k feet could probably see a green light from a 5 mw, probably not very bright or even noticeable by very much though..

I have a 70mw green laser, same wavelength as yours, it is quite a jump from 5mw, but 750mw and above in a green laser is where they get scarier.. One of the 750mw ones can actually ruin some optical sensors on satellites and render them inoperable.. The beam is more than powerful enough to ignite someone's pants on fire from a few blocks away or burn their skin very painfully..

Just a 0.5 second flash can damage eyes permanently.. even the 5 mw laser will permanently damage eyes with hardly any direct exposure..

I've been thinking about getting a 2 watt blue laser, but they are very dangerous to use when anyone else is even near, and you always have to wear special goggles with that.. Just looking at the beam can damage the eye permanently..

alienreality
A plane at 30k feet could probably see a green light from a 5 mw, probably not very bright or even noticeable by very much though..

The link I posted above has an image of a 1mW green laser pointed at a location 20km (17 miles) away, and it's very noticeable, and still very bright.

reply to post by Lunette


The law applies to those who are intentionally trying to use the laser on an aircraft.

If it has legitimate uses then there should be no issues. I would check, as bass ackwards as it sounds, with the FDA. They are the ones who determine the do's and don'ts when it comes to Lasers.

The other things I would check would be if the location you are trying to use it from is near jet routes / approach / departure corridors. For that info I would check with the FAA.

Last but not least check your state / local laws.

_BoneZ_

alienreality
A plane at 30k feet could probably see a green light from a 5 mw, probably not very bright or even noticeable by very much though..

The link I posted above has an image of a 1mW green laser pointed at a location 20km (17 miles) away, and it's very noticeable, and still very bright.

Yep indeed The human eye seems to have a marked affinity to the green laser much more than any other colors.. In regards to being the easiest to see.. I had a 2mw red laser that plugged into 110v and it was bright, but the beam wasn't easy to see like the green ones..
From your link I see they are even more exceptional than I had thought!

Kind of hard to believe they are still legal to own..

A person with one of the 2 watt blue laser hand helds could do some serious property damage and harm, but most people aren't that mean or irresponsible, thankfully.

Be VERY careful with lasers.

Many years ago, my now EX wife pointed a very weak, standard bar-code scanner with a red laser at my face joking around. Ever since I have a dark spot in my eye which I can see floating around when I look at a bright background.

What a higher powered green laser can do I don't even want to know.

reply to post by Lunette


Most commercial aircraft operate at between 30,000 and 40,000 feet, although obviously that altitude varies within that dependant on route, and aircraft type. But that applies to airliners mostly. Smaller planes, light aircraft and so on, have a lower operating height, and bare in mind that commercial flights also take off and land, so if there is an airport anywhere near to you, then you can expect to see aircraft much lower than the average flight height for those purposes.

My advice would be to avoid doing anything until you have learned everything you can about your equipment, the risks, physical and legal, of its use, and the environment you will be operating in. I have a sneaking suspicion that unless you know nearly as much about flight times over your operational area, as the FAA do, you would be risking a hell of a lot of trouble. That sad, I am pretty sure that having enough information to achieve this with as low a risk factor as possible, would probably be quite a difficult situation to be in. I am pretty sure that gaining that information would be tricky if you asked the authorities. Even the attempt might get you red flagged.

If they find you possess detailed information about flight times, routes, flight plans themselves, without having authorised access to it, you would be even more boned. At the same time, it would be difficult to do your experiment without having enough info to do it safely.

Best of luck navigating a way through that!

Ok, I google mapped closest airport. It's small, but it's 7 miles away.. what I'm worried about is sometimes we have military copters going over our house, mostly in the day, so close it shakes stuff and scares the crap out of everyone.

So as long as I keep it on a black part of the sky, I should be peachy right? They wouldn't intentionally fly into it if they could see it probably.

I looked up jet routes but couldn't find any sites...

reply to post by Lunette


Website called flightradar24 .. It's pretty much a live aircraft tracker. If you find your airport you can study roughly which was the approach and departure paths

I am confused. Are you using the laser to point out things to others? Then you need to be careful and follow the advice of others.

If your just trying to make contact with the UFOs... Stop being ridiculous. You're going to blind someone and get yourself in trouble.

What possible use does a laser pointer serve to someone alone looking up at the night sky?

YOU can already spot whatever it is youre looking at. No the aliens won't go "hey that Hooman wants to chat, let's go say hello!"

Oo

Lunette
Ok, I google mapped closest airport. It's small, but it's 7 miles away.. what I'm worried about is sometimes we have military copters going over our house, mostly in the day, so close it shakes stuff and scares the crap out of everyone.

So as long as I keep it on a black part of the sky, I should be peachy right? They wouldn't intentionally fly into it if they could see it probably.

I looked up jet routes but couldn't find any sites...

