Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Army is tripling the power of one of its vehicle-mounted laser systems
Task and Purpose ^ | 8 May 2020 | JARED KELLER

Posted on 05/08/2020 10:42:19 AM PDT by BeauBo

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-52 next last
To: Leaning Right

When I was in college, I took a laser from the EE lab. i put saran wrap over the top of my Bose 501 speaker and taped a little mirror on it.

We aimed the laser at it. WE watched all the amazing light patterns it made on the wall to a Joe Walsh CD for hours.

It makes no light? sure. This one did. a laser pointer makes no light either right?

I do question the illustrations above though.


21 posted on 05/08/2020 11:39:17 AM PDT by bewildered
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: dp0622; Leaning Right
I read somewhere that laser doesn’t emit a color. So that means everything is Star wars and Star trek was fake?

I'm not sure where you are getting your information. Lasers can emit electromagnetic radiation at a varieties of wavelengths, many of them visible to the naked eye. I agree that some of them might be difficult to see (hence the enhanced visibility when talcum powder or the like is sprinkled in the beam). Is that, like sunlight, you can't actually see it until it interacts with an object?

22 posted on 05/08/2020 11:40:39 AM PDT by Quality_Not_Quantity (This space vacant until further notice in compliance with social distancing 'guidelines')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Bommer
Our top geeks probably already have lasers mounted in near parallel just slightly different in frequency phase, in order to generate a focused destructive interference at the atomic level

They named it a "Phaser"

23 posted on 05/08/2020 11:45:47 AM PDT by ASA Vet (Make American Intelligence Great Again. Bring back ASA.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: bewildered

> WE watched all the amazing light patterns it made on the wall to a Joe Walsh CD for hours. <

Well, yes. A laser does emit radiation that, if in the visible spectrum, will show up as a dot on a wall or whatever. I was referring to the beam itself, as was seen in that Star Trek posting.

Maybe they do exist. I am not an expert on all types of lasers. But I have never worked with a laboratory laser where the beam itself was visible without putting some sort of scattering material in it.


24 posted on 05/08/2020 11:51:36 AM PDT by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: BeauBo

Bkmk


25 posted on 05/08/2020 11:52:33 AM PDT by sauropod (Quarantine is when you restrict sick people, tyranny is when you restrict healthy people.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dp0622

CO2 lasers emit in the infrared and are therefore invisible. Other lasers, like Ar or ruby, emit in the visible and show color. Example - a lasr pointer.


26 posted on 05/08/2020 11:57:08 AM PDT by beethovenfan (Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: dp0622
I choose a green laser sight for my Mossberg SPX 930 rather than the more common red laser. It's easier to see in a lighted area.
27 posted on 05/08/2020 11:57:29 AM PDT by ASA Vet (Make American Intelligence Great Again. Bring back ASA.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Candor7

The military has shields that can do this, but there is no need to produce them yet. No sense ramping up high cost of production on something that isn’t needed.


28 posted on 05/08/2020 11:57:44 AM PDT by Kirkwood (Follow your Inner Trump)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Quality_Not_Quantity; dp0622; Leaning Right

A lot of electromagnetic energy can be coaxed to synchronize into a beam - many frequencies of light (visible and invisible frequencies, such as infrared), microwaves, Radio frequencies, X-Rays, etc.

Lasers would just be those that operate in the light frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum, while the broader category of Directed Energy Weapons (which includes lasers), would include those many types of invisible (to the human eye) frequencies as well.


29 posted on 05/08/2020 11:57:46 AM PDT by BeauBo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

It’s a secret.


30 posted on 05/08/2020 12:02:18 PM PDT by Kirkwood (Follow your Inner Trump)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Quality_Not_Quantity; dp0622

Please see my post #24.

As for sunlight, consider a picture of the sun taken from space. You don’t see any light rays. It’s not like those friendly, smiling sun pictures you see in cartoons.

To see those rays, the light must interact with particles. That is my understanding of the phenomenon.

As to where I am getting my information, I spent many years running chemistry and physics labs. But my specialty is inorganic chemistry, not optics. So I am certainly open to correction here.


31 posted on 05/08/2020 12:04:37 PM PDT by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

Comment #32 Removed by Moderator

To: dp0622
"I read somewhere that laser doesn’t emit a color. So that means everything is Star wars and Star trek was fake?"

Depends on the type of lasers...there are many. Some emit visible light (typically red or green...see laser pointers), some infrared (basically heat), which is invisible to the eye. Then you get into the exotics, like the "free electron laser" which can be tuned to output many wavelengths...but only one at a time. It's been a few years since I researched available laser tech, so this is certainly a very incomplete summary.

33 posted on 05/08/2020 12:16:14 PM PDT by Wonder Warthog (No Longer Tolerating Trolls!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: BeauBo

Please use it on jihadis first then show us the videos.


34 posted on 05/08/2020 12:19:40 PM PDT by Rebelbase
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Candor7

Only a quarter million apiece from your friendly government contractor.


35 posted on 05/08/2020 12:22:05 PM PDT by Rebelbase
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: BeauBo
Your pictures didn't post right, but I found a pic online.


36 posted on 05/08/2020 12:26:30 PM PDT by Sirius Lee (They are openly stating that they intend to murder us. Prep if you want to live.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Leaning Right

I think you may be right. Space is dark except when visible light interacts with something.


37 posted on 05/08/2020 12:54:03 PM PDT by Quality_Not_Quantity (This space vacant until further notice in compliance with social distancing 'guidelines')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Candor7

start the research in a bar around 0200....


38 posted on 05/08/2020 1:01:46 PM PDT by redlegplanner ( No Representation without Taxation)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Candor7

“A smart entrepreneur would now be designing and manufacturing
laser proof goggles which can protect the eyes of troops and air force pilots from these upgraded laser units.”

We already have them.


39 posted on 05/08/2020 1:10:15 PM PDT by 2CAVTrooper (Political Science degrees, so easy Obama has one.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Candor7

“A 5 inch shell will blow your head off but the Army couldn’t make proper ear/hearing protectors for those in the vicinity.”

The damnedest thing is from post-Vietnam let’s say around 1975 until 2000 something when the 3M plugs started being issued the Army issued silicone single or triple flange earplugs that worked just fine.

I’ve been around M109 and M110’s when they fired while wearing the triple flange plugs and I have had no issue with hearing loss.

Personally I would want to know which senator or congress critter had their skids greased by 3M to push for the new earplugs.


40 posted on 05/08/2020 1:29:30 PM PDT by 2CAVTrooper (Political Science degrees, so easy Obama has one.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-52 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson