I need a long range (500+ yards/meters) laser rangefinder that I can integrate with a project. Preferably UART/SPI/whatever, but if there's only analog I'll take it.
<rant>
I thought this was old & inexpensive technology, piece of (cheap) cake. But I cannot seem to find a sensor to save my life. Mouser only has two avaliable with a range of 200+m. Digikey only has two rated 100+m. Sparkfun is no help. Scrolling through Adafruit's animated list of offerings I have to laugh at all these clips of someone measuring the distance from their hand to breadboard; What the heck do you use that for?! And if you're just measuring 1-2ft why not use much cheaper ultrasonics? Why is there such a flood of these wimpy Lidar sensors and why do the ones with any respectable range cost so much? And if respectable range is so expensive, how does this 800yd handheld rangefinder on Amazon cost only $42? What is it about these finished products (handheld rangefinders for golfing/sporting that have been around for ages) that makes them inexpensive? And how can I achieve the same?
</rant>
Is there any way to hack a cheap handheld and pull data out of it? I'd really rather not, but I will, if it's possible and if there's no alternative. I'd really rather use the cheap (if not millimeter accurate) laser rangefinder sensor that I expect to exist. You know, like the one inside the $42 rangefinder. Where is it? Am I just not using the right keywords? Is there a simple circuit I could build?
EDIT: I guess I should specify the accuracy I'm after. Doesn't have to be that precise. +/- 10% maybe.
<rant>
I thought this was old & inexpensive technology, piece of (cheap) cake. But I cannot seem to find a sensor to save my life. Mouser only has two avaliable with a range of 200+m. Digikey only has two rated 100+m. Sparkfun is no help. Scrolling through Adafruit's animated list of offerings I have to laugh at all these clips of someone measuring the distance from their hand to breadboard; What the heck do you use that for?! And if you're just measuring 1-2ft why not use much cheaper ultrasonics? Why is there such a flood of these wimpy Lidar sensors and why do the ones with any respectable range cost so much? And if respectable range is so expensive, how does this 800yd handheld rangefinder on Amazon cost only $42? What is it about these finished products (handheld rangefinders for golfing/sporting that have been around for ages) that makes them inexpensive? And how can I achieve the same?
</rant>
Is there any way to hack a cheap handheld and pull data out of it? I'd really rather not, but I will, if it's possible and if there's no alternative. I'd really rather use the cheap (if not millimeter accurate) laser rangefinder sensor that I expect to exist. You know, like the one inside the $42 rangefinder. Where is it? Am I just not using the right keywords? Is there a simple circuit I could build?
EDIT: I guess I should specify the accuracy I'm after. Doesn't have to be that precise. +/- 10% maybe.