FLIR alternative

[TheOtherLine]

There was another thread about a member who is putting together his own thermal imaging unit, using individual parts. I didn't want to derail his thread so I'll ask the question here.

I've been toying with the idea of a night vision enhancement tool to increase my boating opportunities. Night fishing or cruising would be fun and not nearly as hot !

FLIR is out of the question for me as it is too expensive.

I saw this product and it looks interesting. Under $2000 for the whole kit. It's portable, easy to install (plug into a 12v outlet) and will work with any MFD that has a video input.

What do you guys think? What's the downside to this approach?

PS: The video takes a minute or so to load but is worth watching for comparison purposes.


http://nitetoday.com/videos/page2.html

http://nitetoday.com/seecannon.html

 

[Smittles1179]

Noooo! 4 years later.... NoOoo! This is a bad idea. I know a couple things about cameras...and this is a bad idea. It will not work the way you think it will. By now, 4 years later, the price orthe flir system must have come down...lol

This is one of those ads that looks good in the demo....but $2000.00 for a $200.00 camera is not the answer... get the handheld FLIR (little buddy system) Never a low light camera...never...

Sub thought - if you had the HD spotlight from GOlight with the RED military IR light cover, this would shine enough light for a low light camera to work fairly well...but it would still not be a thermal camera....just a night vision camera at best...my two cents.

 

[Bryan 2530]

We have a group buy trying to come together over on Noreast.com but basically what smittles said has been the problem so far.

http://www.noreast.com/discussion/ViewT ... 110&page=1

I think costs need to come way down on the Flir in order to put it on my measly little vessel.

 

[pelagic2530]

i have a couple thoughts on low-light versus thermal vision devices.

the last ship i was on had a route that carried it through the Gulf of Aden, which as you know is the regional hotspot for pirate activities. as such, we were equipped with a pair of night vision (low light) binoculars, for the purpose of spotting small craft at night. here's the problem. low-light equipment works by (obviously) collecting and amplifying small amounts of light. which is great, if you have a small amount of light. like you can see in that video, lights along a shoreline show up great, because they're are producing the light being amplified. the problem for us was, on nights before the moon came up, there was insufficient light for the binoculars (and they were pretty good ones) to amplify. i can attest that, had it come down to it, we would have been unable to see a skiff from the bridge had it passed any farther than 50 meters from the side of the ship, simply because theyre not showing any lights nor was there enought ambient light to silhouette them. the same thing is going to apply to most situations we face as recreational boaters, simply because if its showing lights, what do you really need the NV for? a half-sunk container, a disabled and drifting boat, a person in the water, you wont see any of these on your low-light camera.

A thermal camera, on the other hand, will pick up anything that is giving off a sufficient heat signal. this will include pretty much anything that is exposed to a direct light source, engine heat, bodily heat, or the sun. thus, the thermal camera is going to be a MUCH more useful tool in such cases as looking for partially submerged objects, swords on the surface, turtles, other vessels, MOBs, and, in our case, pirates :wink: many times on watch i was wishing i could trade out for the handheld FLIR so i could see what that little radar target really was.

 

[Smittles1179]

I was going to pick up a GOLight stryker spotlight for my 2120 because I have one on my 1448 Tracker Jon Boat and it Freak'in Rules! - Anyway, while on the site I came across this:
http://www.golight.com/products/newproducts/helios.html
It's a 320X240 FLIR Thermal imaging product by golight. NEW! and I thought it was worth noting in this thread. I called the company and the lowest list price on this baby is $7000.00 - Maybe next year for me? I used my 2011 budget. Still, as more companies create products like this, it will become way more cheaper. Thought everyone should know.

 

[TheOtherLine]

It's a 320X240 FLIR Thermal imaging product by golight. NEW! and I thought it was worth noting in this thread. I called the company and the lowest list price on this baby is $7000.00 - Maybe next year for me?

:shock: :shock: :shock:

 

[Smittles1179]

Did anyone see the new lower priced Flir system? the T200 @ Raymarine!
Prices are starting to Drop...It may make it on my boat yet...
This year (2013) I'm adding a Raymarine Radar with the E127 but next year....hmmmmm
Smittles.

 

[SBH2OMan]

I've got one of the FLIR Navigator II cameras plugged into the e-7 unit (though I have not figured out a permanent mount for it yet). I can tell you that the image is nothing short of amazing. During a winter-time outing to our local islands on a moonless, cloudy night, I was able to clearly see the striations in the rock on the side of the island from 300 yds away while motoring up to an anchorage.. I've also been able to read the lettering on the back of a boat from across the marina at night. Unlike light amplification systems, the ambient light has no effect on the image quality.

While underway, I can see lobster buoys floating in the water before I can spot them visually (either during the day or night). My only complaint is that the image is relatively small (I think it is something like 640 x 480 pixels)

 

[Smittles1179]

Well The Wife Allowed the Purchase! I'll have a video in a couple months of the Night Time Adventures. (Could only afford the low level T253, [640x480] 30HZ model.) It doesn't have the remote control, it just points forward...so to turn it you must turn the boat. We can't have everything. At least I should be able to see in the dark.

 

[Smittles1179]

Just a little update on how cool the thermal imaging is...(While I wait for my boat to be repaired) I went out on three trips so far this year. two of those trips were well into darkness. The second trip was pitch black and no moon or stars. The Raymarine (flir) thermal image is like daylight. I have found that using the Man Overboard feature with colors reversed gives a highly detailed black and white, grey really image that is like viewing a black and white TV.

Looking out the window was useless - it was pitch black. My friend was freaked out staring out the window trying to locate the wooden poles shooting 6 to 8 feet out of the water with the green or red signs on them. mooring balls all around. Deadly indeed... Yet I could see everything on my monitor, Spit screen with my navionics maps on my 12 inch monitor I felt very comfortable slowly moving thru the inlet.

A must have item. Worth every penny if fishing at night. I bought at the show with a rebate and had it installed for $4000 - @ Bayside navigation in RI -

Best thing on my boat. Makes you feel really safe. Wicked cool to see people in blackness. Passing under an old bridge we could see the kids drinking 40 feet above us. no where is safe to hide. I now understand what the coast guard is doing late at night. you can see everything on shore and on other people boats. truly amazing. highly recommended.

 

[Megabyte]

My fire department carries hand-held FLIR to use when searching for victims in smoke, or to locate hot spots in floors, walls, or ceilings.
I need to ask what those things cost.

 

[juniorg]

The other line. I actually just purchased the nite to day camera. Works great when in shore due to the ambient lighting around. When heading offshore not as good if it's total darkness. I rely on my radar for that. I was told by people that have the high end flir system that it has it's flaws as well. Like in the fog etc. It's only an aide not the answer to all night boating. That goes for both. I like the camera. Most if my night boating is in tight channels close to shore. So if u head offshore a lot in the total darkness then the nite to day camera isn't a good choice.

 

[juniorg]

This is a screenshot from tues night

 

[Brent]

Wow that is sharp