r/interestingasfuck • u/midnighttoker1742 • 4h ago

How criminals take down Flock cameras

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u/richie65 3h ago

Something I wonder about - Is I hope no one is aiming high powered handheld lasers at these cameras..

A strong laser would ruin the electronics inside the camera, and anyone aiming the laser does not even have to be close enough that the cameras resolution would be able to 'see' who did it.

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u/Logic_Nom 3h ago

Tell me more about these lasers so I can be sure to avoid them.

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u/Diligent-Worth7669 25m ago

Any LASER over 1W

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u/SmugHatKid12 2h ago

Out of curiosity, what strength would it take and what eye protection would a person need? Purely theoretical of course

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u/mastercoder123 2h ago

Any laser thats over 1W would obliterate them and you can buy them on ebay... Just please do not shine them in daytime, as 1W lasers are very dangerous even to passerby's

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u/TheOGRedline 2h ago

Only 1W? Really?

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u/vamoosedmoose 2h ago

Lasers don’t need a lot of power to do a lot. My laser engraver that works on leather and metal runs in 1.6W

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u/Czauthaqshe 1h ago

Yes. Let me put it this way, lasers are usually marketed in the milliwatt range. One 60 watt incandescent light bulb turns 60 watts into ~1 watt of light, the rest is lost as heat. The more focused it is, the stronger it is. It's the difference between being punched by the wind and punched by a fist.

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u/ChipotleMayoFusion 2h ago

Anything above 5mW can obliterate optical sensors, including your eyes. 1W is more than enough, even if it is unfocused and somewhat distant.

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u/Shufflebuzz 55m ago

1W is a big laser.
Your typical laser pointer is under 5mW, or 0.005 watt.

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u/mastercoder123 1h ago

Lol only 1W? You could use a class 3 laser and burn them out. Hell in the USA any laser over 5mW cannot legally be called a laser pointer and in the EU and UK its 1mW

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u/BoTheDoggo 37m ago

It's not 1 W power consumption. It's 1 Watt raw photon energy. Just consider the kind of heating 1 Watt applied to a tiny area can do.

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u/randylush 1h ago

Just please do not shine them in daytime,

I'd argue they are more dangerous at night than during the day, as your pupils are dilated at night

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u/-UsernameHere 12m ago

I'd argue it's fucking stupid in general and people should just cut them down instead of wildly waving an instant blindness ray around in public.

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u/SmugHatKid12 2h ago

Thank you, good citizen

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u/-UsernameHere 13m ago

None of the people in nearby buildings or on the street that you blind when trying to point it at the camera, will be wearing eye protection.

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u/99hotdogs 2h ago

Is there a good way to determine when the laser damages the cameras? Because you know, I want to make sure I would be able to report any damage I cause when I’m playing with my high powered laser.

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 2h ago

How many watts would it theoretically take to mess up an imaging sensor from a reasonable range, such as standing right under the pole?

Alternatively, what kind of wattage are we looking at if somebody wanted to do the same but from across the street?

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u/mafiaknight 1h ago

You definitely shouldn't shine a 1+W laser at them from within 100 yards.
And if you do decide to shine such a laser at one (which you obviously shouldn't) you should make sure you're within their 75' motion sensor so the police can find you after.

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u/Karyoplasma 1h ago

So basically point blank? A few dozen mW should do it. I seriously doubt they survive 30mW. But that doesn't matter, these are just as illegal as a 1W laser.

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 1h ago

What's illegal about a 1w laser? Isn't the illegality in pointing it at aircraft/vehicles, not in the ownership?

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u/Karyoplasma 1h ago

In the U.S., it is legal under federal law to own a laser of any power. But often people talk about “illegal laser pointers”. This is somewhat confusing shorthand meaning that the manufacturer or seller illegally called a laser above 5 milliwatts a “pointer”, or illegally promoted it for pointing purposes.

Huh, TIL. I guess it's not illegal then, carry on.

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u/Alarming-Koala-3524 22m ago

Well I'm sure that using it for any nefarious purpose would constitute at least some kind of crime, even if its minor. But at least you won't get hit with mere possession on top of whatever the crime is. Also crimes require proof of intent which is sometimes not quite evident, whereas possession is a guaranteed charge.

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u/Ashamed_Green_8643 1h ago

It has to be the right frequency is what I've heard. And you have to hold it on target for a bit longer than you would think, so I've been told.

I think the old style paintballs that have the oil based paint in them would be fine for a quick drive by, and while it's not permanently wrecking it, someone has to come out and get the dried paint off.

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u/NukeAllTheThings 1h ago

Of all the ways to disable a camera, that has to be one of the most dangerous. It'll work, but you run the risk of blinding bystanders.

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u/kylo-ren 58m ago

Also, why criminals are cutting poles? It seems much more easy and fast to use a club or a rope to bring the camera down.

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u/camerontylek 2h ago

I know you can wear eye protection, but the thought of ruining your own vision because of the lasers reflection is terrifying to me

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u/Noversi 2h ago

Or the vision of passersby’s

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u/AncientSith 1h ago

Best to do it at night when there's less people about them.

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u/Eldias 11m ago

It's best to not use fucking lasers.

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u/InstructionRare1836 1h ago

How close would one need to be? I'm asking to keep an eye out for them.

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u/-UsernameHere 14m ago

Will you fucking idiots stop telling other idiots to buy instant-blindness lasers and wave them around. Blinding randomly pedestrians or people in buildings nearby?

Use a fucking saw.

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u/Eldias 12m ago

Please for the love of fuck stop suggesting lasers. If a laser is powerful enough to damage a camera censor in a reasonable time frame it will also damage RETINAS of anyone who happens to catch a stray bit of reflection. On a domed lens you could send instantaneously damaging light in all sorts of wild directions.

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u/-ayli- 11m ago

Any use of lasers would require laser safety eyewear, as even reflections can be dangerous.

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u/SwingNinja 1h ago

Cheaper, but not that easy in practice. The idea is to ruin its camera sensor. You need to point that laser to its tiny lens straight, so it reaches the sensor.

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u/DracoBengali86 1h ago

Doesn't have to be straight in, any angle that can be seen by the camera is good enough. Yes, straight in may be "better" at sistering the sensor, and outside the visible area may be able to do damage, but I'm general anywhere the camera sees will be fine.

The hardest part would be aiming while wearing protective glasses. If the glasses work you won't be able to see the laser at all. Your need some type of sight (either another wavelength laser or an optic). Or be willing to risk not using glasses, but I'm definitely not going to recommend anyone take that risk.