Predator Drones in use over Houston

[RightIsWrong]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: RightIsWrong

Originally posted by: TastesLikeChicken
When 4 scumbags jacked my neighbor's property last month at 2 am I'd have been much happier having drones trying to track them at 1500' rather than having helicopters flying in low circular patterns over the neighborhood for almost 2 friggin hours.

What a shock. You are willing to give up everyone's right to privacy so that you aren't annoyed by the sound of helicopters one freaking night of your life. :roll:

and I ask again, what privacy is a drone violating compared to a heilo or a manned fixed wing aircraft working traffic?

how are the two different in that regard? why do you fear drones more than a heilo?

I am more worried about the fact that they were/are attempting to hide this from the general public.

In Texas, where this is taking place, the police are required by law to post signs where aircraft is being utilized and to also announce where speed traps will be set up. The fact that they were attempting to do this in complete secrecy gives the impression that they were going to attempt to circumvent the law.

Also, how do you know that they were going to use these for traffic control only? How do you know that they wouldn't be flying this over neighborhoods as well as over city/county property? I expect to be free from unlawful and warrantless surveillance in the privacy of my house OR in my yard. That is the purpose of a privacy fence and it is completely circumvented by these without any warning or cause.

 

[ITJunkie]

seems to me if you see one, shoot it down. Since there are no humans on board I would guess the worst you could be punished for is destruction of property.
Of course, if you shoot it down and it lands on your property than you could probably say it was a home invasion and you took appropriate measures to protect said property and get off scott free

 

[StageLeft]

The fact that they were attempting to do this in complete secrecy gives the impression that they were going to attempt to circumvent the law.

Or that it was a private test and they didn't want the media there if it nosed in 50 feet off the ground and ruined it.

These are basically more effective police helicopters. They are MUCH cheaper and will allow better coverage.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Originally posted by: ITJunkie
seems to me if you see one, shoot it down. Since there are no humans on board I would guess the worst you could be punished for is destruction of property.
Of course, if you shoot it down and it lands on your property than you could probably say it was a home invasion and you took appropriate measures to protect said property and get off scott free

You would probably be punished for owning an illegal weapon as well since it's unlikely you're going to shoot one down with a legal firearm.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: TastesLikeChicken

Originally posted by: ITJunkie
seems to me if you see one, shoot it down. Since there are no humans on board I would guess the worst you could be punished for is destruction of property.
Of course, if you shoot it down and it lands on your property than you could probably say it was a home invasion and you took appropriate measures to protect said property and get off scott free

You would probably be punished for owning an illegal weapon as well since it's unlikely you're going to shoot one down with a legal firearm.

According to the anti-gun crowd, you can shoot down an airliner with a .50 BMG, so a UAV should be no problem.

On a serious note, Stingers, as well as less primitive SAMs are not illegal to own. They have to be registered with the NFA branch of the BATF to be legal, and are classified as destructive devices. There is a $200 tax per weapon. I've only seen one legally registered SAM (old soviet type) here in America, but I've seen an unregistered Stinger up in Alaska, and there are plenty of untracked, unregistered RPGs and SAMs in the US and Mexico (as were recovered from the recent terror plot against an Arizona military base.)

 

[Sacrilege]

One man fights back against the oppressive computer state.

 

[kylebisme]

Originally posted by: Nebor
...there are plenty of untracked, unregistered RPGs and SAMs in the US and Mexico (as were recovered from the recent terror plot against an Arizona military base.)

Where did you get that last bit?

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: Sacrilege
One man fights back against the oppressive computer state.

I'm shocked he got caught. What are the odds?

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: TheSnowman

Originally posted by: Nebor
...there are plenty of untracked, unregistered RPGs and SAMs in the US and Mexico (as were recovered from the recent terror plot against an Arizona military base.)

Where did you get that last bit?

A number of anti-tank RPGs were recovered from terrorists in Mexico, plotting to attack an army base in Arizona. There was a thread about it.

You shouldn't be shocked that such weapons are readily available. Just like drugs.

 

[kylebisme]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: TheSnowman

Originally posted by: Nebor
...there are plenty of untracked, unregistered RPGs and SAMs in the US and Mexico (as were recovered from the recent terror plot against an Arizona military base.)

Where did you get that last bit?

A number of anti-tank RPGs were recovered from terrorists in Mexico, plotting to attack an army base in Arizona. There was a thread about it.

You shouldn't be shocked that such weapons are readily available. Just like drugs.

I never suggested being shocked that suck weapons are available. I'm just not nearly gullable enough to belive that BS story from the Moonie Times, and I was curious to know if you were, or if by some off chance you were talking about something else.

