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0 pointsWistar4y ago0 comments

Odd that the creators of the drone bothered with a flashing light.

0 comments

I think that's the clue.

This could simply be mischief with an off-the shelf, gasoline, quad copter with upgraded long range radios. Flashing green strobe would be an FAA navigation light -- if viewed from the other side you would see a flashing red.

All of the natsec and domestic spying theories would be nullified by the thing having nav lights.

https://droneswatch.org/gas-powered-drone/

devmor4y ago

That's the one detail of the story that leads me to believe it may have been some rich idiot that didn't know the legality of what they were doing.

Also entirely possible they used some stock parts and just didn't realize the LED was there.

tablespoon4y ago

> Also entirely possible they used some stock parts and just didn't realize the LED was there.

I only think an amateur would make that kind of mistake. If it was from a hostile power with any kind of competence, I think they would have extensively tested it in simulated operational conditions. If they didn't notice the light when they initially built it, they would have probably noticed it during testing.

devmor4y ago

You overestimate the human ability to account for all conditions. For example, perhaps they did all of their testing in the middle of bright sunlight and simply did not see it?

anticristi4y ago

I can imagine the conversation in an evil war room: "We are doing illegal stuff, but still, let's not go as low as to remove the flashing light. We have morals!" :))

anonAndOn4y ago

Green is close to the center of the visible light spectrum. If somebody wanted to track it visually from a great distance, (perhaps from a nearby mountain?) this would make it easier to spot.

This would be beneficial for a two person team. The drone operator watching the video feed and a spotter providing positions of pursuit aircraft.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

imglorp4y ago

I think that's the clue.

All of the natsec and domestic spying theories would be nullified by the thing having nav lights.

https://droneswatch.org/gas-powered-drone/

devmor4y ago

That's the one detail of the story that leads me to believe it may have been some rich idiot that didn't know the legality of what they were doing.

Also entirely possible they used some stock parts and just didn't realize the LED was there.

tablespoon4y ago

> Also entirely possible they used some stock parts and just didn't realize the LED was there.

devmor4y ago

You overestimate the human ability to account for all conditions. For example, perhaps they did all of their testing in the middle of bright sunlight and simply did not see it?

anticristi4y ago

I can imagine the conversation in an evil war room: "We are doing illegal stuff, but still, let's not go as low as to remove the flashing light. We have morals!" :))

anonAndOn4y ago

Green is close to the center of the visible light spectrum. If somebody wanted to track it visually from a great distance, (perhaps from a nearby mountain?) this would make it easier to spot.

This would be beneficial for a two person team. The drone operator watching the video feed and a spotter providing positions of pursuit aircraft.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse