FLIR
- Thread starter Geoffs
- Start date
oceanfroggie
Well-Known Member
Useful for SAR vessels, but can't see the use on a private leisure boat. In fact having a FLIR display screen on could botch your own night vision, actually making you less safe - no lookada outada windowitis
I'm sure it will appeal to some techno geeks (ie like me), but even for them the novelty will wear off fast, especially given the high cost and limited useability. Clearly the guy in the video demo can't night navigate, so adding another distraction ain't gonna help him. Focusing most of ones attention on one small screen can severly inhibit ones 360 degree situational awareness. A nice gadget, but that's all for a leisure boat - another not so useful gadget.
I'm sure it will appeal to some techno geeks (ie like me), but even for them the novelty will wear off fast, especially given the high cost and limited useability. Clearly the guy in the video demo can't night navigate, so adding another distraction ain't gonna help him. Focusing most of ones attention on one small screen can severly inhibit ones 360 degree situational awareness. A nice gadget, but that's all for a leisure boat - another not so useful gadget.
Last edited:
lenseman
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You need dedicate crew because once you have looked into the IR screen, you will not be able to see a damn thing until your eyes have become accustomed to the dark again and that can take up to 40 minutes!
For SAR purposes with a crew member constantly looking at the screen is OK with the skipper and crew watch-keeping, that's fine but single crewed or short handed, forget it.
For SAR purposes with a crew member constantly looking at the screen is OK with the skipper and crew watch-keeping, that's fine but single crewed or short handed, forget it.
grumpy_o_g
Well-Known Member
The thing to remember with FLIR is that it effectively shows temperature differences. That's great if a) you know that the thing you're looking at/for will have a different temperature to it's suroundings and b) you can recongnise it's heat map as opposed to it's visual shape.
For example a plastic buoy may show up but a metal one may well have quite a poor signature as it's pretty much the same temperature as the water it's in - even if it's plainly visible to the naked eye with reflective paint shining in the moonlight.
One example I've seen used in training is the wall of a building that, until the sun went down, was shaded by an obscure shadow from something. It's actually a stone church wall or something visually but the heat map shows a small tower.
Having said that sea vs. land or anything living is usually a pretty distinct difference but I'd suspect you may find it's not as easy to interpret anything beyond that as it appears. It's one of those things where the professional operators with state of the art kit are way ahead of someone who doesn't have the time or the same high quality kit (i.e. I was **** with it but the guys who knew what they were doing were in a different league).
Doesn't mean it's not great fun and potentially useful in the right circumstances of course.
For example a plastic buoy may show up but a metal one may well have quite a poor signature as it's pretty much the same temperature as the water it's in - even if it's plainly visible to the naked eye with reflective paint shining in the moonlight.
One example I've seen used in training is the wall of a building that, until the sun went down, was shaded by an obscure shadow from something. It's actually a stone church wall or something visually but the heat map shows a small tower.
Having said that sea vs. land or anything living is usually a pretty distinct difference but I'd suspect you may find it's not as easy to interpret anything beyond that as it appears. It's one of those things where the professional operators with state of the art kit are way ahead of someone who doesn't have the time or the same high quality kit (i.e. I was **** with it but the guys who knew what they were doing were in a different league).
Doesn't mean it's not great fun and potentially useful in the right circumstances of course.
SnaxMuppet
Well-Known Member
Image intensifier goggles or binocs might be a better choice... cheaper too I would imagine.
Anyone have any experience of those?
Geoffs
Well-Known Member
Thanks for your thoughts, everyone, I'll pass them on.
At $7,500, I don't think it's something I'll be investing in!
At $7,500, I don't think it's something I'll be investing in!
