Xref: utzoo rec.autos:15666 sci.electronics:5283 misc.consumers:8873
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!haven!uvaarpa!mcnc!bishel
From: bishel@mcnc.org (Geoffrey R. Bishel)
Newsgroups: rec.autos,sci.electronics,misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Correct Terminology (was Re: Radar Detectors (Ka band) ...)
Keywords: radar, laser, lidar?
Message-ID: <4057@alvin.mcnc.org>
Date: 21 Feb 89 15:39:21 GMT
References: <603@icus.islp.ny.us> <7944@netnews.upenn.edu> <1895@tank.uchicago.edu> <5632@homxc.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: bishel@mcnc.org.UUCP (Geoffrey R. Bishel)
Organization: Microelectronics Center of NC; RTP, NC
Lines: 15

In article <5632@homxc.ATT.COM> h16@homxc.ATT.COM (D.JACOBOWITZ) writes:
>
>A laser will spread 3.5 feet in 1/5 mile?
>Are you sure?
>That doesn't sound like coherent light.

You've got to remember that the beam is passing thru the air, and dust, dirt,
water molecules, etc. will all diffract the beam to some extent.  Thus you get
a spreading of the beam.  

-- 
Geoff Bishel                    "Parlez en anglais, for Christ's sake," said the
(bishel@mcnc.org)               Corporal. "Je ne parle pas francais."
Standard Disclaimers apply      "Neither do I," answered Yossarian...
(Picture your ad here!)               (Joseph Heller - _Catch 22_)