Sometimes I get someone pointing a green laser at the camera on my phantom 3. Can this damage the camera in anyway? Also, it is extremely illegal to point one of those at a pilot in a plane or helicopter. Just yesterday on the news they mentioned in California a suspect could face felony charges with up to 20 years in federal prison.

Only if it is an extremely powerful laser. The type used in pointing devices is not a threat, just a nuisance.

It is considered by the FAA to be an aircraft.  It is illegal to shine a laser AT AN AIRCRAFT.  I'd get the location and turn that sucker in while observing it happening.

AG0N-Gary Posted at 2015-11-13 17:48
It is considered by the FAA to be an aircraft.  It is illegal to shine a laser AT AN AIRCRAFT.  I'd  ...

Yeah, that is pretty much what I have read. I know the address where it's coming from.  I would like to find more information as to whether or not they mean a manned aircraft.

first Qs are,  where do you live. what are the gun control laws in your area. and how low are you flying your quad.

why am I asking this? well put it this way. not everyone likes quads/drones. if you are flying too low you are some what invading peoples privacy. so my guess is that the green dot you are seen is some one aiming at your drone. you get to close to them and good bye drone. worst thing about it is that in the eyes of the law they have the right to do that if you flight over their property under an X amount of altitude. so don't be stupid and flight at a safe altitude if you are in a residential area.

raesa0858 Posted at 2015-11-15 20:00
first Qs are,  where do you live. what are the gun control laws in your area. and how low are you fl ...

Are you suggesting the laser will take out the drone, because it won't. Or are you suggesting someone might shoot it down, in which case they can be prosecuted.

raesa0858 Posted at 2015-11-15 01:00
first Qs are,  where do you live. what are the gun control laws in your area. and how low are you fl ...

California, and I fly at least 350 feet up when I am above homes. I don't mind saying that if I was in my yard and I saw a drone or it was hovering near me. I wouldn't like that. In fact, I might even be pissed. That being said, I make sure to keep that in mind when flying.

My backyard overlooks a creek. That is where I fly a lot. It seems to be when I am landing it in my backyard I get the laser aiming directly at the camera. Almost as if they are saying I know what house that came from. Also could be a kid.

Geebax Posted at 2015-11-15 04:34
Are you suggesting the laser will take out the drone, because it won't. Or are you suggesting some ...

if you are flying to low to someones property, yes they might shoot it down. and depending on the laws on your state he might get prosecuted or may not. in Minnesota there was a case of someone shooting down a drone flying over his property. at the end, the state concluded that the drone was invading the privacy of the guy that took it down.

I talk to my coworker about the subject and they all said the same thing. "If I see a drone to low in my property I will shoot it down."  so I guess it's a choice if you want to risk loosing a drone or not. I personally don't fly around residential areas, normally if in city limits I fly over the streets, rivers or public areas.

"in Minnesota there was a case of someone shooting down a drone flying over his property. at the end, the state concluded that the drone was invading the privacy of the guy that took it down. "

Sounds odd, and does not say much for the laws of Minnesota. Did they have conclusive evidence that  the drone was in fact taking video or images of that person's property. Simply flying over it would not be sufficient to obtain prosecution in most civilised places in the world. Likewise, in most places you could be prosecuted for discharging a gun at an aircraft.

Hi,pcocherell
That'll depends on the power of the laser . Better get away from laser , it could damage the Photosensing units .

raesa0858 Posted at 2015-11-15 03:00
first Qs are,  where do you live. what are the gun control laws in your area. and how low are you fl ...

Are you implying that someone may be aiming a gun at the drone with a laser sight? Most people don't mount laser sights on shotguns. As long as you stay at a reasonable altitude and keep moving, they probably won't be able to hit you with a rifle and a slim to none chance with a pistol.

Geebax Posted at 2015-11-15 22:50
"in Minnesota there was a case of someone shooting down a drone flying over his property. at the end ...

so I did some digging about it and found nothing about the minnesota case but I did came across an other incident. here is the the link so you can read it and conclude what you think is best.

all I was trying to say is that if there is a green laser been pointed at the guys drone it could be from someone taking aim at it with a fire arm. that's all.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/futur ... e_is_dismissed.html

That case that went in the favour of William Merideth is a poor example, as it is not only being appealed by the guy who owns the drone, but the state prosecutor.

A laser can overload the sensor pixels, and can damage it, it would need a direct hit into it, I have seen damaged camera sensors, Canon dslr from a rock concert that had laser scanning the crowd.

Alan

I know this is an old thread. But people still read it. I just had a green laser pointed at my drone. Didn't seem to damage the camera. And I doubt it did. They might be able to hit the drone. But in order to damage your camera. It would have to be a direct hit on the lens for a decent amount of time. Which is what like 15mm wide.  Probably, not going to happen. And the power out put is probably not high enough. I guess ill see if I see any dead pixels next time I record video. But I doubt it though. Think about it, his hand is not steady ,your drone is no 100% steady.

Be aware, that it can mess up other sensors too not just the camera. More of a problem with the Mavick, Phantom 4 with the anti collision sensors etc. I have the Phantom 3 SE so I think it only has sensors on the bottom of it. So in less I am directly over head it isn't much of a problem.