Balloonatics

So, after I got the new GPS module working (seems the old one died in a crash)
and as I had ordered 2, what to do with the second one?

Now the idea of making a balloon and putting a GPS in it that releases some alu foil chaff
when over N 'merrica was the first thing that came up.
Radar would see it (they likely miss out on hundreds of kids balloons).

Of course as a weapon if everybody in China send up one US would be out of ammo and jet fuel in a day.
(should I cross post this to us.politics or Chinese newsgroups? but ideas are cheap.
Would a balloon made of alu foil heated by the sun make enough less dense air to lift something or even itself?
Anyways hydrogen electrolysis not a problem.
Experiments planned... Pity, dangerous here with all those F35 , Oh but wait those have now moved to Poland if I
have to believe the press, sure less noise here.

So, could put a card in it 'We come in peas' (add some peas, where dropped those would grow new plants, good
to feed the masses..)

Picture of an alien (from an AI drawing site) as message to the humming spycies.

Seems great fun, kids here is your chance!

US defeated by balloonatic leaders

On Sunday, February 12, 2023 at 1:54:07 AM UTC-5, Jan Panteltje wrote:
> Balloonatics
>
> So, after I got the new GPS module working (seems the old one died in a crash)
> and as I had ordered 2, what to do with the second one?
>
> Now the idea of making a balloon and putting a GPS in it that releases some alu foil chaff
> when over N 'merrica was the first thing that came up.
> Radar would see it (they likely miss out on hundreds of kids balloons).
>
> Of course as a weapon if everybody in China send up one US would be out of ammo and jet fuel in a day.
> (should I cross post this to us.politics or Chinese newsgroups? but ideas are cheap.
> Would a balloon made of alu foil heated by the sun make enough less dense air to lift something or even itself?
> Anyways hydrogen electrolysis not a problem.
> Experiments planned... Pity, dangerous here with all those F35 , Oh but wait those have now moved to Poland if I
> have to believe the press, sure less noise here.
>
> So, could put a card in it 'We come in peas' (add some peas, where dropped those would grow new plants, good
> to feed the masses..)
>
> Picture of an alien (from an AI drawing site) as message to the humming spycies.
>
> Seems great fun, kids here is your chance!
>
> US defeated by balloonatic leaders

Europe has laws against endangering the safety of aircraft.

You'll end up dying in prison.

On 12/02/2023 06:48, Jan Panteltje wrote:
> Balloonatics
>
> So, after I got the new GPS module working (seems the old one died in a crash)
> and as I had ordered 2, what to do with the second one?
>
> Now the idea of making a balloon and putting a GPS in it that releases some alu foil chaff
> when over N 'merrica was the first thing that came up.
> Radar would see it (they likely miss out on hundreds of kids balloons).
>
> Of course as a weapon if everybody in China send up one US would be out of ammo and jet fuel in a day.
> (should I cross post this to us.politics or Chinese newsgroups? but ideas are cheap.
> Would a balloon made of alu foil heated by the sun make enough less dense air to lift something or even itself?
> Anyways hydrogen electrolysis not a problem.
> Experiments planned... Pity, dangerous here with all those F35 , Oh but wait those have now moved to Poland if I
> have to believe the press, sure less noise here.

If you are going to do it at least do it right. Cube corner reflectors
of the right size give the maximum radar return for minimum weight.

Failing that an aluminised condom with enough helium to be just buoyant
at take off makes a pretty good UFO. They don't pop until quite large.

As do those annoying cheap Chinese paper tissue hot air balloon toys
with a small fire underneath which cause trouble here in dry summers.

> So, could put a card in it 'We come in peas' (add some peas, where dropped those would grow new plants, good
> to feed the masses..)
>
> Picture of an alien (from an AI drawing site) as message to the humming spycies.
>
> Seems great fun, kids here is your chance!
>
> US defeated by balloonatic leaders

Using expensive missiles to shoot them down seems overkill to me. You
would get a much better idea of its capabilities by putting a few holes
through the balloon canopy and forcing it down to the ground gently. You
want to get the electronics gondola down in one piece to inspect it!

The way it was blown to bits by air to air missile leaves them with
debris spread over about 50 square miles and a kit of bits that will
require a lot of reassembling to figure out what it was capable of.

It was the perfect target for a directed energy weapon. Just hit it
enough to allow gas to escape, it will lose lift and descend gracefully
once it runs out of ballast to discharge (or possibly self destruct).

--
Martin Brown

On a sunny day (Mon, 13 Feb 2023 11:22:52 +0000) it happened Martin Brown
<'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote in <tsd6id$24hbg$2@dont-email.me>:

>On 12/02/2023 06:48, Jan Panteltje wrote:
>> Balloonatics
>>
>> So, after I got the new GPS module working (seems the old one died in a crash)
>> and as I had ordered 2, what to do with the second one?
>>
>> Now the idea of making a balloon and putting a GPS in it that releases some alu foil chaff
>> when over N 'merrica was the first thing that came up.
>> Radar would see it (they likely miss out on hundreds of kids balloons).
>>
>> Of course as a weapon if everybody in China send up one US would be out of ammo and jet fuel in a day.
>> (should I cross post this to us.politics or Chinese newsgroups? but ideas are cheap.
>> Would a balloon made of alu foil heated by the sun make enough less dense air to lift something or even itself?
>> Anyways hydrogen electrolysis not a problem.
>> Experiments planned... Pity, dangerous here with all those F35 , Oh but wait those have now moved to Poland if I
>> have to believe the press, sure less noise here.
>
>If you are going to do it at least do it right. Cube corner reflectors
>of the right size give the maximum radar return for minimum weight.

Yes, that is a how some radar reflector for boats work too, there are also other models:
https://www.westmarine.com/west-advisor/Selecting-a-Radar-Reflector.html

>Failing that an aluminised condom with enough helium to be just buoyant
>at take off makes a pretty good UFO. They don't pop until quite large.
>
>As do those annoying cheap Chinese paper tissue hot air balloon toys
>with a small fire underneath which cause trouble here in dry summers.
>
>> So, could put a card in it 'We come in peas' (add some peas, where dropped those would grow new plants, good
>> to feed the masses..)
>>
>> Picture of an alien (from an AI drawing site) as message to the humming spycies.
>>
>> Seems great fun, kids here is your chance!
>>
>> US defeated by balloonatic leaders
>
>Using expensive missiles to shoot them down seems overkill to me. You
>would get a much better idea of its capabilities by putting a few holes
>through the balloon canopy and forcing it down to the ground gently. You
>want to get the electronics gondola down in one piece to inspect it!
>
>The way it was blown to bits by air to air missile leaves them with
>debris spread over about 50 square miles and a kit of bits that will
>require a lot of reassembling to figure out what it was capable of.
>
>It was the perfect target for a directed energy weapon. Just hit it
>enough to allow gas to escape, it will lose lift and descend gracefully
>once it runs out of ballast to discharge (or possibly self destruct).

I was thinking Russia could, when the wind is from the east,
sent a bunch to Ukrain.
After the Ukrainian guns are emptied, follow up with the real drones.
This reduces civilian casualties from downed drones.

Its all to easy??

On 2/13/2023 4:22 AM, Martin Brown wrote:
> Using expensive missiles to shoot them down seems overkill to me. You would get
> a much better idea of its capabilities by putting a few holes through the
> balloon canopy and forcing it down to the ground gently. You want to get the
> electronics gondola down in one piece to inspect it!

I suspect they *wanted* it to come down quickly. A "leisurely decent"
would have downed it in deeper waters -- possibly NOT within territorial
waters (inviting others to go looking for the pieces).

Additionally, if it falls quicker, there is less opportunity for
decision makers to come to a reasoned decision as to how to thwart
recovery efforts (self destruct, steer it out over deeper water,
etc.)

> The way it was blown to bits by air to air missile leaves them with debris
> spread over about 50 square miles and a kit of bits that will require a lot of
> reassembling to figure out what it was capable of.

I suspect they had been "listening to it" for many days. And, if it
was trying to listen/observe *you*, it's possible to throw honey at it
and see which it chatters about.

