Thermal camera teardown - EEV/E2V ARGUS 2 Firefighter Camera by Fraser

[Bratster]

I'll see what I can do for you. I have several ARGUS 1's around but disassembly is a PITA as there are so many screws etc.

Please post some photos of your PCB's and the PCB identity numbers.

Fraser

Will do.

May take a couple days as I need to go and find the box that it is in.

#toomuchelectronicsstuff

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[Bratster]

Found it!
 Model p4438. Argus eev.

Attached are photos of both boards and the displayed image from the internal crt and the video out.

Psu unit takes in 12v from aa Batts and is outputting 8.75v.

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[Bill W]

Hi Bratster,

This is the 'first' PCB iteration and setup is very close to the P4428 documented here:
http://www.fire-tics.co.uk/4428_setup.htm
I haven't got round to doing one for these yet.

A lot of the settings are interactive / interdependent so you have to get each of these right before moving on to the next:

• Power supply - which you have OK at 8.75V, nominally 8.70V on camera.
• Timings
• Tube voltages
• Tube running
• Video settings
• CRT settings
• Iris / battery settings

There's enough life in it that I am sure it will get going fine.  Perhaps start another thread for this so it is easier to find for others.
Just keep your fingers away from that 29th pin on the bottom hybrid module - that's 1kV

regards
Bill

[Bratster]

Thanks for all the info!
I will start a new thread when I have some time to work on this camera.

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[mrclunk]

Hi Guys,
thanks for all the amazing info here.
I just picked up an Argus 2 off ebay v.cheap. 

The trigger switch was broken but apart from that it appears to work well!
It came with a couple of NI-MH batteries/charger but they're both kaput. Hooked up a 12v wall wart for power at the mo.

I have been an total idiot and "cleaned" the lens before reading this thread...
Hence wiped off some AR coating... 
There's a faint halo around the image, from my cotton bud wiping, but still works.

My plan it to use this for electronic fault finding, pcb inspection. I'm a sound guy so most the stuff i fix is chunky through hole gear.
How do i change the focus for say 20-30cm approx.? Do i need to buy a different lens or could i just move it? Maybe make an attachment that fits on front, would be cool to keep the current focus for spotting air/sound leaks in studios.
thanks, I have zero clue about optics!

[Bill W]

Well done !

The lens can be refocussed, but only from inside. You got most of the way in fixing the battery connection plate, then follow the disassembly that Fraser showed at the beginning of the thread removing the left side of the camera, keeping the body in the right (=BNC out) side.

That then gets you to here:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/thermal-camera-teardown-eeve2v-argus-2-firefighter-camera-by-fraser/?action=dlattach;attach=241579



Then undo the little screw with the red varnish and focus as required.  I have not currently got one open to see how far you can get, but I believe it will probably be enough.  This moves the inner two lens elements but the outer one stays fixed and sealed.

For more extreme close up you would need to add spacers and then you are into reboxing the camera or cutting off the front.  At that point you might be better looking at additional lenses.  I hope to be able to offer cores from these cameras in the future as 'dev kits' once I have sorted out instructions for use.  So far I have only done that for the AS2000 core - see threads here or the article on www.fire-tics.co.uk

regards
Bill

[mrclunk]

Ahh, amazing!
Thankyou so much.
I've already taken a peek inside there just out of curiosity. I'll have a play with the focus adjustment.
Maybe a little RC servo for focus 'mode' adjustment...

With the Ni-Mh battery packs, can i just replace the cells in them? I think i read somewhere the are 8 AA sized cells.

[Fraser]

Well done in getting an ARGUS 2 camera that works for a good price. Having looked at eBay recent sales it looks like it came from the seller I helped

If you share the serial number with me I can advise whether it is one that I have serviced in the past. The power switch had failed on few of the 21 cameras that I worked on. It is possible to use the unused (NC) contacts as a quick fix as the power switch can be a challenge to find at a wallet friendly price.

The Ni-Mh cells may be changed in the battery pack but getting into the battery casing is a challenge ! There is a PCB down one side of the battery pack so be careful if cutting into the plastic case.

Another forum member was going to fit an RC servo to the ARGUS focus lock screw point but I do not know if he has done any experimentation yet.

