[PUP] FLIR and Nauticomp display

[John Marshall]

Scott,
	You aren't the first to wonder if we bought into the hype... but  
maybe one of the first to voice it. The FLIR is the one device I'd  
not put on my boat if I did it again. Plus mine died and I had to  
send camera back into get it fixed.

	That said, given I have the thing, so I try to find ways to use it.  
But frankly, a good night adaptation routine for my eyes, along with  
night binoculars and maybe a search light probably make more sense to  
find your slip or an open spot in an anchorage.

	My fond hope was to use it to thread my way through the crab pots  
that choke the harbors in the PNW during open season months. No fun  
to come in with them hanging off my stabilizer fins.

	The FLIR is very marginal for that application (have to go really  
slow, plus turning boat and swinging camera at same time is a  
challenge), but doable when water is flat. Didn't work in a big swell  
off Bodega Bay, but not too bad in flat waters off San Juans. I'd  
give it a C for that application.

	As far as using it to watch the waves in heavy seas... I did that on  
a dark, stormy night around Cape Conception. For about 10 minutes.  
Then I started to get queasy. Mostly scared myself by watching waves  
fifty feet in front of the bow that I couldn't react to anyway.  
Knowing a big wave is going to hit three seconds before it did was of  
marginal value, IMO. Better just to hang on and figure out the sea  
from how the boat was riding and autopilot/stabilizers were working.

	So I turned it off.

	Foggy weather... makes no difference. Blind is blind. Visual or  
infrared.

John
On Sep 5, 2007, at 12:12 PM, Scott Bulger wrote:

> Phil asked:  One of the things that I have been curious about with  
> a fixed
> mount
> FLIR is the effect of any kind of a sea on the picture.
>
>
> I can tell you we had a 4' swell and it was very manageable.  I was
> concerned about seasickness being induced by looking at the screen,  
> but
> didn't experience it.  In a serious sea I do think it would become a
> problem.  Adding image stabilization to it would increase the cost
> dramatically, when it's marginally affordable considering the benefit
> already.  IMHO, Scott
>
> Funny, as John noticed thousands of these have been sold and to the  
> best of
> my knowledge I'm one of the few people to suggest I bought  
> something that
> didn't live up to the hype.  It's hard to admit you paid for  
> something and
> didn't get what you hoped for, kind of like putting salt in an open  
> wound.
> Anyway, anyone that wants to see this stuff is welcome to come on  
> my boat
> and see it!  I'll try to get a flip video of it and put it on youtube.
> Thanks, scott
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