Anyone out there have and use a Greatland Laser flare?
After seeing flare demos on teh USK videos I bought one last season for carrying in my PFD pocket while doing coastal paddling.
Now with the hoopla over the aircraft crew blindings, I am wondering what teh CG thinks of these. I assume that with the low wattage and the fan shape further diminishing the effective brilliance there should be no danger to crews. After all, it would be used only in an emergency situation.
Jim
Different laser
The flare will only (hopefully) draw attention, not tempoarily blind like some of the green lasers.
I do I do
I have one and have been packing it for a year now. It’s not a blinding light at some distance, tho has a 20NM range. I’ve shinned it across a bay at someone who said it was quite bright. I use it as a pointer doing slide shows! If you put a piece of tape over the end, except for a small part, it works well.
steve
More info?
Do you have a website for more info on these things? What king of batteries does it use? I have an old one but it takes very expensive batteries. Thanks!
Paddle on~ Splash
It’s eyesafe
You can’t hurt anyone with the laser flare, but I would still not point it at any aircraft that isn’t searching for you. Otherwise, you’re likely to get a visit from Homeland Security.
red/green/ir
the color isn’t the problem, it’s the power,if one was to run across a blinding laser it would probably be infrared and you wouldn’t know it until it happened.
Greatland Laser
Heres the website. I bought the one with the polymer body.
Jim
www.greatlandlaser.com
May be safer whatdayathink
Good point. The fact that this laser deliberately spreads out to a path of 6000 ft at 16 miles and produces a strong blinking light rather than a precise narrow beam that a totally focused laser does MAY make this both safer and NOT blinding to pilots. The total amount of light impinging on the retina is sufficient to alert our brains but not possibly even temporarily producing any problem.
This is not to say it is a toy or should be used in any other situation than emergency, just interesting to know what is and is not the down side to its use.
From the FAQ on the website:
5. Are they safe to look at?
Yes. Our lasers are classified by the The United States Food and Drug Administration as a Class IIIA Laser Product. Just like any other light, however, it isn’t advisable to point it directly in the eye at short range for an extended period of time.
6. Won’t they stun the pilot/captain whose attention I’m trying to get?
No. When the fan of light crosses your target’s vision it will appear as a brilliant flash in the distance and will in no way impair their night vision.
Please see ‘How Our Products Work’
Thanks!
Thanks for the website. I found out what I needed to know about these things.
Paddle with lasers on~ Splash
Lazer Flare… vs. pointer…
Wow, expensive pointer for your presentations . If I buy you a new laser pointer, will you give me your laser flare?
Wade
I’ve had one since they
came out. It’s different from a laser pointer in that the beam is a long thin, much less intense, line rather than an intense dot.
Sanjay
Coast Guard approved?
I think this is what we saw at a sea kayak symposium last year, and at the time there was a question about whether they would run afoul of any Coast Guard concerns. Nothing I’d have worried about until recently, when it appears that every fool in the country who got one for Christmas immediately went out and pointed it at airports. (Check the dates of the reports - a sudden crop of them the evening of Christmas Day.)
Anyone know if the CG has offered an opinion on these? (especially since they are part of Homeland Security)
Celia
It meets the CG definition of a light…
…so they’re legal by default unless a new reg is passed making them specifically illegal.
laser "tracking"
I could understand a laser “flash” in a cockpit with the new green lasers available. To track an aircraft’s pilot’s window at a random heading and altitude would be impossible by aiming by “hand”.One cool thing though with the green lasers being notorius is that if you are in trouble and use it, you are going to get a tremendous response from the authorities now.