Being detected by helicopters

[DiscoBiscuit]

Cops cannot legally fly around with the FLIR on looking for heat sigs. They must have reasonable grounds to believe that a grow is going before they can get a warrant for FLIR overflying and investigating. Remember, cops are not supposed to even investigate people or property unless there is some reasonable grounds to believe a crime is being committed...not a hunch, but evidence.

Copters are not a big worry anymore and only now and then will they find a grow accidentally...always best to be careful but no big deal.

They may not be violating rights with FLIR but there's lots of aerial surveillance in my area. Except for this year. Too much rain messed up so many plants, we didn't see the usual amount of choppers.

 

[Stoned Crow]

So I am not the only paranoid one.

My issue and paranoia is when my wife and I are having sex and a helicopter flies over. I always think they are just posted up there watching the show. Trips me out because odds are the technology is there or at least close to there.

I know I perform better when the FLIR is turned on.

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

The heat is from a 400 watt hps tucked away. Is one 400 watt hps significant enough for them to see heat inside?

YOU start THIS THREAD and your not even running 1000 watts?
ARE YOU FOR REAL?!
correct me if my info is wrong....

should i worry about my 8kw?

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I watched DEA on Spike and those bastards got a warrant to search an entire block of houses for the grow in question. The didn't know which house the grow was in but FLIR showed a large house with a full basement lit up like a candle. Looked like the heat was radiating up through the ground around the entire perimeter of the house.

400 watts is a refrigerator.

 

[wintermute]

Dude they are watching my 250Watt MH from space via microwaves!

Dude they are watching my 250Watt MH from space via microwaves!

400 watts is a refrigerator.

Hah! Or a computer, or a tv, or ...

A quick look at bust headlines shows 10x as many busts watching foot traffic and dealing (physical surveillance) as by power monitoring or equipment purchases. And smell twice as likely as power/gear/etc to get you busted during a visit.

I watched DEA on Spike and those bastards got a warrant to search an entire block of houses for the grow in question. The didn't know which house the grow was in but FLIR showed a large house with a full basement lit up like a candle. Looked like the heat was radiating up through the ground around the entire perimeter of the house.

Things which indicate you should be concerned:
- Stealing enough power to radiate a few hundred meters^2 in dissipation signature.
- Running enough gear to light an indoor stadium.

These lead to warrants of varrying reasonable'ness and trust me you will stick out like a sore thumb!

Moral of this story: don't be stupid!

EDIT: Today another good example

Big pot nursery in house owned by city of Modesto
Excessive use of power raises suspicions about property in Dry Creek
By Adam Ashton Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009
[email protected]
...
The house drew the attention of authorities because it was using an excessive amount of power, according to a Modesto Irrigation District crew that was investigating the repeated failure of a transformer near El Vista Avenue and Scenic Drive.

Officers smelled a strong marijuana odor when they spoke with three men in front of the home, police spokesman Sgt. Brian Findlen said. Two more men were inside, one of whom fled and is being sought.

Police found 560 marijuana plants and a "sophisticated" growing operation hooked up throughout the home. Police estimated its value at $1 million.

Drawing enough power to cause repeated failures in the local grid? Also not smart!

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

I watched DEA on Spike and those bastards got a warrant to search an entire block of houses for the grow in question. The didn't know which house the grow was in but FLIR showed a large house with a full basement lit up like a candle. Looked like the heat was radiating up through the ground around the entire perimeter of the house.

400 watts is a refrigerator.

that was a good episode!!!
always do your homework!

my sub-zero fridge' uses more like 1000watts.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

that was a good episode!!!
always do your homework!

my sub-zero fridge' uses more like 1000watts.

Just bought a fridge but thanks for the exception to the rule. Most of the models were in the 500 watt range and a couple were big ones. I was saying the poster doesn't have a lot to worry over 400w.

 

[freakedout]

I just watched the DEA video, and the thing that struck me as funny, was the the agents were busting (stomping) the MH lights indoors, which contain mercury. real smart of them to poison themselves on national TV. lol

 

[blinx420]

Don't just look at one video or even 10 different people's advice.

The first step in your local law enforcement (not including DEA or anything federal of course) but their first step is to gain warrant to use FLIR. But again this could differ between state-to-state, county-to-county.

This is usually accomplished by them gaining warrant to check your power usage from your power company, but how hard is this for them to get the warrant?
This is why you can't go on anybody else's advice because every different county, state have different laws.
One city in California could have had so many busts that with little amount of probable cause they can gain warrant for power company, but say a city in Washington state would have to have more probable cause for warrant like say the most common drug evidence, the snitch.

But sure after they get your power bill and can see probable evidence to further pursue your case that can grant them warrant to FLIR your house or apt.

Best advice I can give you is to move to a county that doesn't have a really high priority for drug cultivation busts. If you can't move out of your non-legal state that is.(I just so happen to be one of the lucky states -.-).

And be careful, the last thing you want is to ever EVER get the attention of ANY federal drug enforcement agents. That is their job, the thing they wake up every morning to do. And their access to things like warrants, raids, etc, are nowhere near as strict as most locals....

Again the locals are different in every state, county, town. So maybe do some research where you live and find out information on your local busts. This can give you a better idea since theres no 1-800 information line to get this information i'm not sure how to find out this type of info other then news stories, etc.

Best of wishes, be safe.

Best adivce i've read here so far don't take what one person tells ya it differs county to county state to state first investigate your countys busts and come to your own conclusion you have EVERYTHING to lose if you make the mistake an get caught!(if your not in a med state)

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

Just bought a fridge but thanks for the exception to the rule. Most of the models were in the 500 watt range and a couple were big ones. I was saying the poster doesn't have a lot to worry over 400w.

totaly, i had a post a bit above joking about small wattage,
better to be safe and ask then be sorry though, right?
everyone can enjoy the hobby.

 

[Wev]

Oh they love to spend $5000 to take a helicopter pilot, a horticulturalist and Law enforcement officers up to look through walls @ you and your wife making love under the sheets shhhhhheeez. They have got better things to do like bust 500, 000 illegal plants ruining your National Parks and creating Crime and Violence.
Thats what the choppers are up looking for not some 400w weedy closet grow that give 2 oz of swag every 12weeks.

 

[the_man]

Oh they love to spend $5000 to take a helicopter pilot, a horticulturalist and Law enforcement officers up to look through walls @ you and your wife making love under the sheets shhhhhheeez. They have got better things to do like bust 500, 000 illegal plants ruining your National Parks and creating Crime and Violence.
Thats what the choppers are up looking for not some 400w weedy closet grow that give 2 oz of swag every 12weeks.

Do you have facts to back that up ?

Can I borrow the LEO Crystal ball thats says he only has a 400 watter

 

[Lazyman]

See post #5 in this thread:

The heat is from a 400 watt hps tucked away. Is one 400 watt hps significant enough for them to see heat inside?

 

[Nor'Easter]

So I am not the only paranoid one.

My issue and paranoia is when my wife and I are having sex and a helicopter flies over. I always think they are just posted up there watching the show. Trips me out because odds are the technology is there or at least close to there....
Community service in its most finest way turned into a damn surveillance against the people.

right on, I know how you feel man, I never had but a small mickey-mouse indoor setup many years ago and a few runty plants in the bushes off and on. Still, it seems those fuckers always know when to fly low, never fails I am in the shower or on the pot and they fly over no matter when that is. Or when I am in bed. If I am outside in the yard, they don't fly over hardly at all and most times when they do, they approach and see me and loop around and try to sneak in from another angle, if I am still there they may try this one or 2 more times then take off. I live in an isolated area and lead an isolated life with little outside contact, don't belong to any political action groups or anything like that, so no reason I could have ever given them for them to watch me. Yet they still seem to. Sometimes I wonder if they have a tracking device planted on my vehicle or something!
Then the activity dies down for a period of a few days to a few weeks, especially when I mention it on a place like this, and then starts up again. Has been going on for at least 10 years maybe 20. I don't have a police record that I am aware of, so I feel violated and harassed. In a thread of mine on the subject, most think I am crazy/over-paranoid but they do not live here and see what goes on on a daily basis.

So I would like to see someone say specifically what you can do (more than just "watch your thermals", what does that mean? oh there goes a plane now! ), so that even if they do FLIR you, no heat above ambient levels shows up or just looks like something normal, no matter what size your garden is. I would prob never go over 2k, but it would be nice to know measures exist that can hide heat leakage for other grows that are 8k or so, so if I used those methods I could feel really safe! thanks

 

[Nor'Easter]

any more watching you under your sheets?
here they switched things up to try to throw me, sending military fighters over now, wating for the "shock and awe" bombing to start! OK bad joke, and not that paranoid.

 

[Nor'Easter]

one very low black chopper wizzed by, then later 2 went by a little further away but still close. A car acting like a cop might act crept by my place, went down the road slowly, turned around and parked by the side of the road like he wanted to watch me but seemed to notice me and crept off, taking a turn and then stopping on that road to see if I was still looking before keeping on going. This has happened several times before, not recently except maybe once but many times years ago. OK Now I think they are messing with me!

 

[k1net1k]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sudf5xDIhmM&feature=related

Nice FLIR examples video

 

[Cave Dweller]

Hot spots in the attic draw attention and they don't need a warrant to notice it. Don't get noticed and don't be naive with all this warrant and probable cause bullshit. If you are counting on Leo to be honest you are a fool.

 

[Dr. Smokepuma]

it is illegal to use FLIR evidence in court in the USA unless the FLIR image was gotten by using a warrant

commercial and industrial buildings have no such restriction from FLIR detection

tell the people in virginia that they can use it