"My favorite supplier of LASER devices has green diode lasers and driver circuits. Power ranges from 5 to 100 milliwatts at prices from $395 to $1995."
I've seen a few laser devices on the past few posts that look like they illuminate only a thin beam of light. I would think that hardly noticeable in an aircraft traveling 300-500mph. When these pilots say the light "illuminates" the cockpit, I was taking it for granted that they meant that the entire cockpit was lit up...am I wrong?
This is pretty interesting...
Powerful Laser Beam To Be Visible Sunday Night
Boulder Company Testing Component To Be Flown In Space
Wayne Harrison, Senior News Editor
POSTED: 11:37 a.m. MST December 5, 2003
BOULDER, Colo. -- If you see a piercing green light shooting into the sky Sunday night, it's not aliens, it's the work of scientists at Ball Aerospace.
The Star Wars-like light beam is part of a satellite the company is working on that will one day measure the Earth's atmosphere from orbit. It tested a lower power version in Hawaii earlier (pictured, left).
"The testing will probably start shortly after dark and last several minutes or several hours, depending on how the scientists need to adjust the frequency," said Emilia Reed, a spokeswoman for Ball Aerospace, which is working on the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infared Pathfinder Spaceborne Observations project. "If it's clear skies, with little cloud cover, the beam can be seen from Colorado Springs and Wyoming."
Reed said the laser beam, which will originate from Ball Aerospace, would be quite spectacular at times. It was originally scheduled to be tested Saturday evening, but that was postponed until Sunday, she said Friday. Reed said the test won't start until 4 p.m., at the earliest. The test will last between five days and three weeks, depending on weather conditions.
"At its greatest frequency, the beam will be about the circumference of a basketball hoop and very visible by human eye," she said.
The laser beam is about 40,000 times more powerful than a common laser pointer pen. The company has taken special precautions to protect aircraft and birds that might fly into the beam.
"Every precaution has been taken to ensure the safety of the environment in the surrounding area," according to a release issued by Ball. "The laser system is equipped with radar that will shut down the system in the event that an object is about to enter the laser beam."
The laser will be used as part of the Cloud-Aerosol LIDAR and Infared Pathfinder Spaceborne Observations project (CALIPSO) that will be flown in space later. The satellite will help scientists answer significant questions and provide new information about the effects of clouds and aerosols (airborne particles) on changes in the Earth's climate. Understanding these components will provide the international science community with a more comprehensive data set that is essential for a better understanding of the Earth's climatic processes.
Ball Aerospace is responsible for the three scientific instruments within the LIDAR and the communications equipment for the CALIPSO program.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/2685895/detail.html
Obviously, I know little about lasers...I didn't realize that there were laser lights out there that are no bigger than a regular everyday laser pointer that could reach as far as 20 miles. All one has to do to find one, is simply go to the Fox News site and look up the latest story about the pilot...halfway through the article, a google ad provides 2 links to such lights. No wonder there are copy cat crimes.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,142867,00.html
The 2 links provided are:
http://wickedlasers.com/
http://www.mazaklaser.com/