If they can piece together bits of a downed aircraft to determine the
cause of a crash, I suspect they can piece together that bit of kit.

(I doubt the pilot targeted the instrumentation package)

> It was the perfect target for a directed energy weapon. Just hit it enough to
> allow gas to escape, it will lose lift and descend gracefully once it runs out
> of ballast to discharge (or possibly self destruct).

But a self destruct risks lives on the ground (depending on where
the "attack" is initiated) as well as losing all intelligence about
the craft (one would assume a destruct mechanism would target the
most sensitive bits of technology on the craft)

Martin Brown <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:

[...]
>...You
> would get a much better idea of its capabilities by putting a few holes
> through the balloon canopy and forcing it down to the ground gently. You
> want to get the electronics gondola down in one piece to inspect it!

As a lighter-than-air balloon comes down, the lifting gas is compressed
by the denser atmosphere and it become progressively less buoyant. The
acceleration towards the ground would steadily increase.

--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

On 2023-02-12 07:48, Jan Panteltje wrote:
> So, could put a card in it 'We come in peas' (add some peas, where dropped those would grow new plants, good
> to feed the masses..)

Do you know that doing that to the USA is an act of aggression?

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

On a sunny day (Mon, 13 Feb 2023 15:52:59 +0100) it happened "Carlos E. R."
<robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote in <k4v16bFmoeaU1@mid.individual.net>:

>On 2023-02-12 07:48, Jan Panteltje wrote:
>> So, could put a card in it 'We come in peas' (add some peas, where dropped those would grow new plants, good
>> to feed the masses..)
>
>Do you know that doing that to the USA is an act of aggression?

Everything is an act of aggression to that YOUESHAI
Countries making cheaper and better products, China Huawei one of many examples.
YOUESHAI is just a Mafia like club that wants to control the world by enslaving other countries..
It is however in decline, its IQ is dropping, its infrastructure is falling apart, it debt
is so enormous, they have not made a profit for 50 years, just losses.
A small part, its Military Industrial Complex made some money burning other countries people's
like in Vietnam, Laos, Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Ukrain, all often under false pretenses.

Any country buying more of YOUESHAI debt takes a great risk.
Dollar will fall and be replaced by something else.
No Empire Yet has persisted

Roman empire is a good example where it will go, same sequence is happening
from Caesar, revolt of the slaves to Nero fiddling when Rome was burning (Trump twittering),
Carthage must be destroyed (competition) to attacks on the system.
Its just a matter of time before the Statute of Freedummy is found by archaeologists
Hollywood showed where it went in Planet Of The Apes.
Just like we now look at Aztec pyramids, or Egyptian ones.

History has this habit of repeating itself.

On 13/02/2023 11:22, Martin Brown wrote:

<snip>

> It was the perfect target for a directed energy weapon. Just hit it
> enough to allow gas to escape, it will lose lift and descend gracefully
> once it runs out of ballast to discharge (or possibly self destruct).

You're assuming gas-filled balloons of some sort. In fact, the aliens
have invented a material light and strong enough to maintain a volume of
vacuum. They build them in orbit and drop them so they find their level
floating in the air.

Why? Because they're like us. Childish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLYNoejZcv0

--
Cheers
Clive

Anthony William Sloman <bill.sloman@ieee.org> wrote:

> On Monday, February 13, 2023 at 11:52:45 PM UTC+11, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
> > Martin Brown <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
> >
> > [...]
> > >...You
> > > would get a much better idea of its capabilities by putting a few holes
> > > through the balloon canopy and forcing it down to the ground gently. You
> > > want to get the electronics gondola down in one piece to inspect it!
> > As a lighter-than-air balloon comes down, the lifting gas is compressed
> > by the denser atmosphere and it become progressively less buoyant. The
> > acceleration towards the ground would steadily increase.
>
> This is wrong. The "lifting gas" just displaces an equal number of air
>molecules ( O2 - atomic mass 32 and N2 - atomic mass 28). The volume
>occupied by the lifting gas changes with atmospheric pressure, but
>buoyancy force stays exactly the same. The envelope of free balloon
>looks very sloppy when it first takes off but the fabric spreads out as
>it rises to accommodate the increasing volume occupied by the lifting
>gas as the atmospheric pressure decreases around it.

