Dem drones are at it again

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begreen

begreen

Mooderator
Staff member
Nov 18, 2005
104,628
South Puget Sound, WA
Who knows what great ideas they'll come up with next.

 
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I don't know what they can carry for weight but I'm willing to bet they're already being used by cartels smuggling across the border.

How big does something need to be before it shows up on radar?

If they're not doing this yet perhaps I can represent some of the hobby flyers here and we can work out a profitable deal for all??;)
 
Sure, they can hold plenty of weight.....yet another reason that so-called "wars on this and that" can't be won. As we all know, then a market exists and the goods exist, the two shall somehow meet. Drones are so inexpensive that hundreds could be sent at one time low enough in the sky to avoid detection.....

This is one of the reasons why I'm not big on use of drones over countries we aren't in conflict with....because if we can do it, so can anyone else....so all bets are off. It would take quite a system to detect (largely plastic) 2 lbs flying things and do something about them....

For less than a grand these days you can get drones that fly autonomously - meaning you pre-program on your tablet (google maps) and off it goes. Helicopter-like units are still limited by range (maybe mx 4 miles or so by electric power), but winged units could go for hours.

Did you see what Facebook bought the other day? This company is going to put them almost in low orbit to deliver internet to the world.
http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/03/facebook-in-talks-to-acquire-drone-maker-titan-aerospace/

"when the sun rises, they can store enough energy to ascend to 20KM above sea level where they can remain for five years without needing to land or refuel."
 
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I want to know what happens when I shoot one down when it comes over my property?

And will probably find out....
 
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"Officer it looked like Hellfire missiles. Not Mistletoe. I can't see so well. I am old.".

And I would require a jury trial. No jury would ever convict.
 
Strangely enough, the FAA owns all the air over your home and yard.

Weird.

Once helicopters entered the picture, all bets were off because they were capable of flying most anywhere.

I think the FAA is working on solutions now. IMHO, there should be a basic bubble of air ownership above single family homes and land/property...even it is was to 100 or 150 feet.

Back when, they assumed you owned it all the way up to heaven. Probably was, they never found heaven and then commercial aviation took flight.

Lots of people will be disappointed when the first "shot down" drone results in criminal prosecution for the person who did the shooting.

Funny thing - I did the model rocket thing back in the 60's and we shot stuff up to 3,000 ft high! Of course, most of the time it drifted over private property also. ..this was not only accepted, but probably considered "patriotic" due to the space race, "rocket boys" and such things.

Now they are trying to make it like we are bad boys if we fly over 400 feet high.
Well, I've always had a little rebel in me so I'm going to do what I think is fair and right until they make it very clear. I gave copies of pics of the neighborhood to all the neighbors and they love them!

Really not much difference than taking pics from the side of a hill around here. In fact, the side of a hill is usually much higher than the quadcopter!
Side of hill pic enclosed.....

side of hill.jpg
 
Warm_in_NH said:
How big does something need to be before it shows up on radar?
Click to expand...


depends on the radar, and the type , most "radars" used in civilian tasking's are looking at "transponders' not the traditional "skin paint" so stuff like your little drones aren't going to even be looked at/ now military radars which do skin paint (such as aegis) can see a bird sized object even if non metal at a close enough range however they are usually set to only show items which are in a defined speed gate and size so a flock of birds wont look like an incoming missile to the system.
 
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