Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: Using a light spell as a laser
Message-ID: <6200@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Dec-85 16:46:45 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.6200
Posted: Tue Dec  3 16:46:45 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 3-Dec-85 16:46:45 EST
References: <34@ttidcc.UUCP> <678@k.cs.cmu.edu>, <1675@hammer.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 20

> By the way, a letter mentioned that it is impossible to construct a
> hand-held laser which would do decent damage.  Baloney, I've SEEN one.
> Ed Kline made one, although he normally doesn't carry the battery pack
> with him because it weighs 25 or so pounds and it only holds enough juice
> for a few shots...

Yes, and I've seen a hand-held people frier; it was the business end of a
440V high-amperage power cable.  (I've never seen it work in the capacity
I just mentioned, but I imagine it would do a good job.)  You could indeed
hold the end of the cable in your hand.  So what?  Something with a 25-pound
power pack is not "hand-held" in any realistic sense, particularly if the
pack is only good for a few shots.  I assume that because it was good for
so few shots, the issue of cooling was simply ignored; put a really heavy
power pack on it and cooling will become a serious issue, requiring still
more non-hand-held support gear attached to the "hand-held" weapon.  All
that energy has to go somewhere, and lasers are not very efficient:  most
of it comes out as heat.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry