About those damn helis. I was telling you guys about... How do they detect marijuana indoors? I hear their is some sort of heat signature. Where I live there is always a number of growers going down because their crop was detected from helichopter, even though it was in their homes. Does anyone know more about this? Does anyone know how this works or possible ways to avoid it? What do you need/How much weed do you have to have for it to be detectable? Thanks. These damn choppers are starting to piss me off....hopefully this information can help the majority of us suffering with these eyes in the sky.


-Silencer IV:XX

Well.... No one but a chopper pilot with a toy like that can tell you how it all works. Just suffice it to say your area has been compromised and you should try and plan for the best methods against such intrusions of privacy. Here's what I believe to be true about the infra red issues:
First of all, we live in a very technological world, but you already know that. This equipment is not cheep, but how many billions go to this BS war on drugs? The best equipment can see right through your attic, second story, probubly into the basement. Most houses are made out of wood, and the floor space is fairly thin, and rarely filled with thick pink insulation (almost never). Believe me when I tell you they could see you passing a joint to your friend sitting in your living room. And yes, by the way you hold and past it a bunch, they would know it to be a joint.
Now, I have seen IR proof items for sale on the hydoponic websites, and you could make your own, if you had access to a very large, thin sheet of led. I have heard of these items being large enough to cover a cealing and an outside wall, or as small as the outside of a small closet grow tent or something. But concider this: A blank spot would certainly show up like a sore thumb just as much as a pot garden.
Now to the question at hand - can they see the weed? YES!
This will probubly be debated for some time, as this sort of subject is very contriversial (spelling sucks I know). Alot of people will say it's a BS rumor, whatever. We live in a high tech world now, right? Well I just think it safer to go ahead an assume the worst, so here it is:
It is widely believed that IR is so good and fine tuned (no longer just a hazy mass of indiscribable pics of heat) that they can see the heat sig a pot plant gives off, not to mention a HID light. OK, like I said, this stuff is expensive, and it's anyones guess if they spent that much - but lets just assume they did. The other thing they are gonna get you on is the arrangement of your grow area. People don't line up houseplants in a neat row under a HID, especialy plants that branch like pot does.
Anyways, I would suggest the basement - with a heat shield on the cealing so they can't see below ground level. It would make more sense then heat shielding a room or closet above basement levels. Be careful - you already suggest they are looking for people in that area - so they must think they know something...

two words: Heat detection.

Here's another question...what kind of choppers are we looking for? We have choppers all over town from news choppers to traffic choppers to military choppers. It should be noted I live about 20 miles, as the crow flies, from a few different military bases. I get really nervous when I see those military choppers flying low over my neighborhood. Truth be told, they're probably going from one base to another, but still..... They make me nervous.

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A girly-girl's first closet CFL grow of mystery bagseed

Thanks for the info guys. I really wish I could grow in the basement here but I can't for a few reasons. Only option is upstairs on the 2nd floor. Damn, I think I won't be able to grow until I move. About growing outdoors, I was thinking of trying it and only checking the plants rarely. Maybe go out with my bro decked out like we was playing paintball or something and just "came across them" if I get busted. I don't know. This is getting insane.

A search warrant is needed to use FLIR (forward looking infrared), or anything more sophisticated than a pair of binoculars. If police helicopters are looking into your house you've already been detected.

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If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face... forever.

Regaurdless of warrent, the way they normaly catch plants (usually in the back yard - not inside) is because they are using the IR to chace someone running on foot. So alot of times it's strickly by accedent. Then they get the warrent and stuff. Anyways, you are going to have to weigh the facts here:
Do you know if they are busting into all sorts of homes and busting the closet grower? Or are they accually getting big operations? This will tell you right off the bat what kind of heat sig they are looking for.
Another reason why people get busted is being turned in by an enemy - or a rival dealer.
Short of it, if you are in the market for paranoia (don't take offence, I more or less am....) then you could probubly get away with a closet crop - JUST DON'T TALK ABOUT IT.
You can do a 2 month cycle with one veg area and one flower area. You can get it down to a 1 month cycle (after the cure time catches up to the harvest time) with one veg area and TWO flower chambers. If your just doing this to grow your own so you don't have to buy any more, you'll be fine. Just tell smoking buds you got a secret dealer who don't want alot of trafic, he only deals with you. AND you are not a middle man, understand?
The way you want to do this with success is use grow cabinates with lowish watt lights. Veg room or area uses flourescents only, no need for tons of watts. Two 2 foot t5 HO should be enough (6500k spectrum or a mix 6500k / 3000k). Use a 400W or a 600 Watt HPS for you flower area and cool it with vortex fan(s) and dryer duct. There are tons of cabinate ideas, and some of the best are found in yard sales. You can make your own if your decent at that sort of thing.
Anyways, the point is, if they are not kicking in just any old doors looking for a single closet area, you likely have nothing to fear. The cabinates are best for stealth and are not hard at all to keep the lights cool.
Don't worry too much about power consumption in your home or even appartment - this PC I am abusing has a 650 Watt power supply, most game rigs these days use 1000Watt power supplies. Wonder what one of those big ol wide screen TVs that are so popular today use for watts? If your not using 3 or more 1000W HIDs you probubly won't be detected.
Oh, and to answare the question about weed heat - it does have it's very own heat sig, without lights. But seriously, they gotta really try to get a small closet grower.

Thanks man. I kinda have noobish question too, but... how much bud do you think I could get outta 6 plants about 5ft. tall?

Can anyone ID this type of chopper? They fly over, low, at least once a day. I live near a Marine Corps base and a Naval base. I know I'm probably just being paranoid, but they've never flown over my neighborhood so often before.

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A girly-girl's first closet CFL grow of mystery bagseed

Anyone?


Anyone?


Beuller?

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A girly-girl's first closet CFL grow of mystery bagseed

That is a troop/cargo transport helicopter( I think it's a "seaking"). They have a large internal capacity and my guess is they wouldn't be used to identify marijuana from the air as they require lots of fuel to operate