Shooting down drones - legal question

[shugie]

Parabolic reflector, a large capacitor and a broken microwave? No projectile, but a kilowatt of directional RF energy might be able to do something to the electronics.

You'd have to be exceptionally daft to muck about with RF like that, it might do something to the electronics, but it most certainly will do something nasty to you if it gets out of control.

We have a grill microwave and my wife managed to select microwave instead of grill when preparing the kids fish fingers. Said fish fingers were black and stinking after four minutes of full power!

A long time ago I worked on microwave mixers for GEC, and some twerp left the termination off an amplifier in the lab; as a result one of my fingers caught a wodge of RF, 50W or thereabouts, but quite close. The resulting burn took a very long time to heal, and taught me to consider microwaves at any significant power as a serious hazard.

Having said that, I'd very much like a go on one of those FPV drones, that does look like serious fun.

[Demonic69]

Remember kids, terrorist have drones too. Who knows what nefarious uses they have for their latest gadget-shop toy!
Shoot them down in the name of national security!

[User702]

They do look like fun, especially to race!



Apparently the closest thing you can get to playing a video game in real life.

[Polchraine]

A long time ago I worked on microwave mixers for GEC, and some twerp left the termination off an amplifier in the lab; as a result one of my fingers caught a wodge of RF, 50W or thereabouts, but quite close. The resulting burn took a very long time to heal, and taught me to consider microwaves at any significant power as a serious hazard.

A friend of mine, from the same Electrical and Electronic Engineering course at university did a couple of work placements working in RF labs - developing radar systems. They would build RF feeds to look at various parameters and when fitting together would often not bother with gaskets of fully tightening bolts. These were on test benches at about waist height.

He was always wondering why the mag' strips on his bank cards were failing every few weeks! And he does not have any children - coincidence?

[Racalman]

He was always wondering why the mag' strips on his bank cards were failing every few weeks! And he does not have any children - coincidence?

Probably not

My interest in electronics started when I was 12, and shortly afterwards an elderly neighbour asked if I'd like the workings of his old TV set (he wanted the walnut cabinet to keep his whisky in). This was in the 60s and it was a back projection unit with a tiny CRT mounted in a mirror/lens box. I laid the bare chassis ( ) out on my bedroom floor and was able to project the picture onto the ceiling - I must have been one of the first teenagers to have TV in their bedroom! Anyway, one day I noticed that the neon screwdriver in my hand was illuminated while I was standing five feet away from the chassis. I realised that this was not good and sensibly scrapped the experiment. One of the valves was glowing purple and probably radiating something lethal.

I went on to a career in designing radio equipment and still managed to have children

[Polchraine]

He was always wondering why the mag' strips on his bank cards were failing every few weeks! And he does not have any children - coincidence?

Probably not

My interest in electronics started when I was 12, and shortly afterwards an elderly neighbour asked if I'd like the workings of his old TV set (he wanted the walnut cabinet to keep his whisky in). This was in the 60s and it was a back projection unit with a tiny CRT mounted in a mirror/lens box. I laid the bare chassis ( ) out on my bedroom floor and was able to project the picture onto the ceiling - I must have been one of the first teenagers to have TV in their bedroom! Anyway, one day I noticed that the neon screwdriver in my hand was illuminated while I was standing five feet away from the chassis. I realised that this was not good and sensibly scrapped the experiment. One of the valves was glowing purple and probably radiating something lethal.

I went on to a career in designing radio equipment and still managed to have children

And at a guess you worked on towards the West end of the Bath Road in Slough!

[Mike357]

I see the NRA have jumped on the UAV bandwagon with pics from The Trafalgar on their FB page. Now, given all the fuss they've made about ammo and rifle failures, I wonder if they checked to see if the pilot was suitably qualified before allowing him to fly?

[Maggot]

I've just seen someone ask this question elsewhere on the internet and I thought it might be a bit of a light-hearted distraction from all the NRA and police woes and moans.

"Do I own the airspace above my garden, and to what height may I use air rifle to shoot down drones over my garden?"

Discuss. :lol:

"Owning" the airspace does not give you the legal right to damage somebodies property that happens to enter it.

It also does not resolve your responsibilities after having caused it to crash (under ANO). If it crashes on your property, you need to return it or its theft.

So I guess the only recourse is to find the owner/pilot and threaten them with the HRA (Right to privacy).

This would really only apply if you were gaining info/footage that could not be seen from ground level or by overt means after which it all becomes a legal minefield and good luck.

Dont start quoting RIPA, it only refers to "Regulatory powers" and not any prick with a camera...thats HRA if you can work it out an dmake it stick.

It used to be questionable as to which sort of idiot would fly a drone (without suitable safeguards in place and correct licensing) over a built up area, but since the electronic revolution and peoples acceptance of cameras from every orifice quite, small, light, and relatively un intrusive (depending on your outlook) drones seem to have cropped up everywhere.

Face it, its a bit like metal detectors. For every responsible user, there are as likely several dickheads digging on Salisbury Plain impact area.

Give a tool a tool and they will find a way to abuse it.

Personally, I would prefer to take remains of said drone and insert it piece by jagged piece into the owner because unless operated for good reason by a relavent authority it has no legal place over my property and my business is just that....however, the law favours the asshole these days and they would as likely soon have legal aid and be after masses of compensation for theft, crim damage, ANO infingement and possibly geekocide!!

Flying anything RC that is remotely capable of causing damage to persons or property or causing an accident/alarm and distress in any area is lamentable and needs dealing with (for the record I have many hours on RC helicopters and gliders when IC engines were the only option, electric was just coming in and the first Gas Turbine EH90 was being produced by Graupner as I packed it in, Xcell 60 Carbon Pros if anyones bothered).

[Maggot]

Its easy, you just need one of these

Been filming/flying from full sized helis (Gazelle) and gliders when red kites and buzzards get territorial.

Red kites through the fenestron (cheeky) is one possibility that sharpens the mind....and soils the armour

Our lads used to fly round the things at Detmold!!

[EDnSKY]

Its easy, you just need one of these

Been filming/flying from full sized helis (Gazelle) and gliders when red kites and buzzards get territorial.

Red kites through the fenestron (cheeky) is one possibility that sharpens the mind....and soils the armour

Our lads used to fly round the things at Detmold!!

DETMOLD!! Now there's a place.
There used to be a very territorial buzzard that was prone to attacking us on equipment check flights when unofficially whizzing around Herman the German! :lol: :lol: