[Laser] Non-Imaging Optics

[Bob Williams]

On Sunday 12 January 2003 01:20, you wrote:
> Just remember optics such as telescopes and binoculars are designed for
> eyes. They may be lousy outside the visible spectrum.
> Kirk
> KC7THL


Kirk's comment reminded me of something I've been thinking about for scatter 
modes - not LOS laser.

It seems that our focus is on imaging types of collectors, although we admit 
that image quality is not as important as in telescopes and such.  (Anybody 
know just how fuzzy you get at 900 nM with a system optimized for the 
visible?)

Has anybody tried using just a light-bucket approach for receiving diffuse 
light from atmospheric scattering - forward scatter, cloudbounce, etc...? 
That is, using non-imaging optics to collect as much light as you can from an 
area of the sky.  With images on the horizon, I think that light interference 
might make it pointless.  But with images above the horizon....the NIR 
astronomers and some of the optical SETI people seem to think there is 
something worthwhile in this area for them.  Has anyone tried it?

Bob
AA1ZC, FN31xk