PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-700
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 700
MARCH 2011
48
PS 700
MAR 11
S
ome Soldiers are using digital cameras or cell phone cameras instead of night
vision goggles (NVGs) to boresight their infrared (IR) laser weapon systems.
That’s
dangerous!
First, not all digital cameras are sensitive to IR wavelengths, and Army lasers
emit a wide range of IR wavelengths. But most Army lasers fall into the highest
hazard classifcations, Class 3B or Class 4.
Immediate and permanent eye injury can result from direct exposure to a laser
beam this strong, or even From a re±ection. Low camera sensitivity could prompt a
photographer to move closer to a laser beam’s POI on the target board, increasing
the risk oF exposure to the main laser beam or re±ections.
Stick with NVGs for Boresighting
Stick with NVGs for Boresighting
Using a cell phone
camera or digital
camera to photograph
a laser’s point of
impact (POI) is
risky
for several reasons.
don’t
risk
your vision
by
cutting
corners.
Follow
SOP and use
NVGs when
boresighting.
The SOP for boresighting
is to use NVGs because
they provide protection
from laser beams or laser
beam reflections—
camera
viewfinders do not.
hmmm, it’d be a lot
easier to use the
camera on my phone
to boresight you.
Why?
yeah, but
is that the
right
way
to do it?
because
you’ll damage
your retinas
and seriously
damage your
eyesight!
when I was a boy,
I didn’t understand
why I couldn’t use
my telescope to
look at the sun like
I did the moon.
So, while it
might seem quick
and easy to grab
a cell phone or
digital camera
to boresight
your weapons,
just like staring
at the sun, it’s
plenty
risky!
looking
directly at
the sun is
foolish
and
dangerous.
There’s
a reason
SOP tells
you to use
NVGs. That
reason is
your precious
eyesight!
d’you think
that’s why
he wears
glasses?
I dunno.
Safety…
700.48-49.indd
1-2
1/31/11
5:13 PM
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