The large light circle effect on the displayed image is something I have seen on other ARGUS 2 cameras but does not normally effect use and I do not think it is related to AR coating loss so you can relax on that front It is normal to see a sort of halo around warm targets in an image and this is just a characteristic of a BST sensor array fitted with a semi opaque chopper wheel. With regard to AR coating peeling and loss, this can effect ALL of the lenses in the lens block and not just the exposed objective. It is worth inspecting the lens elements but they cannot be repaired except by fitting new parts. These cameras appear to produce a decent picture, even when the objective lens looks reall nasty and pitted ! Remember, these BST cameras do not provide temperature measurement capability so errors introduced by loss of, or damage to, the AR coating is a little less of an issue

Fraser

[mrclunk]

Will see if i can repair the switch.
I've loads of those EAO switches, without the waterproof actuator. Common in studio gear. Will try and transplant the innards!
I'll be gentle cutting open the battery pack!
Will send you the serial later but the tamper seals were all in tacked. Seller said it had been sat in his garage for years broken. Took a £50 punt
thanks

[Fraser]

Brilliant deal I used to chase such bargains but have now stopped. I did tell people that there are some amazing deals to be had on used thermal cameras Fire fighting cameras can often be found cheaply and in decent numbers because the various Fire Service regions go through equipment refreshes that can involve buying newer thermal cameras. Others fail in service and considered BER, so disposed of at auctions etc.

Yours is not one that I serviced then as I did not refit the security seals.

An area you may wish to pay attention to is the lens IRIS. If the camera shows a warning triangle when viewing a cold scene followed by a very hot scene it is well worth the effort to dismantle the lens block and clean the two IRIS leaves with IPA. No lubrication should be applied to those IRIS leaves.

On disassembling the power switch. I looked into that and it is definitely possible to change out the whole rear contact module in its entirety. Replacing just the contacts within is not a good fix as only one side of the contact surfaces get renewed. To remove the contact module you need to desolder the wires from the switch module and untwist the two long contacts that,IIRC, power be LED, so that they are flat enough to allow the contact module to slide over then. It takes time and care but can be worth the effort. The replacement contact module is slipped over the long pins and they are then twisted 90 degrees before reconnecting the wires.

Fraser

[Bill W]

For the battery you could be better off either using the 'AA' carrier (red) that hopefully came with it or making up a rechargeable pack and fitting semi-permanently.  As Fraser says the rechargeable packs (blue=NiCd or green=NiMH) were solvent welded so are a total nightmare to get apart, and inevitably damaged making reassembly difficult as well.  All done to keep water out.

The best you can do is to cut 18mm back from the contacts end.  That is just clear of the contacts block so the cell pack will come away with the contacts leaving an empty sleeve.



regards
Bill

[mrclunk]

Thanks chaps.
I changed the focus over the weekend, adjusted it for about 20cm, could of gone closer. Lots of adjustment there.
Did't mess with the iris leaves, looked to be moving freely.
The spinning disc thing has slightly warped and is delaminating a bit on one edge. Still working for now tho, do spares exist for those? On should i dab some glue to stop the rot?
I'm going to stick a DC socket on the side for power for time being.
Totally destroyed the switch by the way...

[Bill W]

If it is just a bit at the edge a run of glue is OK, but try to keep it balanced of you can.  Also avoid glue in the bit that is actively swept, it might not be IR transparent.

I have spares of the wheels (and pretty much everything else), although nowhere near sorting out what is really available as a spare versus what I'd use to fix cameras or do 'sensor kits'.
The only other 'known' spares are lenses and battery doors.

regards
Bill

[cejoba]

Hi, what's the difference among different case colors?
Most of them are black, some are yellow, and one in your photo is even hybrid color...

[Fraser]

Yellow is normally an Argus 1 (Pevicon Tube)
Black is normally an Argus 2 (BST FPA)

The outer protective shell is sacrificial and designed to be user replaceable if it gets damaged. As such the colour of the case can end up changed, or at least a hybrid of yellow and black if an incorrect colour new shell is fitted.

The inner waterproof casing that surrounds the electronics package is always black in colour.

Model identification beyond outer case/handle colour.

The Argus 1 has a round image in the viewfinder. The Argus 2 has a rectangular image that fills the CRT of the viewfinder. The cameras model number is also shown in the viewfinder aperture.

Fraser

[Bill W]

There are a number of Argus1 misdescribed on eBay as Argus2.  The sellers do not change the listings when advised, and carefully avoid showing serial numbers or screen images.  'I do not know how to turn it on' is not an excuse if you have a battery cartridge and only one button, plus the user manuals online.

