Call me paranoid...can heat detectors on helicopters detect LEDs?

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chinacat420

chinacat420

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Hi y’all! It was never my plan to grow multiple plants outdoors, but that’s how it worked out so now I have four plants in pots outside, two in 7-gallon pots and two in 10-gallon pots. The two girls in the 10s are over 6 ft tall and show no signs of slowing down yet. My hubby made a comment today that I should think about moving them because of the fly overs that the cops do looking for outdoor grows. I looked it up and yes, there are news reports of them using the national guard to fly over rural areas, especially corn fields, and there is a very large corn field right across the street from us. The most recent news report from our state was from August, 2019, where a helicopter spotted 5 plants growing around a woman’s house and were confiscated. It is unclear if the choppers are outfitted with heat sensors. Needless to say, I am now extremely paranoid. I’ve got another 400W LED arriving in the next few days. My plan is to move the girls into our detached garage, which is made out of cinder blocks and has a well-insulated roof, and flip them to 12/12, running the lights during the day. We have a window a/c that we will hook up, and also hang a fan to blow over the lights to help cool them. ANYWAY, does anyone know if the current thermal/IR technology is sensitive enough to detect the heat signature from 2-3 400W LEDs? I know the heat output from LEDs is much lower than MH or sodium lights, so I’m guessing that it wouldn’t really pique the interest of the cops to where they would come with a warrant to investigate further if some elevated amount of heat was detected. Also, with it being summer, rooftops will be hot from the sun so I would think that that type of technology wouldn’t be useful during the day? I think that IR can only detect heat that is on the outside of a building, and can’t penetrate walls and roofs to detect where the heat source is coming from inside. Thermal, I dunno. I just wish we all lived in a world where marijuana was legal! Any thoughts or comments are welcome!
 
chinacat420

chinacat420

28
13
the rrock said:
are you located in china? USA has bigger problems than whatever you guys are up to😠
Click to expand...
Lol no I’m in the US, why, do I write like I’m not a native English speaker? I’d like to think that you are correct, but my state is not exactly 420 friendly. Medicinal is legal but probably has the tightest restrictions of all the states and a very short list of conditions. Funding has been provided for fly overs in my state, so regardless of the pandemic, schools not reopening, unemployment, stock market losses, etc, etc, etc, they will still hunt for folks growing weed b/c they have the money to do so. My apologies if my post offended you, but to me getting busted for growing is something I’d like to avoid, and having read similar threads on other sites, albeit somewhat dated, I am not the only one who feels this way.
 
basscaptain

basscaptain

5,275
313
you will be ok just roll with it............

I live in a state that is FUCKED>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>........................................TN and I have the NG Fly over every wk now.......... In there Nice Copper's........ Hell I even have a blue plane that wents to land on me now......

your led is nothing to worry about..... 600w is a comptuer tower running........

400w is what most towers run so do over think it.................
 
HeLLfiReZ

HeLLfiReZ

267
93
From an indoor perspective they would be looking for glowing foundations, glowing attic, obvious external vent. No they cant see through your house. They cant see that warm grow light hanging.

From an outdoor perspective if they are using flir in the day time what they may spot are black pots in the hot sun, black bails of soil in the sun etc. If the patches are small and not easily spotted from air your fine.

Here are some flir images from my court disclosure.
20200413 082457 Film1
20200413 082440 Film1
20200413 082408 Film1
20200413 082358 Film1


It takes a fair few lights to make a foundation glow like that. The external vent on my garage screwed me. Keep your vents where they are not easily spotted. The chimney was also a vent, but chimneys produce heat anyway. That warrent could be fought if that was their only evidence. Beat the warrent beat the charge.
 
Greenjourneyman

Greenjourneyman

986
143
Hey man,
PA and OH are both really draconian on their rules. You should be find with the LEDs though. You’re right about them not producing enough heat to flare up on thermal imaging.

theyarewatching.org

Thermal Imaging Surveillance

theyarewatching.org theyarewatching.org
 
basscaptain

basscaptain

5,275
313
with what your doing even if you ran at night>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.... and I would.....>>>>>>>>>>>>> it's just like you working in the garage with 10 shop lights running.... you have nothing to worry about..............................
 
chinacat420

chinacat420

28
13
HeLLfiReZ said:
From an indoor perspective they would be looking for glowing foundations, glowing attic, obvious external vent. No they cant see through your house. They cant see that warm grow light hanging.

From an outdoor perspective if they are using flir in the day time what they may spot are black pots in the hot sun, black bails of soil in the sun etc. If the patches are small and not easily spotted from air your fine.

