laser flares etc and some comments from Greatland lasers

[wadget]

a decent waterproof torch will probably do the same and be safer for the users.

Or in fact a life jacket light.

 

[[70521]]

A swindlery prices though.

I just spent £99 on a few extra flares and I mean just a few.

Your comment caused me to search for fireworks to see what prices they were some rocket prices are a interersting comparison.

 

[duncan99210]

I have a PLB and a Firefly strobe on the lifejacket. The PLB to alert rescue services and the strobe to pinpoint my position. Once in the water and in any sort of sea at all, the chances of being seen from the yacht are slim but being seen from either a passing merchant ship or aircraft at better. Both work without needing me to shine things at anyone, so I don't have to be awake to be seen.

The advantage of pyrotechnics is that a red flare is visible for some distance, even when lit at sea level and in poor visibility and there's no need to aim it at a target, which I understand is a requirement of laser markers (they aren't flares in any shape or form). I therefore remain very sceptical about laser markers until they begin to display the same ability as pyrotechnics, along with a recognised signal format to distinguish them from navigational and other marks. I'm not holding my breath on this one.......

 

[tudorsailor]

It seems that Yachting World have given their blessing to the Odeo laser flare, as judged by the video of their test.

Pretty convinced myself. Something that shines for longer than a minute or two has to make sense

TudorSailor

 

[emnick]

Is it possible to make the laser flare transmit morse code SOS ?. I would think most rescue services would be able to recognise this??

 

[nigelmercier]

Is it possible to make the laser flare transmit morse code SOS ?

I've often thought this would be sensible.

 

[VicS]

It seems that Yachting World have given their blessing to the Odeo laser flare, as judged by the video of their test.

Pretty convinced myself. Something that shines for longer than a minute or two has to make sense

TudorSailor

I have liked the concept ever since I first saw it. What counts though is official approval not just a blessing from YW or even The Pope.

 

[VicS]

Is it possible to make the laser flare transmit morse code SOS ?. I would think most rescue services would be able to recognise this??

I guess you could with a fixed beam type laser flare but probably not the Odeo which has a discontinuous rotating multi-laser head which produces a flickering effect to mimic a pyrotechnic.

 

[LadyInBed]

Subsequent to my post above, I decided to buy a Greatland.
The beam is an I shape and I have pointed it up in the sky on a clear night.
I can't see how it can work!! The beam can't be seen from the side, and with no obstruction (cloud, rain, etc) there is nothing for the beam to reflect on, so the only way for it to be seen it to wave it across the rescue boat or helicopter.
One use that I have thought of is for navigating down a stick marked channel at night, which I do fairly often. Shining a torch on the sticks to pick up the reflective strips is difficult as the boat reflects a lot of the light, using the laser should pick up the stick without lots of extraneous reflection.
Any thoughts folks?

 

[Daydream believer]

What i would like to see on the market is a device that projected a white light vertically which could be seen from the side
If a ship approached i could be seen immediately even if my boat was down below his sight line
It would be operated whenever a ship seemed to be on collision. (I did have a Very pistol for 40 years but turned it in when shells could not be purchased)
I have tried to get white mini flares but i can only get red in the UK( i do carry them in my jacket pocket)
Plain old fashioned torches do not do the job that well unless shone in the sails but then height is limited
The same unit would possibly satisfy the last post where the owner wanted to spot buoys at night

 

[toadfish]

I've often thought this would be sensible.

I bought a device for about £25 that emits SOS in two forms.

Bought online from this place: www.newboatgear.co.uk or the specific product is at base of this page www.allproductdesign.co.uk/Other products.html - it took some finding, but I love it - always in my pocket. Great online outfit to deal with. A few interesting products not seen before.

 

[toadfish]

I bought a device for about £25 that emits SOS in two forms.

Bought online from this place: www.newboatgear.co.uk or the specific product is at base of this page www.allproductdesign.co.uk/Other products.html - it took some finding, but I love it - always in my pocket. Great online outfit to deal with. A few interesting products not seen before.

I looked at the Odeo flare at a show and it is a pretty large thing _ can't see how I would go overboard WITH it. The thing I bought is always in my pocket though. Also, the Odeo flare has motors, lots of lasers _ lots to go wrong in my op. Rescue lasers do work I have been told and seen, but they are pricey. LED tech is so great now that I am well happy with my purchase _ and I sail NW and have been overboard before _ seemed like a lifetime before they turned around.

 

[jwilson]

Offshore I carry a waterproof double-ended divers torch in my pocket: it has a small torch beam for looking at sail trim on one end, and a flashing xenon strobe on the other. http://www.scubastore.com/scuba-div...oducte=85052&gclid=CNWok_LCprYCFUfMtAodxjkAUw shows a newer version of a similar item. Have used the torch part many times, never needed the strobe - yet......

I think the strobe will be a better rescue aid than a laser.

 

[Daydream believer]

But why would a red handheld flare have more meaning in your scenario?

I suspect even the most challenged of land lubber would recognise a flare as some sort of SOS signal
Anyone at sea would know what it was immediately

Unless it was just outside a French port just after a round the world yacht race of course!!
Not the best time to start drowning

 

[snooks]

 

[maxi77]

Well for me that is pretty useless, from the video there was very little to suggest some one was in distress and the visibility range was to me poor, many nav lights are brighter, but that is one of the problems, make the laser brighter and it starts to dazzle and hazard the eyesight of the casualty

 

[boomerangben]

I'd like to know how night vision goggles would react to a laser flare?

 

[maxi77]

I'd like to know how night vision goggles would react to a laser flare?

Badly

 

[snooks]

I'd like to know how night vision goggles would react to a laser flare?

Probably much much better than a traditional pyrotechnic flare