Get used to the paranoia. It sucks, but will keep you safe. Where I live, a thermal scan is considered an invasion of privacy. Just like a phone tap, law enforcement has to obtain a warrant from a judge in order to utilize such measures. In order for a judge to issue a warrant, there has to be "probable cause". So if law enforcement is using a thermal scan specifically on your property, they already have other evidence against you. For law enforcement to potentially violate your civil rights, they need lots of evidence to support probable cause. Violations of civil rights is "fortunately" the biggest obstacle for law enforcement.
When you see the helicopters on TV showing the thermal scans, you are witnessing a high degree of propaganda. Even if discovered with a "fly-by" scan, they cant just knock on your door and ask to inspect your home.
PLEASE PLEASE understand. I am referring to your average home grower. Not the idiot that rents a house out to convert every room for growing. 20,000W of HPS lights burning in a house will attract a lot of attention. You guys are just asking for trouble!!
Keep it simple, be careful and think about what you're doing, and you'll be fine. If you don't act like you're doing anything wrong, no one pays attention.
If you're really worried about it, simply run your lights during the day. Even on a cloudy day, the roof gets hot enough to block any kind of thermal scan from above. I run my flowering room from 7AM to 7PM. 2 x 1000W HPS
^ This
I was thinking about the propoganda aspect of it myself the other day as i have just started my own little 250 watt grow.I asked myself some questions and came to the conclusion that propoganda has to be a factor.
Think of this ok.If your central heating is on and your neighbours is not.Your house is going to be glowing with heat compared to your neighbours.Now ,has anyone ever had their door busted down because of this? I think not.
If you ever watched any of the youtube videos on flir ,theres a few good ones of a police helicopter flying around picking out houses.Not one hot spot could i find that could be a radiator at the other side of the wall.. and someone has bound to have their heating on!
Also in same video the copper points out a" suspicious" house that is warmer than the one next to it ...again is it not possible the heating is on in one and not the other?!
Apart from one part of the video where there is a definite glow on the roof of one house , my guess is some noob has a 1000 watter suspended really close to the rafters of his roof.Apart from doing that i don't see a police heli seeing a small light situated in your closet or similar area.
At any given moment in peoples homes there could be something warm , a lizard tank , a microwave oven , a space heater ,a cooker ,a hot shower ,the hot water tank ,the radiators ,a powerful computer system.
I belive they cannot detect individual heat sources in the home ,unless we are talking 1000 watts or more in a really stupid location
My guess is ,the coppers are trying to pick up gang run grow houses ,with many thousands of watts being used.This will heat a house up like a beacon and then they can look a little closer ,and probably simply walking up to the property they will then smell the weed and get a warrant.They can't get a warrant just because you have a warm house ,for reason stated above.SO i think you will be totally safe with a small light.
most grows get busted simply because of loose lips.Don't tell anyone and noone can grass you up ,accidently or on purpose.
