Frasers Thermal Camera Collection - The list !

[Fraser]

Scott Eagle X Firefighter cameras added to the collection.

160 x 120 pixel VOx microbolometer used in the imaging core.

Fraser

[Fraser]

Jenoptik IR-TCM 384 cameras added to collection.

A 384 x 288 Pixel A-Si microbolometer is used in the imaging core.

Fraser

[Fraser]

Bullard T3 Max Plus fire fighters camera

320 x 240 pixels, 30fps using an A-Si microbolometer

Fraser

[Bill W]

Hi Fraser,

So is that a Raytheon 4000 / 4500 ASi core in the T3 MAX then ?

Some sources say the T3MAX was a 160x120 (ie Raytheon AS3500)
https://eu.bullard.com/uploads/bullard_downloads/TI_T3MAX_BIDSPECS_GMBH_EN_LOW_8402.pdf

and then there was the T320 model for higher resolution.

The original T3 was a Raytheon AS2000


Bill

[Fraser]

Hi Bill,

Not sure what core is in the unit, I only bought it today 

The T3 comes in MAX and MAX+ versions. The 'Max' is 160 x 120 pixels and the 'Max+' is a 320 x 240 pixel spec.

Datasheet attached

Fraser

[Chanc3]

Hi Bill,

Not sure what core is in the unit, I only bought it today 

The T3 comes in MAX and MAX+ versions. The 'Max' is 160 x 120 pixels and the 'Max+' is a 320 x 240 pixel spec.

Datasheet attached

Fraser

I had a sneaky feeling that was you! I didn't put a bid in just in case - might be worth me dropping you a PM before I bid on any rarer cameras on there!

[LesioQ]

A new medical case - Flirophilia 

[Fraser]

A rather poorly, but good condition FLIR S40 has been added to the collection thanks to a fellow forum member.

The Agema Thermovision THV880 complete system has gone to a new home as a 'Display piece'. It is an excellent example of 1980's 'cutting edge' thermography technology that demonstrates how far thermal imaging has come in a relatively short period of time. She just sat in her huge carry case here so time she saw some use with someone else.

I will look into the S40  fault but it looks serious, so she may not be repairable.

Fraser

[Fraser]

FLIR ETS320 PCB inspection system.

Resolution : 320 x 240 pixels @ 9fps and with an FL of only 70mm +-10mm.
Spot size at 60mm FL = 170um
Fixed focus !


The ETS320 is basically a FLIR E8 minus MSX but in a format suited to PCB inspection.

I will 3D print a focus adjusting ring to provide variable, rather than fixed focus distance, and will likely upgrade its functionality.

I may create a true thermal microscope lens assembly for this camera to image really small targets 

A niche, and so relatively rare, product. I will increase its versatility however 

Fraser

[Bill W]

re ETS 320

FLIR need to sort out the marketing department:
http://www.flir.com/ETS320/

Like a thermal camera will detect 49.6°C on a crystal in a shiny metal can, or even what fault might get a crystal to that temperature anyway.

Does not do much for product credibility, when in fact a thermal camera is a great tool for fault finding (of non-shiny things  )

Bill

[Fraser]

Bill,

I saw that too 😄 Classic marketing department error but you would have thought it would be caught before release. The ETS is an interesting beast. I will expand on that fact below.....

1. The ETS head is attached to what can generously be described as a budget Chinese Microscope stand. This thing costs £2000 !

2. It is of note that the manual details how to remove the head from the cheap stand and rack..... to fit it on a better stand maybe ? Why else would they detail such ?

3. The ETS320 contains a virtually unmodified E8 camera chassis. Just a mount for the Lithium battery fitted where the LCD display normally sits. Even the USB socket remains in its original position. A short patch cable is used to relocate the micro USB port to the rear of the head.

3. The standard Ex series lens assembly is used. A custom lens assembly for the ETS would have made it far more versatile. Why no focus control ? I can make such with my 3D printer so why did FLIR not have a focus ring adapter fitted for manual distance focus ?

