I wonder if anyone has a solution to a HUGE concern of mine. I heard about someone that lives in my county that got busted (and ultimately convicted) with about 10 plants in a closet garden. I heard that the way he was found out was that an aircraft or possibly a drone detected it from the air. I figure if it’s true that they were using an infared camera and they could detect what could be an illegal garden by the heat that the lights put out. I always heard about such a thing but I always thought that would only be effective if it was a BIG garden with a lot of HIDs. But if he only had 10 plants in a closet I can’t imagine he was using anything bigger than maybe one 600w HID. Does anyone have a setup like that and are concerned about the same thing? Or more importantly, does anyone have any ideas on a solution to shield your space from such a detection? I have been brainstorming some ideas of my own. I thought about maybe putting shields in the attic above the space? Maybe laying down a few layers of drywall over the space? But you have to make it an area BIGGER than the space below.
Basically something that doesn’t allow infared to penetrate. Maybe somekind of special foil faced blanket? Anyone got any experience or ideas?
I have no clue about how much heat can be detected by planes or drones 600 watt light sounds kinda small to put off that much heat to be detected I’m sure it’s possible? I know Led’s put off a fraction of the heat so if your concerned maybe get Led’s.
No experience that I know personally,
In my area I dont know how they could tell a wood burning stove or space heater from a grow space.
Attic space would even out the temps a lot.
Probable cause is hard to prove with just infrared evidence. Perhaps if its out in a barn where it was unusual.
What state are you in?
They can only capture surface temps of the roof. I suppose if you’re growing in the attic in the winter they might see some hot spots. They don’t penetrate the roof or the walls. A person can “disappear” from a drone or aircraft imaging by walking under a thick enough tree canopy. He got busted some other way.
I agree with @BobbyDigital
Someone talked.
Yep, Bobby is right.
They couldn’t use the informant so they did thermal imaging and got a judge to agree for a warrant based on that and possibly other circumstantial evidence, maybe they even mentioned the informant.
Yes,
Because its not illegal to grow plants inside. I might just be growing tomatoes and peppers.
No judge would grant a search warrant on a small heat signature alone. If they did people would be getting searched for having heat lamps in bathrooms.
Alright my fellow cultivators…
I really didn’t want to say anything , because I don’t want to freak anyone out…
( FLIR ) … is the least of your worries…
New tech allows them to see through walls and such with no problems…
If you have a modem in your house , than they know the layout of your house and exactly where every peice of furniture is in your house and how many people are in there…
Once 5-g is in your area , they will also know if you have a bunker a 100 feet deep on your property and will also know the layout of that bunker…
When it comes to government , if they want you , they got you and if they don’t , they will make stuff up and get you anyway…
I’m not going to go into details about said topic …
But to all of you that think it’s all just sci-fi … you really need to look into all of the new technologies that they are using…
Only thing I can recommend , is to try to stay off of there radar and don’t speak bad about them and don’t put your true opinions about how you feel in the open…
( stay a nobody ) and don’t put your nose where it shouldn’t be …
Live your life and try to not exist as much as possible…
Sounds crazy , but it’s real , very real… 
Much love to all of you …
Stay safe and just try to live as happy as possible and don’t involve yourself in any situations that are not going to benefit you or your family…
I don’t doubt the tech exists, but whose hands is it in? Seems like it’d be a budget buster for any local sheriffs department and doubt the government is focusing on a 10 plant operation.
I can say this as it’s not classified any more but if you look up this DoD Task Force XXI it will make you go hmmmm. What are they up to now?
The DoD had this Task Force which enable us to use radio waves to transmit live internet data on the closed network.
I know because I was involved with the testing side. So does it surprise me they can use drones to seek out large heat signatures wouldn’t surprise me.