Here are some flir images from my court disclosure.View attachment 1003406View attachment 1003407View attachment 1003408View attachment 1003409

It takes a fair few lights to make a foundation glow like that. The external vent on my garage screwed me. Keep your vents where they are not easily spotted. The chimney was also a vent, but chimneys produce heat anyway. That warrent could be fought if that was their only evidence. Beat the warrent beat the charge.
Click to expand...
Wow, that sucks they nailed you! Were you able to beat the rap? Thanks for posting your images, very informative! Ya my little set up is not even comparable to yours.
 
chinacat420

chinacat420

28
13
Greenjourneyman said:
Hey man,
PA and OH are both really draconian on their rules. You should be find with the LEDs though. You’re right about them not producing enough heat to flare up on thermal imaging.

theyarewatching.org

Thermal Imaging Surveillance

theyarewatching.org theyarewatching.org
Click to expand...
I’m in OH and you are absolutely correct regarding how draconian the state is; I’m convinced that we will be the last state in the union to legalize for recreational use. Thanks for posting the link, it was very informative. It’s a relief that the US SC ruled that a search warrant must be issued to utilize thermal imaging. I’m not worth their time.
 
growsince79

growsince79

9,065
313
chinacat420 said:
Hi y’all! It was never my plan to grow multiple plants outdoors, but that’s how it worked out so now I have four plants in pots outside, two in 7-gallon pots and two in 10-gallon pots. The two girls in the 10s are over 6 ft tall and show no signs of slowing down yet. My hubby made a comment today that I should think about moving them because of the fly overs that the cops do looking for outdoor grows. I looked it up and yes, there are news reports of them using the national guard to fly over rural areas, especially corn fields, and there is a very large corn field right across the street from us. The most recent news report from our state was from August, 2019, where a helicopter spotted 5 plants growing around a woman’s house and were confiscated. It is unclear if the choppers are outfitted with heat sensors. Needless to say, I am now extremely paranoid. I’ve got another 400W LED arriving in the next few days. My plan is to move the girls into our detached garage, which is made out of cinder blocks and has a well-insulated roof, and flip them to 12/12, running the lights during the day. We have a window a/c that we will hook up, and also hang a fan to blow over the lights to help cool them. ANYWAY, does anyone know if the current thermal/IR technology is sensitive enough to detect the heat signature from 2-3 400W LEDs? I know the heat output from LEDs is much lower than MH or sodium lights, so I’m guessing that it wouldn’t really pique the interest of the cops to where they would come with a warrant to investigate further if some elevated amount of heat was detected. Also, with it being summer, rooftops will be hot from the sun so I would think that that type of technology wouldn’t be useful during the day? I think that IR can only detect heat that is on the outside of a building, and can’t penetrate walls and roofs to detect where the heat source is coming from inside. Thermal, I dunno. I just wish we all lived in a world where marijuana was legal! Any thoughts or comments are welcome!
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure it's settled law in USA, cops can't use thermal tech to look into your home without a warrant
 
chinacat420

chinacat420

28
13
Thanks to all of you that posted encouraging comments! I’m still paranoid, even had dreams last night about getting busted, but in the next day or so the girls will be relocated. Hopefully I’ll get a nice yield, then it’ll all be worth it! 😁
 
chinacat420

chinacat420

28
13
growsince79 said:
I'm pretty sure it's settled law in USA, cops can't use thermal tech to look into your home without a warrant
Click to expand...
Yes I think you are correct. Greenjourneyman posted a link that said the very same thing. That’s a big relief!
 
growsince79

growsince79

9,065
313
chinacat420 said:
Thanks to all of you that posted encouraging comments! I’m still paranoid, even had dreams last night about getting busted, but in the next day or so the girls will be relocated. Hopefully I’ll get a nice yield, then it’ll all be worth it! 😁
Click to expand...
Call me paranoid, but if I still lived in a state with prohibition I wouldn't be telling strangers on the internet what's up.
 
chinacat420

chinacat420

28
13
I have to add this side note that explains my extreme paranoia. A couple weeks ago, hubs and I were heading into town for some beers, it’s about a 15-20 minute drive. We were about 5 minutes away from our destination and hubs gets a text alert that the security system detected movement by the back door so the security company dispatched the sheriff to our house! In a sheer state of panic I beat the shit out of my Jeep speeding down the back country roads trying to beat the sheriff to our house while hubs was on the phone with the security company trying to convince them it was a false alarm. Luckily he was able to do that and the security company cancelled the call to the sheriff. When we got home we stuck the girls in the garage for the evening. What had happened is hubs closed the curtain on the sun porch and the breeze blew the curtain in front of the camera, tripping the alarm. The security company did call us both; I didn’t hear my phone cuz it was in my purse, hubs didn’t recognize the number cuz it came across as a generic number, and not the security company. So for now, no security system. The photo is what the sheriff’s dept would have seen had they showed up and peered through the gate into the back. And there are still two more growing in a tent on the sun porch! I dodged a big bullet that time!
4EFD57A9 F5BF 43F3 86D1 E65A1ED772F8
 
chinacat420

chinacat420

28
13
growsince79 said:
Call me paranoid, but if I still lived in a state with prohibition I wouldn't be telling strangers on the internet what's up.
Click to expand...
There are literally tens of thousands of folks on the internet talking about their grows all over the country, in states that are legal and not legal, so honestly, that doesn’t worry me, especially since my small operation is for personal use and not distribution. They’ve got bigger fish to fry. I would also think that surveillance of grow forums by the US government would violate our first amendment rights.
 
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HeLLfiReZ

HeLLfiReZ

267
93
chinacat420 said:
Wow, that sucks they nailed you! Were you able to beat the rap? Thanks for posting your images, very informative! Ya my little set up is not even comparable to yours.
Click to expand...
No i did not beat the wrap. Ended up with a 2 year federal bit. Did 6 months then parole for 1.5year. Plus 2 years probation after parole, and a 10 year weapon ban even though i didn't have guns.

I did get caught with around 250 plants and 15lb dry. That was in 2012. now its legal 😣. We can get a medical license and have 500 plants, or even more for personal use lol.
 
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