The write-up on the 119 mile Laser Beam COMM Experiment from 1963? Neat...

[ThaDood]

https://ka7oei.blogspot.com/search/label/helium%20neon     I've contemplated upon using narrow light beams, even modulated lasers, as an STL. However, you'd still have to deal with rain, fog, snow, falling debris, dust clouds, etc. Lines-of-sight is just that. So, a really neat experiment, but not practical for 24/7 data and COMM's delivery, except through Fibre Optic Cables. 

[NQC]

Hey Thadood,

I heard of a system  that supposedly operated in Plymouth County, MA some years ago.

Two hams linked via lasers on their towers.

I don’t think the distance was very far
( 4- 8 Mi ??).

Second hand info, but possible.

The closest thing I ever did to this was to mount a cheapie laser pointer on top of a pair of binoculars.

I had the ( maybe hare brained ) idea of lighting up distant targets with the laser.

It did “ work “ , but it probably wasn’t the best thing to be doing at night, since there was a bright red spot  showing exactly where it was coming from (as we used to say in the Army “ tracers work BOTH ways “).

Probably the most interesting takeaway was the laser spread at distance.

I can’t recall HOW far it was, but I remember lighting up  most of a 3 story house.

But again, a cheap laser, so hard to recall the spread size vs actual distance.

Maybe 1/4 mi, 1/3 mi TOPS .

Only ran it for maybe 15 or 30 seconds and then shut down .

I kind of lost interest after experiencing the spread and didn’t mess with it again after that.

I came to the realization that bathing most of a house in red laser at 3 in the morning probably wasn’t the most neighborly thing to do.

My OLD setup (3 NV tubes glued together -using with a SERIOUS IR spot light) was much more “ practical “ for night spotting.

Unfortunately, one of the tubes popped, the end.

Bummed.

NQC