Replies to This Discussion

ModeratorPermalink Reply by John Church on August 24, 2012 at 2:07pm

I know, I know; We shouldn't do this stuff, however much fun it might be. But, think of the benefit it could serve having this type of thing documented. People are going to do what they do. If little Billy's parents are doing their job and keeping an eye on his activities, this Hackaday posting can tip them off to little Billy's interests and offer them the foresight to steer him in a productive direction. Information should never, ever be restrained. The more you know the better. Believe me, I do understand what regulation could come of this or similar, but we as a people need to be the ones regulating based on our knowledge. The less we know, the more power we put in the hands of the regulators.

Sorry dude- I have to speak my mind here. :)  Knowledge is power. It is up to the individual use it responsibly.

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Permalink Reply by William on August 24, 2012 at 2:18pm

What we do is known at many levels.  The AMA, FCC and FAA are all involved with the future of Home made drones.

Thats just a bad idea!   Right now AMA members are curious and tolerant that our hobby doesnt involke legislation that hinders their rights flying RC airplanes.

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Permalink Reply by brakar on August 24, 2012 at 4:22pm

I don't see why we should identify us with them, any more then e.g. with people who are also driving cars, (supposing most of us do).

If You fear they might do something dangerous or illegal - call the police and let them decide. Like in any such matters.

I am tired of this "help it's a drone" thing. It is only an item, like other items, can be used or abused.

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Permalink Reply by Neal on August 24, 2012 at 5:05pm

If you are tired of that "help it's a drone" thing, if I'm to take it that you don't like people complaining about their fear of drones, then I am in agreement with you, which is why somebody doing something like this would only make things worse, legitimizing the fears and serving as a better example.  I'm not concerned that people could copy that site and have something semi-dangerous, I'm concerned about how bad it reflects on the hobby of model aircraft and sUAS's in general.  I'm not concerned about somebody flying their weaponized drone into me, I'm concerned about more laws and restrictions being applied, which something like this can only influence negatively.

I participate in hobbyist fireworks as well, and the same perspective can be found there.  It's a hobby that we are lucky to be allowed to do, and one that we know has the potential for huge legal ramifications.  That hobby community has to be vigilant against making sure not to let the wrong people do the wrong things.  The metaphorical equivalent here would be, and also responding to John Church here, it's like if Hackaday.com was going to do an article showing people how to make M80's and nitroglycerine.  Most people in hobby fireworks know better than to think twice about actually making that stuff, just like most people with drones and model aircraft know not to go sticking weapons on them.  But inasmuch as the hobbyist firework community would strongly oppose the careless distribution of information for how to make dangerous illegal things that would be seen by the news / public / lawmakers and one more example of why fireworks are bad and must be regulated or banned, here we have somebody looking to make a very bad example of themselves, and vicariously of our hobby.  For a niche hobby that the majority of the public wouldn't notice laws being made more restrictive on (or would even support thanks to fear-mongering news stories), we must recognize that one person CAN ruin it for the rest of us.

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Permalink Reply by Tony Heaton on March 15, 2013 at 11:34am

"If You fear they might do something dangerous or illegal"

Sure, lets call the police every time we fear something.  That's how cowardly people act.

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Permalink Reply by narwhal on August 24, 2012 at 6:24pm

What are you worried about here exactly? Is it:

1) He's going to use the weaponised drone to wreak havoc?

- I doubt that, if that was the case he wouldn't be documenting it.

2) He's going to incite fear into the publics perception of UAVs?

- Ignorance is never an excuse for censorship.

3) He's going to incite lawmakers into tightening UAV restrictions?

- Then its the lawmakers you should be worried about. Not doing an activity that harms no one because 'lawman might get the wrong impression' is just playing into their ignorance.

EDIT: Have you seen what else is on hackaday? Cruise missiles for one, this is mild in comparison.

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Permalink Reply by Jake Stew on August 24, 2012 at 11:45pm

Has nobody ever told you not to shite in your own bed?

That's what Caleb is doing, unless RC/UAVs are just a passing phase for him.  Unfortunately, we're all in the same boat on this issue, so a little peer pressure to do the right thing is entirely right and proper.

 

There's good free speech and there's stupid and ugly, but protected, free speech.  You have to tolerate the good with the bad, but that doesn't mean you can't use your own to help mitigate the bad.

Caleb is also essentially saying what to many people will be like hearing "fire" hollered in a crowded theater, which is not protected speech.

In any case, what he's doing is stupid and will harm the hobby.  There's no reason we shouldn't make a concerted effort to fill up pages of comments on his post with complaints about what a retard he is.  Perhaps when he sees that his idiotic ramblings will be shouted down he will be dissuaded from pulling stunts like this.

 

Please let us know if/when he puts this up. 

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Permalink Reply by narwhal on August 25, 2012 at 12:55am

I don't consider merely putting weapons on a UAV for personal amusement (and taking proper safety precautions) "shitting in your own bed". Only when it becomes dangerous to other people would I consider it an issue, and a parrot AR Drone with a tiny flamethrower or an airsoft gun just does not count.

I'm unsure of your argument for most of your post, but I will focus on "harming the hobby". If someone does something on there own private property, harming no one, then I argue the only potential "harm" this hobby has to suffer is kneejerk reactions from ignorant politicians and the media. Now who should you be complaining at? The user whose research doesn't harm anyone, or the hysterical ignorant authorities? Obviously the question is rhetorical, the anger in this thread is not being pointed at the right people. Stop being so afraid of politicians, they work for you.

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Permalink Reply by Jake Stew on August 25, 2012 at 1:16am

> I don't consider merely putting weapons on a UAV for personal amusement...

 

Neither do I.  But publicly advertising it in a way sure to inflame the fears of an ignorant public is just plain stupid.  I'd be the first to defend his right to do whatever he wants on his own property and at his own risk.  In fact, that's exactly what I'm doing.

In the real world publicizing behavior like this gets your rights trampled upon and everyone suffers.  The practical solution to this is to not draw the attention of the bully who will stop your fun.  You might like to spit in the bully's face, but that will surely get you beaten up since, in the real world, he controls huge numbers of armed men.

> the only potential "harm" this hobby has to suffer is kneejerk reactions from ignorant politicians and the media.

Do you live in the US?  If not, I should mention that our entire system of government is based on "kneejerk reactions from ignorant politicians" and their main source of information is a fraudulent mass media whose sole purpose is to sensationalize otherwise mundane news.

> Stop being so afraid of politicians, they work for you.

Getting political is against the rules, so I will simply say that if you believe that you truly don't understand how our government works.

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Permalink Reply by Eddie Furey on August 31, 2012 at 6:32am

> our entire system of government is based on "kneejerk reactions from ignorant politicians" and their main source of information is a fraudulent mass media

Can you all stop voting for them? Please!!!

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Permalink Reply by Tony Heaton on March 15, 2013 at 12:06pm

Anybody who believes that RC planes weren't "armed" from day one by hobbyists is not living in reality.  It may not have been wide spread, and still isn't, but it did happen.   People may have had their heads shoved up their sand piles but that doesn't magically make all the armed planes to have not existed.  There were even competitions with armed control line planes. Flying in circles trying to cut the other guys streamers and even control lines.

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DeveloperPermalink Reply by R_Lefebvre on March 15, 2013 at 12:24pm

Tony, it doesn't matter at all.  We are not world police.  We just don't want to promote it, and thus, discourage discussion of it here.  Period.

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