Thanks for pointing that out; I realised I had got it wrong shortly
after posting and I was waiting to see if anyone spotted it.

However... If you make a hole in a balloon and enough lifting gas comes
out to make the balloon negatively buoyant, it will begin to loose
height. The gas will continue to come out, so the buoyancy will
continue to decrease and it will fall faster and faster. A different
mechanism, but the effect will be the same: a hard landing.

The crew of a manned ballon in those circumstances would conserve their
ballast until they were near the ground and then drop it in an effort to
reduce speed at the last moment, but an automated balloon will try to
maintain height until the ballast runs out and an uncontrollable
downward journey begins.

I don't know how the drag of an inflated balloon compares with the drag
of a deflating one, but that will have a major effect on the terminal
velocity too.

--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

On 2023-02-13 16:17, Jan Panteltje wrote:
> On a sunny day (Mon, 13 Feb 2023 15:52:59 +0100) it happened "Carlos E. R."
> <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote in <k4v16bFmoeaU1@mid.individual.net>:
>
>> On 2023-02-12 07:48, Jan Panteltje wrote:
>>> So, could put a card in it 'We come in peas' (add some peas, where dropped those would grow new plants, good
>>> to feed the masses..)
>>
>> Do you know that doing that to the USA is an act of aggression?
>
> Everything is an act of aggression to that YOUESHAI
> Countries making cheaper and better products, China Huawei one of many examples.
> YOUESHAI is just a Mafia like club that wants to control the world by enslaving other countries..
> It is however in decline, its IQ is dropping, its infrastructure is falling apart, it debt
> is so enormous, they have not made a profit for 50 years, just losses.
> A small part, its Military Industrial Complex made some money burning other countries people's
> like in Vietnam, Laos, Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Ukrain, all often under false pretenses.

LOL, it is nothing like that.

Entering live plants or animals into a country is illegal on several
countries. Some are more paranoid than others. But intentionally
planting foreign plants would not be looked upon as "nice".

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

Clive Arthur <clive@nowaytoday.co.uk> wrote:

> On 13/02/2023 11:22, Martin Brown wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
> > It was the perfect target for a directed energy weapon. Just hit it
> > enough to allow gas to escape, it will lose lift and descend gracefully
> > once it runs out of ballast to discharge (or possibly self destruct).
>
> You're assuming gas-filled balloons of some sort. In fact, the aliens
> have invented a material light and strong enough to maintain a volume of
> vacuum. They build them in orbit and drop them so they find their level
> floating in the air.

They can't have been vacuum craft or we would have heard them go GNAB !
when they were shot down.

--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

On Monday, February 13, 2023 at 3:22:59 AM UTC-8, Martin Brown wrote:
> On 12/02/2023 06:48, Jan Panteltje wrote:

> > Now the idea of making a balloon and putting a GPS in it that releases some alu foil chaff
> > when over N 'merrica was the first thing that came up.
> > Radar would see it (they likely miss out on hundreds of kids balloons).

> Using expensive missiles to shoot them down seems overkill to me.

True dat. If one wants to drop a balloon, it makes more sense to throw a bolas
at its vertical instrument-package-tether, and either detonate or simply let the added mass
reduce its altitude. Chain shot is the artillery term for a heavy munition of this type.

At low altitude, a helicopter overhead will sufice to force one to ground, I'd think.

Carlos E. R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

[...]
> Entering live plants or animals into a country is illegal on several
> countries.

Entering animals is certainly illegal in the UK under the Sexual
Offences Act 2003..

--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

On 2023-02-13 19:44, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
> Carlos E. R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
>
> [...]
>> Entering live plants or animals into a country is illegal on several
>> countries.
>
> Entering animals is certainly illegal in the UK under the Sexual
> Offences Act 2003..

Sexual? What has sex got to do with it? :-o

It is normally the ministry of agriculture, farming, or health which are
involved.

