Green Laser Finderscope

[Wikiastro]

I spend quite a bit (far too much) time browsing the internet and had a look at someones website from a while back, looking at the styling.  It contained a how to guide and review of using a rifle green laser sight.

This is the site. A quick look at ebay places these sights in the £15 range these days, and they strike me as ridiculously easy to use.

BUT, and it is a big but, I have a couple of issues

1.  Are they anti-social?  I've seen they are banned from star parties, which is reasonable.  But how visible are they from away from the beam emission site?  I wouldn't want the local yoofs trying to find where that laser was coming from.

2.  Do you think they might be frowned upon by the authorities?  There have been far too many incidents of lasers shone at aircraft for my liking.

I'd love your opinions on these gadgets please!  Does anyone use them?

David

[N3ptune]

We used to play with 50mw and 100mw green laser pointer and they can be seen from far away, i still have a 20mw and it's very strong. I would not use such a laser a finder in astronomy it's attracting too much attention and I believe the police would eventually arrive at your spot for a routine check up

 

 

 

 

[Dave In Vermont]

They might be 'convenient' but, for the reasons you've cited, they aren't worth the risk. Another good reason to pass by using one is should an accident take place, it would give all of us astronomy-people a black-eye! It could end-up with towns & cities banning us astronomers!

Knee-jerk reactions take place all too often.

Dave

[MarsG76]

Thanks for posting this, I was wondering exactly the same thing, I even ordered a laser finder at one stage but it was stopped by customes, stating that these, ie Lasers, are not permitted in the country. 

I was going to try to order another one with a different description, I figured that the chance of both being discovered is small, and I did end up getting a collimator arrive from USA. 

Before ordering another laser finder, there were a few instances on the news about id10ts shining lasers at planes and I thought that it's not worth the potential hassle or trouble if I were to be mistaken at shining a laser at a plane or a plane flew into its path... never though about basically announcing your location though.

[DeepSkyBagger]

The last thing we need is astronomers lighting up the sky...

[Physopto]

There is no good reason to use one of these lasers at a Star Party. That is unless used with the full permission of the organisers and attendees, as in used to instruct and point out areas of the sky at a specified time. Once the real observing and or imaging starts they will only cause massive and unnecessary problems. I have seen idiots waving them all over the place without any thought to safety or those in the vicinity or possible aircraft.

Derek

[Paz]

I thought about getting a laser pointer before buy in the end I didn't. The constant worry of an accident or annoying other people put me off.

I did once do an outreach session using a big maglight torch beam to point things out but the group and I were the only people there so noone else to annoy and there was no chance of blinding anyone by mistake.

[Wikiastro]

I'm guessing that they'd ruin any astrophotography going on in the area too.

[Bigwings]

I use one on my Dob to save my aged back aching after gymnastics using the str8t through.

I have one on my goto Mak to illuminate difficult targets so I can find them with the Dob.

Great kit.

BUT

Be responsible . Check for aircraft nav lights before you switch on.

ONLY use them when your on your own.

Use sparingly.

Had mine 15 years and no problems.

 

[Alfian]

The whole laser finder/pointer subject is a very contentious one and given the safety issues and the availability of  better alternatives I cannot see the point in even considering a laser. A search will no doubt show greater light on this (pun unintended). This thread makes the point well enough.

 

[Wikiastro]

Ha!  Just read that - wow it degenerated quickly!

[Guest]

This should tell you all you need to know about laser pointers http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40907694

 

Owen

[Alfian]

32 minutes ago, Wikiastro said:

Ha!  Just read that - wow it degenerated quickly!

 A bit  unfortunate really but I think the essential points were made and shows the need to tread carefully on the subject on various levels.

[MarsG76]

18 hours ago, DeepSkyBagger said:

The last thing we need is astronomers lighting up the sky...

Or bringing unwanted attention to ourselves.