4. The head is fixed in a down position so, unlike video presenters, it cannot rotate its head to look horizontally. A nice option in some cases and it would have made the unit capable of being a standard desk mounted thermal camera if the focus was adjustable.

5. FLIR could have provided different lens options, including a true microscope lens option rather than a wide angle Ex series lens.


I think I can answered most of the above ..... the ETS320 appears to be someone's 'bright idea'. Take an E8 chassis and bolt it on to a cheap microscope stand, reposition the LCD and voila, a thermal PCB inspection unit using standard FLIR production parts plus a case moulding. Nice and cheap to produce. It could almost have come from someone's hobby workshop ! It fits the stated purpose, but only just, and versatility has been lost through lack of proper product development. It looks like a fast track 'quick win' solution to fill a gap in the market.

The good news is that they chose to use the full 320 x 240 resolution so no hacking required (I may well hack mine though ) They also made it relatively easy for me to attach it to a better microscope stand and to make the lens focus adjustable. I am also hoping to achieve true thermal microscope capability with an auxiliary lens. I can then study insects and tiny electronic components with it

The ETS320 is normally shipped with FLIR Tools+ but I suspect that has gone walkies from my unit. I already have a FLIR Tools+ licence and FLIR ResearchIR so no worries on that front 

It will be an interesting little project to work on. It is a specialist product but I think I can make it far more versatile with some minor modifications. My 3D printer could prove very useful for making custom parts and adapters etc.

Fraser

[Fraser]

I have already found an interesting focus tool for the ETS on Thingiverse. I printed a prototype to see how well it will work. It may need some modifications and the final adapter will be printed in black ABS.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:188896

Fraser

[Fraser]

I just noticed, that brochure link that Bill W referenced states that the FLIR ONE app allows sharing of images and video's on social media 

I wonder if that is a typo ?   

Fraser

[Fraser]

FLIR DUO R added to the collection today. It is the fully radiometric version of the Duo camera.

Intended for drone and similar uses. 1080P HD Visible light camera + 160 x 120 pixel Lepton3 thermal + MSX 

Built in the GoPro Hero case format.

[Chanc3]

FLIR DUO R added to the collection today. It is the fully radiometric version of the Duo camera.

Intended for drone and similar uses. 1080P HD Visible light camera + 160 x 120 pixel Lepton3 thermal + MSX 

Built in the GoPro Hero case format.

Excellent! Was that the "faulty" one on ebay, that was just untested? I really should PM you before bidding on these things...

[Vipitis]

does it push radiometric images but not video?

The live view for the video feed is an interesting one.... and there is thermal UAV photogrammetry being done, fully radiometric: https://www.analistgroup.com/en/new-solutions-with-drones/solar-panel-inspections-uav

[Fraser]

Vipitis,

From the user manual:

5.1.7.3.1 Radiometry File Formats

The different available file formats have different characteristics with regards to recording radiometric data, as follows:

- Video (8-bit H264) – If spot meter is enabled, this format will record the spot meter reading from the center of the screen. This video is not editable for post-processing

- Video (14-bit TIFF Sequence) – This video format will record temperature values for every pixel. It can be processed using many different software tools, such as FLIR Tools, ResearchIR, ImageJ, MATLAB, and others.

o To convert the pixel values to degrees Celsius, multiply the entire image by 0.01 and then subtract 273.15

- Photo (Radiometric JPEG) – This photo format will record temperature values for every pixel. It can be processed using FLIR Tools and ResearchIR

o A major benefit to this file format is that all radiometry parameters, such as emissivity and subject distance, can be edited in post-processing. This is not true for the TIFF file formats.

- Photo (14-bit TIFF) – This photo format will record temperature values for every pixel.

o To convert pixel values to degrees Celsius, multiply the entire image by 0.01 and then subtract 273.15.


It looks quite versatile 

Fraser

[Fraser]

Chanc3,

Oooops !

