It appears that along with the smell pot has a rather unique thermal 'signature'. The po po in Chucktown used to use an airborne IR camera at night to identify possible fields, then send in ground troops the next AM. That's where the indoor 'grow houses' came from.
Spinout007 wrote: Grow house busted in a local hoity toitie neighborhood not so long ago. They took out something like 2300 plants.
How do you think they can afford the hoity toitie neighborhood.
Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes made of ticky tacky...
If you think that's the only weed in your neighborhood, you're in for rude awakening.
square grouper
alex wrote: Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes made of ticky tacky...
My mom actually had Malvina Reynolds' original version in her record collection. I had to research that, I recognized the lyric, but remembered hearing a woman sing it when I was a kid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_2lGkEU4Xs
I'm still feeling kind of guilty that I ended up in one. Eh, what the hell. The price was right. 
Curmudgeon wrote: It appears that along with the smell pot has a rather unique thermal 'signature'. The po po in Chucktown used to use an airborne IR camera at night to identify possible fields, then send in ground troops the next AM. That's where the indoor 'grow houses' came from.
From what I hear from a few guys that have tromped around Afghanistan (it's "Amber waves of pot" over there), weed absorbs a lot of IR energy, so that checks.
Curmudgeon wrote: It appears that along with the smell pot has a rather unique thermal 'signature'. The po po in Chucktown used to use an airborne IR camera at night to identify possible fields, then send in ground troops the next AM. That's where the indoor 'grow houses' came from.
But don't the indoor grow operations have their own issues? Unusual IR signatures from the lights and high electric bills. Also if they aren't too smart there are trackable bills for full spectrum UV bulbs.
The last few years we had our iguana, there were frequent helicopters flying around and over our house. I wonder if we were under observation?
Secretariata wrote:Curmudgeon wrote: It appears that along with the smell pot has a rather unique thermal 'signature'. The po po in Chucktown used to use an airborne IR camera at night to identify possible fields, then send in ground troops the next AM. That's where the indoor 'grow houses' came from.But don't the indoor grow operations have their own issues? Unusual IR signatures from the lights and high electric bills. Also if they aren't too smart there are trackable bills for full spectrum UV bulbs.
I think that's why so many growers are now picking up abandoned houses with basements in dying neighborhoods. If you don't do anything other than run the grow lights, the energy bill isn't much different than an ex-middleclass family microwaving all their food, and watching TV/playing videogames 24/7. Don't know how they'd shield the IR signature, though..that's probably how they're getting busted.
Secretariata wrote: The last few years we had our iguana, there were frequent helicopters flying around and over our house. I wonder if we were under observation?
It's possible. I miss helicopters. They made so much more noise than drones, you could actually hear them coming.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2012/0616/Drones-over-America.-Are-they-spying-on-you
I seem to recall that some operations were lining the ceilings with aluminum foil to help reflect the grow lights and also the heat signature.
My brother flew Cessnas (to bag flight hours, he ain't a narc) for a southern county sheriff dept. to scope potential rural grow areas. Yea they do that, yea they find 'em, yea they send county drug task force in on the ground.
Residential areas (garages, attics etc.) are usually not targeted unless by tipsters or high electric bills... but then they will do a flyover... nabbed a neighbor a few houses down like that.
Curmudgeon wrote: It appears that along with the smell pot has a rather unique thermal 'signature'. The po po in Chucktown used to use an airborne IR camera at night to identify possible fields, then send in ground troops the next AM. That's where the indoor 'grow houses' came from.
From what I understand, that's not just a pot signature, but hemp in general. Which is one reason it grows so well. It's not called weed for fun.
And knowing what can be made of hemp, it's also a good reason that there should be a threshold where it is allowed be be grown, since it's not a drug when the important chemicals are at trace levels.
Hemp can be used for paper, cloth, rope, fuel, etc- and it grows like a weed, and can grow in lots of places. Seems like a natural fit for the want of using less of the more valuable resources.
Alas, even hemp with trace chemicals is ilegal to grow in the US.
alfadriver wrote: Alas, even hemp with trace chemicals is ilegal to grow in the US.
Thats because the government doesn't want competition in the hemp rope department.......[/tinfoil hat]
They busted a farm house that our farmland surrounds here.....the places closest neighbor was a state trooper nonetheless. Helo flew over at about 4am, they raided the place after noon......the people caught had been mowing plants for approx 8hrs, there was still 400 plants left. The yard looked like a giant bowl of hashish....
With a well on the property, and a bypassed electric meter, they were probably doing that for about a year.
friedgreencorrado wrote: If you don't do anything other than run the grow lights, the energy bill isn't much different than an ex-middleclass family microwaving all their food, and watching TV/playing videogames 24/7.
I understand it's common for them to bypass the electric meter, but what happens is the power company will notice there's an unusually high current load in a residential area that doesn't match up with the meter readings from that area.
After reading the title, I thought, "you can use a Notary for that?"
Grow ops are literally one of the largest revenue generators in BC. People will build new homes with grow rooms in the basement. My wife hand delivered an invoice to a waste of skin once and he was in the process of loading a helicopter with bales of weed. In broad daylight just outside of town. He was at the time buying choppers, hiring guys with no flying experience to fly across across the border. He ended up in a US jail, but by the time I knew the whole story he was into me for about $20000.00 which I never saw of course.
stuart in mn wrote:friedgreencorrado wrote: If you don't do anything other than run the grow lights, the energy bill isn't much different than an ex-middleclass family microwaving all their food, and watching TV/playing videogames 24/7.I understand it's common for them to bypass the electric meter, but what happens is the power company will notice there's an unusually high current load in a residential area that doesn't match up with the meter readings from that area.
An industrial size grow in a house uses huge power, which is why they try to bypass the meter. Most of the busts here are called in by Hydro.
fasted58 wrote: My brother flew Cessnas (to bag flight hours, he ain't a narc) for a southern county sheriff dept. to scope potential rural grow areas. Yea they do that, yea they find 'em, yea they send county drug task force in on the ground....
My sister flew in (paramedic) a parks helicopter in northern California. She said pot was very easy to spot from above. The color is very distinct.
aircooled wrote:fasted58 wrote: My brother flew Cessnas (to bag flight hours, he ain't a narc) for a southern county sheriff dept. to scope potential rural grow areas. Yea they do that, yea they find 'em, yea they send county drug task force in on the ground....My sister flew in (paramedic) a parks helicopter in northern California. She said pot was very easy to spot from above. The color is very distinct.
I have seen them from the air as well, mostly because the brainiacs plant in rows.......
Curmudgeon wrote: I seem to recall that some operations were lining the ceilings with aluminum foil to help reflect the grow lights and also the heat signature.
Tinfoil hat anyone?
Secretariata wrote: The last few years we had our iguana, there were frequent helicopters flying around and over our house. I wonder if we were under observation?
I had cops cruise by my last (rental) house quite a few times while I had some pretty serious aquariums running. Lots of electricity, lots of light coming form the extra room, etc.
I still remember witnessing my first drug deal when I was 11.
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