13 replies to this topic

[dwheels]

I'm thinking about adding a laser finder to my scope.  I've read a bunch of cautions and seen references to regulations, but I assume they are legal since Orion sells them.  If you have one, could you please answer a couple questions?

 

Do you have any first hand knowledge of anyone being hassled by neighbors or authorities for using one of these?

 

How far away are they visible?  Would my neighbors down the block be able to see it?  How about across the street?

 

Obviously you don't go pointing it at a police helicopter.  But, I'm wondering whether I would have any problem in my suburban neighborhood.

 

I appreciate your input.

 

Thanks,

 

Don

[Mike B]

I'm thinking about adding a laser finder to my scope.  I've read a bunch of cautions and seen references to regulations, but I assume they are legal since Orion sells them.  If you have one, could you please answer a couple questions?

 

1) Do you have any first hand knowledge of anyone being hassled by neighbors or authorities for using one of these?

 

2) How far away are they visible?  Would my neighbors down the block be able to see it?  How about across the street?

 

3) Obviously you don't go pointing it at a police helicopter.  But, I'm wondering whether I would have any problem in my suburban neighborhood.

 

I appreciate your input.

 

Thanks,

 

Don

 

Hi Don-

 

I'm a happy user of GLPs as "finders".... really that's a wrongish term- they're a *pointer*, allowing you to scroll your scope's pointing in the sky like a mouse's cursor across a computer screen. I find it easy, intuitive, and lets me quickly place the scope's view precisely where i want it on the sky. I'll light the laser only for the last few degrees of homing-in, for the pointing precision i'm after- but typically NOT clear across the whole sky as i go!

 

a1) I have not myself.... nor do i know anyone who has.... but that's an awfully small pool of folks. But i'm quite careful in their use!

 

a2) The beam becomes invisible from just a few feet away- the sky end of the beam vanishing first, then vanishing closer to the source as you continue to move away. Haven't measured it myself, but i'd guess from 20 feet (or so) it's all but gone. And in your suburban SoCal vicinity with its attendant LP, i'd think the vanishing effect would be more profound?

 

a3) So long as you're not too near an airport, and/or directly in the line of arriving/departing aircraft, and exercising reasonable care & prudence- you should be fine. I use mine in fairly short bursts, it's only ON when my finger is depressing its actuator, and am *always* eye-to-the-sky when it's ON... there's no way i'm gonna lite up a plane "by accident"!

 

Generally the issues i read here are in group-viewing scenarios, and/or when some are attempting astro-photography in the vicinity. For a smallish group, or your own private viewing... i can't envision an issue stemming from prudent use of a GLP.

 

Most of the GLPs are temp sensitive, so from locations where it gets crazy cold they may be limited to warmer weather? Mine is a 'Z-Bolt' unit, a quality piece of hardware, but its beam will definitely show signs of weakening when used for hours down in the high 30's. 40*F and above it's golden.... uhh, green.   

[Doc Willie]

Your neighbors are not going to be bothered by a laser, unless you point it at them. Use common sense, and you will not have a problem. 

[dwheels]

Thanks for the answers.  That's just what I wanted to hear.

 

Don

[Feidb]

I've been using a green laser pointer for years now and I use it almost exclusively. I DO have a 50mm straight-through finder but only use it when #1, It's not dark enough to see the laser. #2 The batteries go dead in the laser and I don't have spares. #3 It gets too cold for the laser to work. #4 I need fine detail that I can't see with the nekkit eye so I need the 50mm closeup view, AFTER I point at it with the laser.

 

Unfortunately, because I live in an orange/red zone, I can't hardly see the laser so it doesn't do much good, though once in a while, if the local high school has their stadium lights out, I might be able to use it a little. However, I almost never observe from the back yard.

 

Also, it's doubtful too many neighbors would notice the light beam because of the bright sky but if they were looking for it, they probably could see it a few houses away. They would HAVE to be looking for it and it would have to be darker than usual.

 

In my main dark sky location, it is quite visible. I make sure never to leave it on, always look where I'm pointing it beforehand, of course, since it's in the landing pattern of McCarran airport, and never EVER let kids or strangers point it.

 

I also avoid major astronomy events because they tend to ban them and will never attend something like the Grand Canyon North Rim event, which is the closest major star party except our own Las Vegas sponsored events, which are at Death Valley and Cathedral Gorge, where lasers are no problem.

 

People can be quite touchy about them.

 

One more thing. I'm always conscious of imagers and make sure if someone is trying that, to never point it at the part of sky they are aiming at.

 

If you use common sense, they are a great tool and save a lot of neck aches. I find mine essential.

'

[dr.who]

I'm thinking about adding a laser finder to my scope.  I've read a bunch of cautions and seen references to regulations, but I assume they are legal since Orion sells them.  If you have one, could you please answer a couple questions?

Sure. I use one almost every time I am out.
 

Do you have any first hand knowledge of anyone being hassled by neighbors or authorities for using one of these?