Another cause for confusion is that Argus1 and Argus2 'luggage' cases are interchangeable so can often get swapped.  Even the UK MOD fall for that one, I have had several 'Argus2' to repair that were yellow with round pictures......

The other defining point would be the serial number label. 
Argus1 = P4438
Argus2 = P4455R

Yes there are a very few other oddities, but I think between myself and Fraser we own them all !
There was an 'Argus1' in yellow that actually had a Raytheon 2000AS in it and far more in common with an Argus2
There were also a few of the Argus2 P4455G that had the ex-Plessey / GMEO 256x128 PZT detector in them

Bill

[cejoba]

There are a number of Argus1 misdescribed on eBay as Argus2.

Yes that's exactly where my confusion came from.

Yes there are a very few other oddities, but I think between myself and Fraser we own them all !
There was an 'Argus1' in yellow that actually had a Raytheon 2000AS in it and far more in common with an Argus2
There were also a few of the Argus2 P4455G that had the ex-Plessey / GMEO 256x128 PZT detector in them

Why are such exist? prototypes?

[Bill W]

The 'ASi Argus1' was a prototype.
As BST was export controlled and we (EEV/Marconi) has a lot of customers who would be caught by that we decided to try out making an export-free camera using the 2000AS.  At the time (NOT NOW) ASi was not controlled.
In the end many customers were OK going through export, and the rest were happy enough with cheap tube based Argus1.
It was not a hard cut over to Argus2.

Bill

[Bill W]

The P4455G was more complicated.....

As EEV also made the Pevicon tubes, thermal cameras were highly profitable (even the ones ISG sold with EEV tubes in them !).  So there was a high degree of company level reluctance to swap to solid state in the first place where the bought in core was well over half the end selling price.
We started out desiging Argus2 as a Raytheon BST based camera, and nearly finished.  However corporate jugglings within GEC resulted in EEV being much closer to GEC Avionics Basildon (now BAE via Finmeccania etc) and so we were instructed to use their sensors and electronics to keep revenue in house. It was not cheap but I think there was a deal to match the Raytheon prices forced on Basildon (electronics, lenses) and the sensor side (Northampton / Southampton).

This was a 256x128 pixel successor to the Plessey 100x100 PZT chopped sensor in Cairns Iris helmet camera and was being built into a military product.

Overall this took a good year or so through 1998 with main customers (MSA Germany and USA) getting impatient for solid state cameras.

We got as far as 10-20 early build sales demo cameras (P4455G) and ready to start building 100 a month from Jan 1999.

It turned out that the sensor production capacity never existed, the project manager for that disappeared over Christmas and the military contract took priority for the 20 or so a month they really could make.  We rapidly switched back to using the BST for Argus2 (P4455R).

Attached some images grabbed from analogue video

Bill

[Fraser]

I really should open my GEC Pyro 2000 camera that uses the Plessey 100x 100 PZT FPA that has Micro-scan resolution enhancement.

That was an interesting development in that the micro-scan could also have been employed on higher resolution Raytheon BST FPA’s to increase their resolution. Raytheon does not appear to have thought that necessary however.

Fraser

[Bill W]

A couple of images of the internals.  This is the 'normal' rather than microscan chopper wheel.
The side PCB had most of the parts on the inner face here.

The lens is an interesting take on designs.  As the Basildon works only had capability for diamond turning and flats, but no old-school spherical polishing it was solely flat and aspheric faces !
As usual with Marconi designs, the housing was all milled from solid !

Bill

[cejoba]

Thank you people!
I've never heard a PZT sensor before, also never seen a product using that. The picture looks good enough I think.
What is micro-scan?

[Fraser]

Micro-scan was an opto-mechanical resolution enhancement system. It was built into the ‘chopper wheel’ and comprised a number of Germanium prisms that shifted the image at the FPA by 1 pixel . It was effectively an optical image shifting system.
I have a picture of the system somewhere.

Fraser

[Fraser]

I just looked in my data archive for the GEC Pyro 2000 camera.

I attach PDF's detailing the PZT 100 x 100 pixel FPA and microscan chopper system.

[cejoba]

Thank you a lot! It's very interesting to read the documents.
So microscan can also be applied to other sensors like VOx/ASi? Why I don't see people use it? The result seems really good.
I was about to ask about specs for PZT sensors, and you already gave.
The 100x100 sensor is 100um pixel pitch and 500mk NETD... Old and interesting. I wonder what about the 256x128 version?