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ATN THOR Teardown

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falcom:
I picked up this parts unit on ebay and I thought I would share what the inside looks like. Unfortunately someone removed the core and ribbon cables from an unused unit.
The overall mechanical construction is excellent. It is CNC machined aluminum with very nice fit and finish.
Red and black 3 volt power.
Yellow black Video out.
It has a standard PVS-14 eyepiece.
The opening for the core is 1.5 inches and I am guessing it use the FLIR TAU core.
It was made by a company called Tactical Thermal technologies that was probably absorbed by ATN and the first model THORs were likely made at the same facility.
I would love to find a 640 core for it.

Fraser:
I have not worked on a THOR but I recently bought a lens from one and my research suggested that they do indeed contain a FLIR TAU core.

Fraser

Fraser:
Cases like this do make you wonder about the history of an item that had been robbed of a vital component.

Situations that I am aware of that lead to such action are as follows:

1. Theft of an expensive part whilst leaving what looks like a complete, but ‘faulty’ unit

2. Service agent robs a part from a new or demo/test unit to repair a customers device quickly with the intention of ordering a replacement part in slow time.

3. The part fails and is removed for inspection or return to the manufacturer by a service agent and is never refitted. It is not uncommon for a complete new unit to be sent out by the manufacturer.

4. Dummy unit sent to trade exhibitions without its core to avoid restrictions on the technologies movements around the World. If declared a dummy display unit it does not need a licence for export. These normally have all of their electronics and lenses missing  though. Fake plastic lenses are installed.

5. R&D test units - these are often taken apart many times for tests and are sometimes used as a test bed for imaging cores. Such units are normally pretty battered however ! I was given such a unit by FLIR to repair one of my FLIR Scout units. It was complete except for the TAU core and had been one of the prototypes shown to journalists etc.

6. A dishonest seller on eBay selling a unit as spares or repair after having removed the most valuable part. Sad but it does happen  :( I have seen people buy such units and then resell them again as spares or repair once they discover they have been conned. I could not do that to someone. Watch out when buying a “spares or repair” unit unless the seller provides an accurate description of what is, or is not present or pictures showing such.

An example is a case I came upon where the seller thought he was selling a complete, but untested HS324. The pictures showed that it had never had the battery contacts fitted and the lenses were flat black plastic. The seller was asking serious money for the unit and I had to break the news to him that it was just an empty display unit. He was apparently horrified as it had cost him a lot of money in a general auction lot. Sold as seen though so he had no means to recover his loss. Whether you believe his story is another matter. It was clear to me that the unit had no electronics in it as all ports and even the ‘hot shoe’ were empty.

Fraser

Vipitis:
So you only got a 18mm lens too? The brochure has only 30,50 and 100mm listed.

Fraser:
Vipitis,

There have been several ATN THOR specifications not shown in that brochure. I have a 19mm lens from an ATN THOR. The lenses are decent quality with good lens element centering  :-+

Fraser

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