[MarsG76]

10 hours ago, Wikiastro said:

I'm guessing that they'd ruin any astrophotography going on in the area too.

I guess if the laser beam were to shine across the imaging FOV than, at the very least, a streak would be in the sub.. shining into, or near into, the objective would overexpose the sub, rendering it completely useless.

[MarsG76]

2 hours ago, obrazell said:

This should tell you all you need to know about laser pointers http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40907694

 

Owen

I agree that any id10t deliberately pointing a laser at a plane or another person should be punished, but I'm sure that the vast majority of people are normal and wouldn't do it... hopefully the moronic minority wont ruin it for the normal majority.. again.

[happy-kat]

That's the point, it might not be deliberate but you can't be 100% certain you didn't actually shine the laser at a plane, just because you cannot see the plane does not mean that there is not a plane present.

[MarsG76]

2 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

That's the point, it might not be deliberate but you can't be 100% certain you didn't actually shine the laser at a plane, just because you cannot see the plane does not mean that there is not a plane present.

Actually true.... It seems like a laser pointer in the long run might be more trouble than it's worth.

[Wikiastro]

1 hour ago, MarsG76 said:

Actually true.... It seems like a laser pointer in the long run might be more trouble than it's worth.

This is definitely my opinion.  Especially in crowded British skies.  I mean, look at this.  This is now.  11 20 pm on a Tuesday.

[MarsG76]

36 minutes ago, Wikiastro said:

This is definitely my opinion.  Especially in crowded British skies.  I mean, look at this.  This is now.  11 20 pm on a Tuesday.

Exactly.... looks almost like you're more likely to hit a plane rather than empty sky ;-)

 

[Bigwings]

2 hours ago, happy-kat said:

That's the point, it might not be deliberate but you can't be 100% certain you didn't actually shine the laser at a plane, just because you cannot see the plane does not mean that there is not a plane present.

Aircraft have very very bright anti collision lights and green and red navigation lights and they make a noise.

They are very easy to see.

I live under an airway and within 3 miles of an airfield and have no problems. 

Just be careful. 

The aircraft certainly will spoil more astro subs than my brief flash of lazer.

 

[Dave In Vermont]

I have a green-laser I use as a terrestial pointer, not for the sky. But here's one use I found:

I was staying at a friend's 16th floor apartment in Boston one night when I heard a loud 'POP! POP! POP!' coming from a car below, and heard and saw the windows shattering in a house I'd noted earlier. Young kids were playing in the small yard there and they were brought inside by the adults after dark. And the people in that car had just shot out the windows and into the house! With guns!

I noticed a police-car a few blocks away - moving very slowly. I guessed they'd heard this too. I took my laser and got the attention of the cops in the police-car, and flashing the laser off street-signs, other cars, and some walls - I led the cops up the streets to where the car of shooters was trying to drive, slowly and without drawing attention, away from the scene. I lit their car up like ALIEN-INVASION! It had a metalic paint-job that positively glowed from the laser! The cops saw  this glowing-green car and I kept flashing the laser on-off-on... More police-cars arrived quickly, surrounding the shooter's car.

They were removed from the car and hand-cuffed in short order.

I wished I could have been a fly-on-the-wall at the police-station when the cops explained how they managed to catch the shooters!

Can't see many stars in Boston anyway. Way too bright there.

I also managed to scare a maniac out of my neighborhood with my laser. But I'll save that tale for another time.

Dave - with far less light-pollution & maniacs

 

[saac]

I believe a proposal is afoot in the UK parliament to require possession of laser pointers to be regulated by licencing.

Jim

[fozzybear]

Just one question, how do the pro's get away with using lasers as seen on TV on discovery channel.... just a point (Excuse the pun)

[Alien 13]

I used to use a 5 mW laser to align a radar system an once you got beyond 200 meters the beam was several foot across and no danger to anything even when you stared into it so I expect some of this is hype, the real problem is the easy availability of 200 mW ones.

Alan