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

On 2/13/2023 12:20 PM, Carlos E. R. wrote:
> On 2023-02-13 19:44, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
>> Carlos E. R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
>>
>> [...]
>>> Entering live plants or animals into a country is illegal on several
>>> countries.
>>
>> Entering animals is certainly illegal in the UK under the Sexual
>> Offences Act 2003..
>
> Sexual? What has sex got to do with it?  :-o
>
> It is normally the ministry of agriculture, farming, or health which are involved.

Play on words -- bestiality ("entering")

Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> wrote:

> On 2/13/2023 12:20 PM, Carlos E. R. wrote:
> > On 2023-02-13 19:44, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
> >> Carlos E. R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
> >>
> >> [...]
> >>> Entering live plants or animals into a country is illegal on several
> >>> countries.
> >>
> >> Entering animals is certainly illegal in the UK under the Sexual
> >> Offences Act 2003..
> >
> > Sexual? What has sex got to do with it?  :-o
> >
> > It is normally the ministry of agriculture, farming, or health which are
>> involved.
>
> Play on words -- bestiality ("entering")

Entering means 'going into', not 'putting in'. The misunderstanding
comes from incorrect phrases such as: "enter your name using the
keyboard". That is impossible; it should be "type in your name using
the keyboard"

--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

On Monday, February 13, 2023 at 6:22:59 AM UTC-5, Martin Brown wrote:
> On 12/02/2023 06:48, Jan Panteltje wrote:
> > Balloonatics
> >
> > So, after I got the new GPS module working (seems the old one died in a crash)
> > and as I had ordered 2, what to do with the second one?
> >
> > Now the idea of making a balloon and putting a GPS in it that releases some alu foil chaff
> > when over N 'merrica was the first thing that came up.
> > Radar would see it (they likely miss out on hundreds of kids balloons).
> >
> > Of course as a weapon if everybody in China send up one US would be out of ammo and jet fuel in a day.
> > (should I cross post this to us.politics or Chinese newsgroups? but ideas are cheap.
> > Would a balloon made of alu foil heated by the sun make enough less dense air to lift something or even itself?
> > Anyways hydrogen electrolysis not a problem.
> > Experiments planned... Pity, dangerous here with all those F35 , Oh but wait those have now moved to Poland if I
> > have to believe the press, sure less noise here.
> If you are going to do it at least do it right. Cube corner reflectors
> of the right size give the maximum radar return for minimum weight.
>
> Failing that an aluminised condom with enough helium to be just buoyant
> at take off makes a pretty good UFO. They don't pop until quite large.

What makes you think there's a problem with signal strength? Balloons are hardly a stealth geometry.

The American general who directs North American air surveillance, someone who knows quite a bit more than you, stated publicly the balloon detections are being being blocked by their velocity filters, he didn't say anything about escaping detection. The reason for this is because it's a really big deal in terms of consuming resources to put prospective targets in track, and so they want to avoid squandering them on nothing.

>
> As do those annoying cheap Chinese paper tissue hot air balloon toys
> with a small fire underneath which cause trouble here in dry summers.
> > So, could put a card in it 'We come in peas' (add some peas, where dropped those would grow new plants, good
> > to feed the masses..)
> >
> > Picture of an alien (from an AI drawing site) as message to the humming spycies.
> >
> > Seems great fun, kids here is your chance!
> >
> > US defeated by balloonatic leaders
> Using expensive missiles to shoot them down seems overkill to me. You
> would get a much better idea of its capabilities by putting a few holes
> through the balloon canopy and forcing it down to the ground gently. You
> want to get the electronics gondola down in one piece to inspect it!

You can't shoot them down with bullets, they will hang around forever before they give it up. It has to be sliced to pieces.

The Israeli Iron Dome air defense uses various sams/ interceptors they call Arrow. They also have some super scaled down version they use for things like drones. It was considered a small triumph to get the price tag on those down to $50k.

>
> The way it was blown to bits by air to air missile leaves them with
> debris spread over about 50 square miles and a kit of bits that will
> require a lot of reassembling to figure out what it was capable of.

