[PUP] FLIR and Nauticomp display

[Ken Williams]

I have the NVTi 5000 FLIR unit, which is permanently mounted, but not
stabilized. 

Although not stabilized, it does a better job than I would have expected at
being stable when in use. I have no complaint with its stability.

The camera has three modes: 

- Normal color video (daylight) 
- Thermal Imaging
- Ultra low-light 

I put samples of the three operating modes on this webpage: 

http://www.nordhavn68.com/m/364952

As you can see in the pictures, the ultra low light mode (they claim .00015
lux) isn't in focus. The focusing is set at the factory, and is hard wired
at infinity. Adjusting the focus (for the ultra low light mode) means taking
the camera off and sending it to the factory. 

Here's a link to the manufacturers site:
http://nightvisiontechnologies.com/products/5000series/

In addition to looking kind of "spiffy", it has a very cool feature: You can
highlight any ARPA or AIS target on the radar and the camera will
automatically track it. I thought I would use this, for finding targets
while at sea, but in actual practice I never found it better than looking
out the window. Perhaps when they get the low-light mode focused it will be
useful. 

My sample image isn't a perfect representation of the thermal imaging mode,
because it was taken during day light hours when everything was warmed by
the sun. That said, had I taken this same image on a dark moonless night, it
wouldn't have looked all that different. The thermal imaging mode at close
range, in clear conditions, is very good when there is a clear temperature
differentiation between objects.

A swimmer on a pitch black night would be very visible - I'm guessing, but
perhaps as far as a half mile away. On the other hand, a log which has been
in the water for a while, would be at roughly the same temperature as the
water, and not visible until perhaps a hundred yards. I never was able to
test on a log at night, but did see birds, and crab traps, and was always
too close to them by the time they appeared to have been able to avoid them
had it been necessary.

My real hope for the system had been to use as an aid cruising at night, and
in fog, in the Pacific NW, where logs are common. I had also hoped that it
would assist in spotting unlit fishing boats (such as the Earthrace
collision). The problem with this is that it is so unlikely that we would
encounter an unlit boat while cruising, which escapes radar, that even if I
leave the night vision going on a monitor, no one is likely to be watching
it.

I had also thought it would come in handy entering strange ports at night --
but, a few weeks ago I entered Crescent City (which was certainly strange to
me) in pitch black, and shut the night vision down, deciding I preferred
pitch dark, so I could see the buoys.

At this point, I'm still a fan of night vision, but thinking the right
answer is a high-end set of binoculars. I had a set previously of Gen 3
binoculars and found them very handy. Unfortunately, they went with my
previous boat when it was sold.

-Ken Williams
www.nordhavn68.com
Sans Souci

-----Original Message-----
From: passagemaking-under-power-bounces at lists.samurai.com
[mailto:passagemaking-under-power-bounces at lists.samurai.com] On Behalf Of
Philip Eslinger
Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 11:45 AM
To: passagemaking-under-power at lists.samurai.com
Subject: [PUP] FLIR and Nauticomp display

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've not  
seen any kind of indication that any of these units are image  
stabilized.  Flat Earth has not experienced many ocean passages  
smooth enough where a non stabilized image would be useful.   I have  
been looking at several hand held units which could be considered  
"human stabilized".    This could open up a discussion of the merits  
of a hand held unit vs a permanently mounted unit.

Phil Eslinger
Flat Earth  N50
Ko Olina, Hi.
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