Not really the point…
Why do they scan millions of phone calls and such…
No one is actually sitting there listening to anything you say , but a computer is…
And its listening for keywords…
I get what your saying @BobbyDigital …
Your not the big gusstofffo in your area and who cares…
I agree…
But for some reason , somebody built a huge computer to listen for (your) keywords…
I don’t know the why…
I just know they do…
The guy could have been a total ahole that was causing trouble in his area…
Or he could have been a nobody that was bragging to a buddy while he was having lunch at mc Donald’s…
Point is …
There is alot of technology out there that nobody believes exists…
I just want you all to be safe and be able to keep your family’s safe…
Bottom line , is that we should be able to live our lives how we please , as long as I’m not interfering with someone else’s dreams and there not f$cking up mine…
I grew up in a large city area and was much more concerned there.
Out here in the Missouri sticks law enforcement cant afford to even keep a couple officers in two cars. I seriously doubt they have the budget for infrared detection. I am legal now so I do not sweat it, but I feel for someone growing in a non legal area. It can be a weight on your mind.
If its for medical reasons there are few if any jury’s that will convict anymore.
Always have a jury if caught and its possible to go that route.
They had to have been told he was growing. There aren’t enough resources to just fly drones and heat seeking helicopters or planes and hope to stumble on someone’s plants. As you’ve said the heat could be put off by anything.
Yep my thoughts guys.
Thank goodness I live in a legal state.
People openly talk about cultivation in public places here. It’s great.
This isn’t the 80’s operation green merchant with Nancy Reagan and her red dress.
If they want you they got you.
But, cops’ careers are like all of ours. You want wins, big wins. Busting a 10 plant grow does not make a career.
A bust without solid evidence is not a win. Conviction rates dictate success.
You know what Moses had before he parted the red Sea? Permission from his commanding officer. All the tech aside your still free from illegal search and seisure. To use anything government owned you have to have authorization. They aren’t getting authorization without reasonable suspicion leading to probable cause. They could have used fly overs to build a case but they had probable cause or they wouldn’t have a warrant to do it. 99.999% of the time it’s loose lips and garbage recovered evidence. That being said I’ve used Sonic lasers that turn vibration into sound. I’ve seen drones with bunker Buster’s that see many feet into the Earth’s surface. Just assume any tech the government allows has a hidden or added benefit. Just like cordless phones. They used to be illegal until they realized anything that travels thru the air is public domain so they don’t need a wire tap warrant because there’s no wire to tap. Big brother is real. I’ve seen it and they will do anything to “defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies , FOREIGN and DOMESTIC”
Edit: my favorite is everyone that was in the room when Snowden was on 60 minutes. They told me and I quote “he’s a hero. He told the American people NSA listens to the American publics phone calls.” My rebuttal “if you need someone to TELL you their listening they’ve already got you and your already an idiot.” Lol. Lost a few friends over that lol
We know this tech is real as @peachfuzz has presented. If this tech is being used to bust 10 plant grows then our tax dollars are being wasted way more than could be imagined.
I agree with @MrPeat, @peachfuzz and @RandomlyRan. The best thing is to stay off of their radar and tell no one. Remember the saying, loose lips sink ships. Hide in plain sight. Be visible but not seen. I think that for the most part, anyone that knows what you are doing can be a problem. Especially if you live in a state where it is still illegal like mine. The very few that I do smoke with, think that everything we smoke has been purchased from someone. My wife is the only one that knows what I do, only because it would have been impossible to keep it from her. That being said, it’s the reason that I am so grateful that I found this forum. It’s so nice to be able to have an open discussion and not have to worry about any repercussions. One of my buddies got busted last year for his indoor grow. I had warned him many times about talking too much and odor control. When you got outta your car it was very obvious what he was doing. Add to that, the fact that way too many people knew what he was doing. Honestly, I am surprised that it didn’t happen sooner. I kept warning him but, he wouldn’t listen. He doesn’t even know that I grow and never will. All I can say is Y’all be safe and think very hard about who you tell what. And just to reiterate what the others have said. This technology exists and believe me I know and I will leave it at that.
I read all of this lots of great points made by community members. This is kindly like a wake up call don’t get careless don’t let your guard down. To me one of the most important points, mentioned you can be your worst on Enemy by telling someone. Happy safe growing for all.