Yes. However it was an idiot pointing it at a police helicopter. It was someone down the block from me. He was visited very quickly by several police cruisers while the helicopter orbited. I found it quite funny actually. Funny because stupidity should be painful. And it's darn stupid to point a laser pointer at an aircraft or for that matter anyone.
 

How far away are they visible?  Would my neighbors down the block be able to see it?  How about across the street?

It will depend on the wattage of the laser and the position of the observer. The one Orion sells is 5mw. It is very faint in light pollution because it doesn't put out much power. If you are aligning your eye with it and looking up you should be able to just make it out. If you are at a dark(er) site then it is more visible. However if you are at a dark site and there are other observers then you should clear with them that you are planning to use a laser and ask if it's OK for you to do so. If they are imaging then it can ruin a sub exposure which can be rather upsetting.
 

Obviously you don't go pointing it at a police helicopter.  But, I'm wondering whether I would have any problem in my suburban neighborhood.

Not only a police helicopter but any aircraft as well. Or any person. Or any window or door where a person may be looking. Check before you laze and make sure there is no aircraft is in the path or will cross the path of the beam and that you are not pointing at yourself or someone/something else. If you follow those rules then you should be OK.

[Jim4321]

Always, always, look first, before using it. Check the area of the sky that you think you're aimed at for blinking lights before you hit the switch.   And look in your area for people who might be too close and in the path. I just flick mine on briefly as I think I'm getting slewed close to the target to see which way I'm still off.  But they are great tools.

 

Jim H.

[spencerj]

 

People can be quite touchy about them.

 

That is true.  It is a small subset of the astronomy community, but if you run into someone who is strongly opposed to the use of GLPs it can be uncomfortable.  For whatever reason, it is one of those topics that makes some folks go from perfectly fine to completely crazy in a very short period of time.

[Jim4321]

To expand on what I said about it being a great tool, yes, we got along 'fine' before the advent of GLP's. _But_  aside from the benefits in aiming our own 'scopes, they add so much simplicity to doing outreach (the club I'm in does a _lot_ of that).  In the early days, I was trying and failing to steer one young lady with binos onto the Andromeda Galaxy.  Finally someone (bless you, sir!) handed me their GLP... done, in a jiffy!  Her heartfelt 'WOW!' was all the thanks any one of us would need or want.  I sent Mr. Glatter a check the very next day.... and it still works ~10 years on.

 

I've since bought 2 'lesser' GLP's with mounts.  I use one on my go-to Evo 9.25, because at outreach I always get the question as someone tries to sight along the tube, "Now where exactly are we looking?"  With the laser, it's simple & immediate.

 

I tend to stand on the left side of the tube, and the laser is on the right side down low, unreachable from there.  I fell asleep one night right after I moved the laser to that location, thinking "Danggit! I'm gonna have trouble reaching it there." An occasional insomniac, I awoke at 2 AM with a partial solution...an old-style camera cable release. Now how do I hook it up?

 

It was simple. The Orion mounted GLP uses a small screw, like an eyepiece setscrew, set in an aluminum ring.   I had visions of fabbing up a substitute ring and tapping the teensy little holes for its mounting screws... yuck!  Not a project I looked forward to with my electric drill 'machine shop'... Didn't have to; took the Orion switch screw out and the old cable release screwed right in!  Looped it over the top of the OTA, and presto! Remote operation of GLP, on demand....  "Yes, m'am.  If you'll just look right .... up... there!"

 

Jim H. 

[Mike B]

 

...a partial solution...an old-style camera cable release. Now how do I hook it up?

 

Z-Bolt has a nifty pigtail adapter for their "Astro-10" unit... it threads onto the end of the laser, and has a touchpad at the other end- which i velcro to the mount's base. Simple finger pressure actuates... release & it's off instantly.

 

I mounted mine's 'rings' to a standard Telrad base, so either the GLP or Telrad can mount on the scope... whichever is suitable for the occasion.

 

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[mountain monk]

Mike,

What is your mount for your laser? Thanks.

Dark skies.

Jack

[MinorPlutoid]

I've got one on my Dob that goes ten miles up. My neighbors are fine with it, and actually came over to my house and observed with me. Whenever I see flashing lights or hear motors, I turn it right off. It's great, especially when you don't know where to look, but have a goto mount or someone else to point you in the right direction. I'm hooking mine on my camera attached to my Skytracker so I know where I'm looking. It's very fun to use, just don't be foolish with it. Trust me, if a teenager like me can handle it, I'm sure you can too.

[Mike B]

Hi Jack-

 

The laser's mount is the ring-unit by Lumicon... came with the Z-Bolt kit. As far as i know, it's still offered by them. The Z-Bolt lasers are a bit larger in girth, so may or may NOT fit other ring-type mountings by other vendors.

 

The base the rings mount to is a std. Telrad base-plate... mine came from ScopeStuff.

 

Cheers,

mike b

Edited by Mike B, 04 March 2015 - 08:25 PM.

[mountain monk]

Thanks, Mike.

Dark skies.

Jack