It may be a paperweight though, much depends upon what has failed in it 

The seller was local to me so I managed to collect it from them today. They normally sell these cameras, new, at a discounted price of £699. This was a customer return that failed after three power on tests. I had a chat with the seller regarding my skill set and repairing electronics. I am now the sellers official electronics repair tech  It was a good day for me 

Fraser

[David C]

Interesting list indeed.

You have me wondering about the "military long range" Ex camera. Does it have a special optic mount ?

[Fraser]

Cleaning out,

Very much function over form.

Specialist equipment often does not have time and money spent on making it look 'pretty'. The money is invested on the internal design and components. Only when a product is intended for the somewhat 'shallow thinking' consumer market does the external appearance become a real issue. FLIR know this, but they also know that most scientists and industrial users want performance in a package that is 'utility' rather than needing to be pretty. A 'Box' camera is virtually an industrial standard ! It is a camera that sits inside a very boring but practical casing.

I take your point though. Thermal cameras vary greatly in terms of ergonomics and quality, both internal and external. They were very specialist products however so users accepted such without much complaint. The original Box Brownie camera comes to mind. It may not be pretty, but it did the job required of it.

Fraser

[Fraser]

David C

The Military cameras (Ex Military, not FLIR 'Ex' series  ) are specialist units intended for perimeter security and long range observation.

Fraser

[David C]

Do you have more details and pictures ? Do they hook up to a stand alone display thru regular video/use cable ?

[Fraser]

I do, but I am careful what I say about them on a public forum. They produce standard video and are fully autonomous with automatic configuration.

Fraser

[David C]

Thanks. As you pointed out, cosmetics aren't a concern for industrial applications, but ergonomics are still important when it comes to handheld equipment.

Which of your handheld camera do you consider the best in regards to operating and achieving the best possible results for a given application ? I'm sure Flir isn't the only one who spend time refining the ergonomics and intuitive interface of its handheld TIC.

[Fraser]

It should be remembered that FLIR, as we now see it, is a company that bought arguably some of the best thermal imaging camera designers and manufacturers in the World. Using those acquired companies and their knowledgeable staff, they produce some of the best thermal imaging cameras in the Industry. There is a lot of knowledge and specialist expertise within the ranks of FLIR staff. They bought AGEMA (was AGA), Inframetrics and Indego to name just three highly respected companies. They have gone on to buy other companies that fill gaps in their knowledge pool.

There is a very good reason why hand held small firearms remain 'pistol' shaped.... it is an ergonomic format that works for the user. It is no surprise that the 'pistol grip' thermal camera format has been a success. There are many manufacturers using this thermal camera case format. FLIR, NEC AVIO and TESTO to name just three..

The pistol grip format suits handheld use at arms length but not use close to the face. Firefighters often operate their cameras closer to their chests or BA mask. This is why some fire fighters cameras were designed with more of a camcorder format and incorporated large screens with a lens to permit close focus for the user. Even fire fighting cameras have moved more to the pistol grip format now though.

In industry, the pistol grip camera format may, or may not, suit the task at hand. Preventative maintenance would likely be fine, but static mounting to observe a particular thermal scene, less so. For such tasks it is common to find very plain looking 'box' cameras, often without a display or even a keypad. Such cameras are intended for remote use from the user and their format has to be rugged and easily deployable. A small 'box' shape fits this requirement well.

Some thermal cameras are moving to the now common mobile phone format, either as embedded modules in a phone, a add on dongle, or a thermal camera in a phone format. The CAT S60 thermal mobile phone comes to mind, as does the SEEK line, Therm App, Thermal Expert and FLIR One series. The ARGUS Mi-Tic is an example of a dedicated fire fighting camera in a phone type format. I love that little camera ! Pictures of it attached.

Personally, I prefer the pistol grip camera format. It is ergonomic and a joy to use. For static observations I like a nice high quality, Solid camera with decent communications capabilities and associated analysis software. Case design is less important as performance is often the key requirement and I am not having to hold the camera.

Fraser