Quote Originally Posted by Mel View Post
Hi!
BTW, I readed your post bc I always wanted to own a rangefinder like the one is talked about here. BUT I always have found the export problem a really annoying difficulty that most times has prevented buyers from exporting from the USA (and obviously I do RESPECT that), but what I don't understand is why other sellers seem to operate with no problem with (by-passing) laws. Furthermore, here in Europe it seems no problem with this issue, range finders (EU made) CAN be found and bought inside the union, and anyway, the technology under those rangefinders isn't precisely modern... Last thing that comes to my mind: is it too adventurate guessing that NATO has its supplies and technical bodies also spread over the alliance's European-member countries?

Let's say I'm asking here: is this law so *strict* as to permit some people selling without legal problems while having other sellers giving the impression that they are not allowed "by law" to export the item as if they were exporting nukes?!

PS: Don't want to create ANY discussion, just asking about it... perhaps some of you would say it is only a thing of legal honesty (no pun!) but I'm more interested in the real aspects of the law, if you people know about it. I mean, is it really illegal -and so the penalty for *breaking it* should be serious- or is it only an old law that has been "smoothed" in it's reinforcement? (on top of it, I've been reading here at the PL forums about law changes respecting the laser directives...)
Well, thanks for reading.
Fran
Google "ITAR" it pretty much covers your questions.

International Trade in Arms Restrictions.

And if you buy the used laser directly from the US DOD they make you sign a statement that there will be no exporting. By US law which exempts the DOD from CDRH rules, they were to be destroyed or rendered inoperative anyways, which is why they only come as heads with no cap charging power supply or detector optics. The new ones are tiny 1.5 micron erbium eye safe things anyways with a fraction of the energy as the yags.

Steve