Excuse me- the missile struck the balloon proper, not the payload. And the debris were scattered over only 15 miles.

>
> It was the perfect target for a directed energy weapon. Just hit it
> enough to allow gas to escape, it will lose lift and descend gracefully
> once it runs out of ballast to discharge (or possibly self destruct).

Uh-huh- and what platform is carrying such a non-existent weapon?

>
> --
> Martin Brown

On Monday, February 13, 2023 at 11:54:02 AM UTC-5, Carlos E. R. wrote:
> On 2023-02-13 16:17, Jan Panteltje wrote:
> > On a sunny day (Mon, 13 Feb 2023 15:52:59 +0100) it happened "Carlos E. R."
> > <robin_...@es.invalid> wrote in <k4v16b...@mid.individual.net>:
> >
> >> On 2023-02-12 07:48, Jan Panteltje wrote:
> >>> So, could put a card in it 'We come in peas' (add some peas, where dropped those would grow new plants, good
> >>> to feed the masses..)
> >>
> >> Do you know that doing that to the USA is an act of aggression?
> >
> > Everything is an act of aggression to that YOUESHAI
> > Countries making cheaper and better products, China Huawei one of many examples.
> > YOUESHAI is just a Mafia like club that wants to control the world by enslaving other countries..
> > It is however in decline, its IQ is dropping, its infrastructure is falling apart, it debt
> > is so enormous, they have not made a profit for 50 years, just losses.
> > A small part, its Military Industrial Complex made some money burning other countries people's
> > like in Vietnam, Laos, Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Ukrain, all often under false pretenses.
> LOL, it is nothing like that.
>
> Entering live plants or animals into a country is illegal on several
> countries. Some are more paranoid than others. But intentionally
> planting foreign plants would not be looked upon as "nice".

They already did that a few years ago, using the U.S. Mail.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/28/seeds-mystery-mail-us-china

>
> --
> Cheers,
> Carlos E.R.

On 2023-02-13 21:51, Fred Bloggs wrote:
> On Monday, February 13, 2023 at 6:22:59 AM UTC-5, Martin Brown wrote:
>> On 12/02/2023 06:48, Jan Panteltje wrote:

....

>> The way it was blown to bits by air to air missile leaves them with
>> debris spread over about 50 square miles and a kit of bits that will
>> require a lot of reassembling to figure out what it was capable of.
>
> Excuse me- the missile struck the balloon proper, not the payload. And the debris were scattered over only 15 miles.
>
>>
>> It was the perfect target for a directed energy weapon. Just hit it
>> enough to allow gas to escape, it will lose lift and descend gracefully
>> once it runs out of ballast to discharge (or possibly self destruct).
>
> Uh-huh- and what platform is carrying such a non-existent weapon?

Land based? Sea based? I heard some ships have them, but maybe can not
be aimed on a balloon.

It would have been interesting to try.

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

On Monday, February 13, 2023 at 1:41:32 PM UTC-5, whit3rd wrote:
> On Monday, February 13, 2023 at 3:22:59 AM UTC-8, Martin Brown wrote:
> > On 12/02/2023 06:48, Jan Panteltje wrote:
>
> > > Now the idea of making a balloon and putting a GPS in it that releases some alu foil chaff
> > > when over N 'merrica was the first thing that came up.
> > > Radar would see it (they likely miss out on hundreds of kids balloons).
> > Using expensive missiles to shoot them down seems overkill to me.
> True dat. If one wants to drop a balloon, it makes more sense to throw a bolas
> at its vertical instrument-package-tether, and either detonate or simply let the added mass
> reduce its altitude. Chain shot is the artillery term for a heavy munition of this type.
>
> At low altitude, a helicopter overhead will sufice to force one to ground, I'd think.

You're going to send a helicopter 500 miles out to intercept a balloon?

