I was watching a program about lifeguards that showed the events leading up to a drowning. Although the lifeguard in the tower was watching the poor chap get into difficulty and had alerted another guard on the beach, he had to put down his binoculars for a couple of seconds to use his radio to call in another guard on a jet ski. In those few seconds the person slipped under the waves. When the guard put the binos back to his eyes he was of course unable to find the guy and so was unable to guide the others. If he had had a 2 way radio built into the binoculars he would have been able to keep an eye on events and communicate what he was seeing at the same time. So, in summary, a pair of binoculars with a built in 2 way radio.
-- Mony a Mickle, Mar 24 2011

I love the idea, however I presume it would be best if it was a monocular, with a laser rangefinder.

That way it be more compact, and you can still have it look relatively like a real walkie talkie.
-- mofosyne, Mar 24 2011


In the same way that military targets are 'lit up' by lasers in order to guide bombs to their targets, it might be possible to have binoculars with a built-in laser which would shine a certain pattern at a certain wavelength onto the sea, which could be picked up by cameras elsewhere.
-- hippo, Mar 24 2011


Pretty sure that Radio Shack used to sell something like this as a 'toy'.

The lifeguard could wear a headset with a boom mic and use the binoculars at the same time; but the laser illuminator is a good idea. A rangefinder with a GPS could derive an actual grid position.
-- 8th of 7, Mar 24 2011


// one can't use a radio one-handed while using binoculars simultaneously. //

We draw your attention to the selection criteria for professional lifeguards. An abundance of muscualr strength and a lack of inhibition about jumping into a sea full of dangerous currents, dangerous tides, and large dangerous fish are the main qualities sought.

The ability to walk and chew gum at the same time is not normally required; a lifeguard capable of such an intellectual feat would be a Supervisory Lifeguard.

A lifeguard that can // use a radio one-handed while using binoculars simultaneously // would be some sort of Lifeguard Deity with Super Powers.

Many lifeguards are college students. We rest our case.
-- 8th of 7, Mar 24 2011



random, halfbakery