FAA - Air Traffic Plans and Publications
FAA - military Information / Training routes
US Department of Transportation - Aviation
FAA - Order JO 7400.2G
Procedures for Handling Airspace Matters April 10, 2008 - **PDF file**

Laser Attacks On Aircraft A New Federal Crime
18 USC 39A - Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft
FAA - Laser Safety Initiative
FAA - Report a Laser Incident (helps you understand what they are looking for)

Since you are looking at airport info as well - Some basic background info about size and air traffic control.
Air Traffic Control information - Wikipedia

Airline Route Maps - USA
FlightAware - Live flight tracking

FAA Recommendations (from Wikipedia Article)
Regulation and Control Section

Airspace zones[edit]

The U.S. FAA has established airspace zones. These protect the area around airports and other sensitive airspace from the hazards of safe-but-too-bright visible laser light exposure:

The Laser Free Zone extends immediately around and above runways, as depicted at right. Light irradiance within the zone must be less than 50 nanowatts per square centimeter (0.05 microwatts per square centimeter). This was set at "a level that would not cause any visual disruption."[18]
The Critical Flight Zone covers 10 nautical miles (NM) around the airport; the light limit is 5 microwatts per square centimeter (μW/cm²). This "was determined to be the level at which significant glare problems can occur."[21]

The optional Sensitive Flight Zone is designated by the FAA, military or other aviation authorities where light intensity must be less than 100 μW/cm². This might be done for example around a busy flight path or where military operations are taking place. This "was identified as the level of exposure at which significant flash blindness and afterimages could interfere with a pilot's visual performance."[21]

The Normal Flight Zone covers all other airspace. The light intensity must be less than 2.5 milliwatts per square centimeter (2500 μW/cm²). This is about half of the Class 3R power level, and is not considered hazardous for a brief exposure.

For non-visible lasers (infrared and ultraviolet), the irradiance at the aircraft must be eye-safe—below the Maximum Permissible Exposure level for that wavelength. For pulsed visible lasers, the irradiance at the aircraft must be both eye-safe and must be at or below any applicable FAA laser zone.

In the UK, restrictions are in place in a zone that includes a circle 3 NM (5.5 km) in radius around an aerodrome (airport) plus extensions off each end of each runway. The runway zones are rectangles 20 NM (37 km) in total length and 1000 meters (3280 feet) wide, centered about each runway.

Reporting[edit]

In the U.S., those persons operating outdoor lasers are requested to file reports with the FAA at least 30 days in advance, detailing their laser power(s). They must reference their operation location with respect to local airports and describe the laser power emitted within the Sensitive, Critical and Laser Free zones. Note that it is possible to use lasers whose output exceeds the limits of these zones, if other control measures are in place. For example, spotters could be used to watch for aircraft, and turn off the laser if a potential conflict is sighted. (This raises separate issues about the number, training and effectiveness of the spotters; the FAA must be satisfied that these issues are answered for the particular operation.)

FAA Advisory Circular 70-1[31] "Outdoor Laser Operations" contains two forms plus instructions. One form is a "Notice of Proposed Laser Operations", the other is a "Laser Configuration Worksheet" which is filled out for each laser or each different laser configuration. The FAA will review the report, and will either send a letter of objection or will send a letter of non-objection. The language is important; the FAA does not "approve" or "disapprove" as this implies a higher level of regulatory authority which the FAA does not have.

If the laser use is for a show or display in the U.S., there is a more stringent regulatory process. In the U.S., any use of lasers in a show or display requires pre-approval from the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health. This is required both for the laser equipment, and separately for the show itself (site, audience configuration, beam effects, etc.). As part of the CDRH's show approval ("variance") process, the CDRH will require a letter of non-objection from the FAA. Without this, the laser show cannot legally proceed.

In the U.S., laser activity in a given area is communicated to pilots before their flight via a NOTAM.[19] Pilots exposed to a laser or bright light during flight should follow Advisory Circular 70-2[32] "Reporting of Laser Illumination of Aircraft".

UK laser operators report outdoor laser, searchlight or firework operations at least 28 days in advance, using the Notification Form found in annex A of the CAP 736 document.[30]

Sorry for all the links... Hope you find the answers you are wanting in this area. If all else fails, it does not hurt by calling and asking questions about it. Just be honest about the intent and ask what needs to be done to safely use the laser in your area.

I know some paranoia exists when it comes to these issues and the Federal government... In your case the information you are wanting is public information and readily available, including the military information.

Its not that uncommon here to point them at police copters, they dont crash but i did see a video of some kids getting heat seeked by the copter then they sent a few cars in and arrested them.

A few friends have got some of Wicked Lazers, only about 300GBP for some really high power ones, Just dont look at the beam if your within a mile of so, can burn your eyes real bad (they say, ive never looked into one)

I dont think you will have any problems as long as you dont use it like a jerk.

Oh and they can pop balloons and burn paper too

(PS: All planes should have a red flashing engine light if there legit try to avoid them!)

reply to post by Xcathdra


Gotta be carefull who you call i think the highest power ones are illegal in the USA, but most sites will just ship them and have guaranteed deliverys in the USA anyway.

(Up to 5mw is ok i think so that should be no problem but more MW = more fun )

Not letting me post edit, NVM