On Monday, February 13, 2023 at 3:58:17 PM UTC-5, Carlos E. R. wrote:
> On 2023-02-13 21:51, Fred Bloggs wrote:
> > On Monday, February 13, 2023 at 6:22:59 AM UTC-5, Martin Brown wrote:
> >> On 12/02/2023 06:48, Jan Panteltje wrote:
> ...
> >> The way it was blown to bits by air to air missile leaves them with
> >> debris spread over about 50 square miles and a kit of bits that will
> >> require a lot of reassembling to figure out what it was capable of.
> >
> > Excuse me- the missile struck the balloon proper, not the payload. And the debris were scattered over only 15 miles.
> >
> >>
> >> It was the perfect target for a directed energy weapon. Just hit it
> >> enough to allow gas to escape, it will lose lift and descend gracefully
> >> once it runs out of ballast to discharge (or possibly self destruct).
> >
> > Uh-huh- and what platform is carrying such a non-existent weapon?
> Land based? Sea based? I heard some ships have them, but maybe can not
> be aimed on a balloon.
>
> It would have been interesting to try.
>
> --
> Cheers,
> Carlos E.R.

They're way ahead of you on that one. Lockheed knows a multi-billion $$$ sale when they see one.

https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/2020/tactical-airborne-laser-pods-are-coming.html

Previous efforts didn't work out too well:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_YAL-1

On 2023-02-13 21:57, Fred Bloggs wrote:
> On Monday, February 13, 2023 at 11:54:02 AM UTC-5, Carlos E. R. wrote:
>> On 2023-02-13 16:17, Jan Panteltje wrote:
>>> On a sunny day (Mon, 13 Feb 2023 15:52:59 +0100) it happened "Carlos E. R."
>>> <robin_...@es.invalid> wrote in <k4v16b...@mid.individual.net>:
>>>
>>>> On 2023-02-12 07:48, Jan Panteltje wrote:
>>>>> So, could put a card in it 'We come in peas' (add some peas, where dropped those would grow new plants, good
>>>>> to feed the masses..)
>>>>
>>>> Do you know that doing that to the USA is an act of aggression?
>>>
>>> Everything is an act of aggression to that YOUESHAI
>>> Countries making cheaper and better products, China Huawei one of many examples.
>>> YOUESHAI is just a Mafia like club that wants to control the world by enslaving other countries..
>>> It is however in decline, its IQ is dropping, its infrastructure is falling apart, it debt
>>> is so enormous, they have not made a profit for 50 years, just losses.
>>> A small part, its Military Industrial Complex made some money burning other countries people's
>>> like in Vietnam, Laos, Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Ukrain, all often under false pretenses.
>> LOL, it is nothing like that.
>>
>> Entering live plants or animals into a country is illegal on several
>> countries. Some are more paranoid than others. But intentionally
>> planting foreign plants would not be looked upon as "nice".
>
> They already did that a few years ago, using the U.S. Mail.
>
> https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/28/seeds-mystery-mail-us-china

Ah, yes, I remember.

Many travelers have experiences with food when arriving at an USA
airport, even if on transit. The customs people go nuts when they find
us with a chorizo. I have seen people eating their beloved food in the
airport, so that it doesn't get burned in an incinerator by the authorities.

And of course, parents send boxes packed full with chorizo, cheese,
cured ham, etc to their kids abroad, and are dismayed when they learn it
was seized and destroyed. They would understand it better if the
officers ate it all...

We then we share our food experiences with USAian customs and have a
laugh. USAians are mad. :-D

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

On Monday, February 13, 2023 at 6:38:58 AM UTC-5, Jan Panteltje wrote:

> >of the right size give the maximum radar return for minimum weight.
> Yes, that is a how some radar reflector for boats work too, there are also other models:
> https://www.westmarine.com/west-advisor/Selecting-a-Radar-Reflector.html

Those are mostly sized for marine x-band radar.

>
> Its all to easy??

Not for you.

On Monday, February 13, 2023 at 3:33:56 PM UTC-5, Liz Tuddenham wrote:

> Entering means 'going into', not 'putting in'. The misunderstanding
> comes from incorrect phrases such as: "enter your name using the
> keyboard". That is impossible; it should be "type in your name using
> the keyboard"

Keyboard has key labeled "Enter," no?

> --
> ~ Liz Tuddenham ~
> (Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
> www.poppyrecords.co.uk