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Ya can't pahk ya copta in Hahvahd Yahd

Erik P. Kraft reports the copter hovering over Harvard Square today was hired by the university to take infrared images of 46 of its buildings. Why would they do that? To find roof leaks, he says.

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You know...when everything else has cooled down.

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On one hand, there is warmth reflected back from the buildings as they get warmed by the sun. They may have a way to adjust for that in the thermal images, and the sun is not very strong this time of year (lower angle).

On the other hand, the buildings are heated up the most during the day when occupied and in use (doors opening, closing) and the heat is dialed back at night. Harvard did this when I worked there so I wouldn't expect this to have changed since. It was also a fairly chilly day today, so the heat loss to the ambient environment would be enough to be visible on the thermal cameras.

There is also the issue of flying at night as opposed to during daylight.

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On one hand, there is warmth reflected back from the buildings as they get warmed by the sun. They may have a way to adjust for that in the thermal images, and the sun is not very strong this time of year (lower angle).

Solar radiation is in the visible spectrum, not the infrared. So any reflected solar radiation will not appear on an IR image.

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There is the heat island effect where surfaces absorb and reemit heat. I was trying not to get too complicated about it.

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Solar radiation is in the visible spectrum, not the infrared.

There's loads of IR in solar radiation

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4...

IMAGE( https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Solar_Spectrum.png )

(I am unclear why this shows as a broken link; the image is there)

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Those heat lamps will show up.

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LEDs and tinfoil and computer fans = low energy, low IR grow spaces. Like using less than an old-style incandescent 100 watt lightbulb per plant and much cooler than your average cube fridge.

Unless there are students who are turning entire suites into grow spaces, IR looky-lous are unlikely to be the most effective way to find dorm-based growers. Much easier to just lean on the RAs.

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Harvard said that the helicopters would be doing it twice - once during the day and once at night. I assume the contrast between the two views can be useful.

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That fire engine red whirly birdy thing has been prowling for an hour at a time repeatedly for the past 2 days, and it's loud. Of course, Harvard scheduled this to meet its needs, but screw the neighbors who live around it.

Thanks for doing the detective work. Adam's Twitter skillz are awesome.

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at 2 AM? Although it seems to me that the mission (infrared checks for roof leaks) could have been just as easily handled with a drone, which would be less obtrusive and make less noise.

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Many require liquid nitrogen in a tank and a vacuum chamber to cool the detector so that it isn't swamped by its own thermal emissions. The smallest one I've worked with is 40 lbs filled up. Some newer ones are under 20lbs but not quite ready for prime time.

Any 'drone' that could haul it would make about as much perceived noise as a helicopter.

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At Plymouth Ma ,

VETERANS DAY 2016: Iconic copter will help give Vietnam vets long overdue welcome home

A replica Huey helicopter will help give local Vietnam veterans a long overdue welcome home half a century after their service in the war.

By Rich Harbert
[email protected]

The Huey was always a welcome sight for troops in the jungles of Vietnam.

This Veterans Day, it will be a welcome home sight for Vietnam veterans being recognized half a century after their service in the war.

The town will celebrate the service of approximately 180 Vietnam veterans on Veterans Day this year with special ceremonies at Memorial Hall. An award-winning replica of a Huey will greet them on the way into the celebration.
http://plymouth.wickedlocal.com/news/20161019/veterans-day-2016-iconic-c...

Picture in article

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