 

[spittledip]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: RightIsWrong

Originally posted by: TastesLikeChicken
When 4 scumbags jacked my neighbor's property last month at 2 am I'd have been much happier having drones trying to track them at 1500' rather than having helicopters flying in low circular patterns over the neighborhood for almost 2 friggin hours.

What a shock. You are willing to give up everyone's right to privacy so that you aren't annoyed by the sound of helicopters one freaking night of your life. :roll:

and I ask again, what privacy is a drone violating compared to a heilo or a manned fixed wing aircraft working traffic?

how are the two different in that regard? why do you fear drones more than a heilo?

The difference is in the cost, manpower, and airspace. Due to the size and cheapness and the fact that it is unmanned, the govt can put millions of these things in the sky (well, i am not sure about millions, but you get the picture). We can be under constant surveillance as long as we are outside It is just a step toward that scary technological big brother nightmare.

 

[burr4392]

As Skoorb said, this is not a predator, although there is a good chance that there is one flying near you. According to an AP article last year there were a total of over 5000 predators flying, half of which were flying over the US. Some of them are armed. If fact one crashed not too long ago armed with a couple of hellfires. Welcome to your police state.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Why worry about this. It's in the home state of our Principled President. He no doubt approves, and that should make you feel much better. After all the government decides what's right and wrong since it has the power, and might makes right. Right?

 

[StageLeft]

According to an AP article last year there were a total of over 5000 predators flying, half of which were flying over the US.

Link? I do not believe for a second that multiple armed predators are flying over US airspace as a matter of regular course. Not a single second.

Here is a link

I also don't believe the number of predators ever made comes even close to 5000, I'm sure it's many magnitudes less.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: burr4392
As Skoorb said, this is not a predator, although there is a good chance that there is one flying near you. According to an AP article last year there were a total of over 5000 predators flying, half of which were flying over the US. Some of them are armed. If fact one crashed not too long ago armed with a couple of hellfires. Welcome to your police state.

Most people would no know a Predator if it landed in their front yard.

UAV are not Predators, Predators are UAVs.

 

[wwswimming]

i wonder what the uplink and downlink frequencies are ?

 

[hellokeith]

Originally posted by: zinfamous
awesome.

'bout time they did something about those Texans

If there is any state in the union you don't need to worry about becoming a police state, it is Texas. We citizens are armed to the teeth.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: wwswimming

i wonder what the uplink and downlink frequencies are ?

there arent any, it uses a very thin copper wire to download data.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: wwswimming

i wonder what the uplink and downlink frequencies are ?

there arent any, it uses a very thin copper wire to download data.

Wouldn't matter anyway, it's all encrypted and the plane will respond only to signals encoded by specific transmitters, so though a person could flood the spectrum, I don't think there's anything else they could do.

 

[HomerJS]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: ElFenix

She admitted that police helicopters are not equipped with cameras nearly as powerful as the unmanned aircraft, but she downplayed any privacy concerns, saying news helicopters have powerful cameras as well.

yay crappy 'reasonable expectation of privacy' test for whether a warrant is needed or not

so whats the difference? between a UAV and a helio? just the cameras? what if the heilo had just as powerful of cameras would you still aruge about search warrents and invasion of privacy?

i dont see what the the big deal is. the cops have had cameras in the air for decades.

Kinda tough with one of the high powered camers mounted on a noisy helicopter for them to get close enough to your house and get high resolution pics inside your window or in your backyard.

The drones are very quiet.

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: TheSnowman

Originally posted by: Nebor
...there are plenty of untracked, unregistered RPGs and SAMs in the US and Mexico (as were recovered from the recent terror plot against an Arizona military base.)

Where did you get that last bit?

A number of anti-tank RPGs were recovered from terrorists in Mexico, plotting to attack an army base in Arizona. There was a thread about it.

You shouldn't be shocked that such weapons are readily available. Just like drugs.

That was the plot involving Mexican drug dealers and Al Queda? Or was it the Communists and the Chinese? What about the Chinese and the Mexican drug dealers? Dear lord, what if Al Queda, North Korea, Honduras, and Russia teamed up against us too?

What next? "Senator Clinton caught with cache of weapons for planned attack on capital with Osama?"

Come on now.

Do you also believe the US has foiled 10 terrorists plots akin to 9/11 in the past few years?

 

[ahurtt]

Originally posted by: Nebor
http://www.click2houston.com/i...s/14659066/detail.html

This is ridiculous. Addressing privacy concerns by saying news helicopters have powerful cameras? News helicopters aren't government agents. Further and further into the police state.

There are satellites in orbit that can practically look down your buttcrack to see if you have any dingleberries stuck between your cheeks. . .And you're worried about drones over Houston?