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You may recall previous posts marveling at the fact Her Majesty’s Government bans self-defense firearms while forcing London residents to quarter surface-to-air missiles—whether the terrorist targets beneath said ordnance like it or not. (Now you know why we have a third amendment.) Of course, the average Brit couldn’t give a toss; they’re not planning on piloting a plane over the City of London during the Olympics (who can afford the petrol?). Meanwhile and coincidentally, Auntie Beeb reports that the UK military are deploying a Sonic the Hedgehog—I mean a sonic gun to keep boaters and protestors from boating and protesting . . .
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed a sonic device will be deployed in London during the Olympics. The American-made Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) can be used to send verbal warnings over a long distance or emit a beam of pain-inducing tones.
Not that they’d do that in the Land of Hope and Glory, mind you. Or that “pain inducement” makes the LRAD a weapon. Per se.
The manufacturer denies it is a weapon and the MoD said it would be used “primarily in the loud hailer mode” . . .
A spokesman for the San Diego-based LRAD Corporation said the 1000Xi was “an effective long range communications system that broadcasts focused, highly intelligible, multi-language messages, instructions and warnings over distances up to 3,000 metres to peacefully resolve uncertain situations” . . .
The piercing beam of sound emitted by the device is highly directional. Some versions of the LRAD are capable of producing deafening sound levels of 150 decibels at one metre.
Just so you know, 3,000 meters is 1.86411 miles. Any sound over 140db can cause permanent hearing damage. A jet engine at 100′ generates 140db. A shotgun blast is 165db. Which means the “It’s SO not a weapon” LRAD can generate sound somewhere between the two.
[NOTE: the LRAD in the video above was not cranked up to maximum. If it had been all those nice young people would have hit the deck in unbearable pain, regardless of any attempts to block the sound with their digits.]
It’s the same here, too – when enough of the elite gather in one place, the powers that be make the locals feel unwelcome in their own neighborhoods… for everyone’s safety, of course.
after reading this, I’m left wondering why (in the larger sense) any city/country really wants to host the Olympics anymore.
Sure, there is a bump for the city’s tourism during the events, but the headaches for law enforcement and security must be a real bitch for those involved.
Money
Sure, there is a bump for the city’s tourism during the events, but the headaches for the local denizens and militarization of the neighborhoods must be a real bitch for those involved.
I sure as heck wouldn’t want my community hosting an Olympics, a NATO conference or a convention, whether Democrat or Republican.
“pain inducement” device:
‘it’s not a weapon and it’s not a torture device’. What will the western gestapo think up next? It’s only a matter of time before some anti-government protesters arrested in the West allege that they were kept confined in a small courtyard or room with one of those non-weapon pain inducement devices.
My motorcycle lock has a decibel alarm of 111 decibels and it is irritating as heck. I wonder how many decibels, firing a 357 magnum round, is produced within a room or hallway?
Robert, thanks for the link above.
http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html
“Recent NIOSH studies of sound levels from weapons fires have shown that they may range from a low of 144 dB SPL for small caliber weapons such as a 0.22 caliber rifle to as high as a 172 dB SPL for a 0.357 caliber revolver. Double ear protection is recommended for shooters, combining soft, insertable ear plugs and external ear muffs.”
“Jet engine at 100′ 140dB
12 Gauge Shotgun Blast 165dB
Death of hearing tissue 180dB”
“150 decibels at one metre” – I wonder what the acoustic drop off is because just from the top of the armored vehicle to the ground is already 2-3 meters and a person would never be able to be only one meter away unless they hop up and sit in front of the device.
Just like flash lights (“visible” for up to 1 mile), there is no way that device will produce anywhere near 150db at 3000 meters. I bet from that far away it will be quieter than a megaphone.
Great Britain was once a relatively free country. It’s path through history should provide the citizens of the United States some valuable lessons.
So LRADs can emit a beam of pain-inducing tones? Big deal. So can Kanye West. Plus he doesn’t take up as much room and wouldn’t need a hoist or crane. Just tell him that Taylor Swift is getting and award up there and he’ll climb up all by himself.
LMAO thanks Ralf I so needed that!
Well it is what it is. It is sad I really like the Olympics I really do, but all the crap the host countries go through is almost ludicrous.
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