Laser for foliage control?

[bluedog225]

I may be in the wrong forum and/or this may not be a great idea but this is the first place I thought I'd check. I've got a tree about 70 feet tall that is about 50 feet from my house. The top 2 feet or so of leaves are causing concern for my solar installation guys. They just happen to be in a bad place and cast shadows that will affect overall system output.

Too tall and on a slope so conventional methods not feasible.

Assuming I can get a good line of sight, on the right wet, rainy, low fire risk day, could I use a burning laser to kill a branch that was about the size of my thumb? Maybe not burn it off, but kill it and maybe weaken it?

If yes, what kind, what power, and where can I get one?

if there is a better place to post this in another forum, I would appreciate knowing where that is.

thanks

Tom

 

[Ken_McE]

I'm not familiar with a laser that a civilian can buy that will burn through branches. Do you know anybody who works in the navy? :devil:

There is already a whole field of expertise around the area of managing trees. Rather than reinvent the wheel, just hire someone. That it grows on a hill just means that the bucket truck may not be able to reach it, a man can still walk in there, no? A tree surgeon ought to be able to climb a 70' tree with little more effort than I would use to climb stairs.

Do you know what species the tree is? Is it on your property? Has it grown to its full height? How will it respond to injury? Can you sacrifice the entire tree if necessary?

Bring in an expert, do it once, do it right, be done with it.

 

[Eidetic]

There's no laser that will do that job that someone who's never used a laser before can operate. Plus, it would fill a one car garage, need water cooling and massive power service, you'd need FAA approval to send it through the air (and past the tree), and it would cost more than the house.
http://www.laserfocusworld.com/arti...e-felling-with-lasers-a-big-idea-in-1965.html

 

[papershredder]

How about a shotgun? :nana:

 

[hkenawy]

or a massive jet lighter
or dragonbreath shotgun shells
you may need to keep the fire department on standby :whistle:

 

[Norm]

A good tree surgeon should be able to climb and lop the tree tops.

Norm

 

[outersquare]

might as well try agent orange while discarding all the usual constraints

 

[bluedog225]

Ok. Ok. I was thinking along the lines of the Artic from wicked laser to heat up the branch tissue enough to kill it. Shouldn't take much.

http://www.wickedlasers.com/arctic

 

[Eidetic]

Waaaaaaaay too little power. A couple of Watts will only smoke dead, dry leaves or twigs. Aiming, holding steady, focusing (you'd need to), optics to focus at that distance. 1000x that power with a CO2 laser maybe.

 

[jtr1962]

Just take the tree down. If it's 50 feet from your house and 70 feet tall, chances are the roots will eventually crack your foundation. Rent a chain saw, and cut on the side away from your house.

 

[Felandro]

Haven't tried it myself but the krypton laser might be able to do it if it's as powerful as it says, you might want to have a stand to hold it in the same spot.

 

[Eidetic]

Krypton's not such a good choice. Highest power output is red light, and that's terrible for burning. Also, terrible efficiency and nowhere near enough power from the biggest.