KUDOS TO TACTICAL NIGHT VISION COMPANY

I'm going to drive around a few days and see how I like it the way I have it now before I wire up everything.

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There has been some concern raised to me in PM's about the use of the M-Series on my UTV during the day due to sunlight destroying the VOx microbolometer.

Needless the say, the Sun emits tons of IR radiation, however it is not a problem with any of FLIR's VOx microbolometers in thermal weapon scopes, hand held scanners, security scanner, maritime scanners, etc. In fact, maritime could be the worst due to the reflection of solar radiation from the water doubling the exposue.



FLIR Systems thermal imaging cameras are immune to solar radiation.

FLIR Systems has designed its uncooled VOx microbolometer technology for solar immunity.

FLIR’s cameras will not be damaged by direct imaging of the sun, for example, when the sun moves through the field of view of a fixed camera pointed at the horizon.

Temporary image artifacts or ghosts may be evident, but they will disappear during normal operation without operator intervention.

Although this may seem obvious, it is unfortunately not the case for all thermal imaging technology. Different manufacturers offer different models with different types of uncooled microbolometer detectors.

Vanadium Oxide is just one material that is used for manufacturing these detectors.

Other materials are Amorphous Silicon (a-Si) and Barium Strontium Titanate (BST ). Manufacturers using a-Si or BST technology are sometimes even specifying in their own user manuals that the cameras cannot be exposed to direct sunlight.
 
The High Definition 1440X720 Color LCD monitor install was super simple, just need an F type female to BNC connector and I am ready to go....all the color pallets are supported.


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Everything fits nice and tidy and easy to operate.

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The Larson Electronics mil-spec 850nm IR LED puts out 24 watts of high intensity IR out over a kilometer.

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Looks great. Can you give us an idea what the ptz controller and monitor cost separately?

I am assuming your monitor is SV-LCD70RP. I couldn't find the monitor on the web looks like the manufacturer only sells direct, safety vision.
 
The monitor is indeed the Safety Vision SV-LCD70RP.

Total cost of all the equipment with cables and connectors to hook it all up was $7,200, but really $6,200 since FLIR Personal Systems has a $1,000 rebate on all M-series purchased until July 30th. I took advantage of the rebate on this system for an almost 20% off....

http://www.flir.com/cvs/americas/en/maritime/view/?id=62808

http://www.flir.com/uploadedFiles/MSeries_Brochure_web.pdf

You really do not need the 640 core system unless you are interested in IDing critters, the 320 core sees way further than you can walk in the next ten minutes.

I got the upscale marine M-Series because it is not-static, it can rotate 360 degrees around and 180 degrees up and down and backwards, it has all the different color pallets, can be programmed to do pre-programmed sweeps, etc etc etc. It is a very powerful system.

The reason I got it is the UTV has no windshield or doors or glass to block the thermal emissions (that is why I have the quarter windshield on the UTV).

If all you need is a static wide angle view on the front end, then the new FLIR PathFindIR II with the software alogrithims to identify people and animals is the way to go for less than half the price of the upscale M-series....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FLIR-PathFindIR-...=item1c4121ff1f


Here is the new PathFinderIR II video showing how it picks out people and animals specifically....




I would have gotten the PathFIndIR II had I not had a UTV with wide open 360 degree view....
 
SkyPup,

You made the right call with ptz. Pathfinder ok for a very small bait site, but you will most likely want to scan to follow the shot. Sometimes, I put the ptz on the truck and drive down the highway to count game. They have low light day cameras on ptz so you can use ir laser.

If the pathfinder software beeps in a alarm mode and would wake me up that would be great for late night coyote hunting!

You also might want to make a 8-12 foot pole to get elevation on some fields. You will be able to cover more area. Great for all types of orchards.

The polaris ranger has flip out glass but no a/c yet. The polaris brutus was too slow and cant make it up hills. I am thinking of a jeep with some type of tractor mud tires.
 
One of the very few times that I did not need my FLIRs......


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Suckers came out of the woods about a 150 yards down the road and walked right up to me?[:O]

Must have thought I was their momma.
 
Cut a bunch of 1/4" steel and welded up a battery stand for the Marine Deep Cycle AGM 35 Ahr battery to run the FLIR M-Series off of, installed an 80 amp battery isolater and wired up the Ethernet RJ-45 cable to the JoyStick Controller. Also camo out the M-324 with some camo paint too...


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Fit everything into the cab and got it all anchored down and hooking up the electric cables:

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Will have everything operational this weekend.
 
Everything installed and setup, just need to hook up the power and controller cables.

Need to run into town for a 10 foot 2 AWG hot battery cable to run from the starter battery to the auxillary battery and that will be finished. Used two short 12" 2 AWG cables to hook up auxillary battery to the battery isolater and tapped into the ignition start switch.

Installed a RJ-45 BNC video splitter so I can tap into the video feed to record the live video from the FLIR thermal to the HD Safety Vision Monitor on the mini DVR, takes a special RJ-45 marine waterproof cable connector.

Built a waterproof box to house the Joystick Controller Unit for programming the FLIR M-series, there was no room for it to fit flush in the dash, but the housing turned out great.

Normally, to install one of the remote control M-Series with the Ethernet cable link you have to hire a professional marine yacht specialist for a $1,500 job, but it is not too bad doing it yourself if you have a welder, plasma torch, plenty of power tools and about 40 hours of time to fab everything out for the install.

Probably hook everything up tomorrow as I am working on a 2" High Lifter kit for the chassis and installing special racing Walker Evans Baja 500 super heavy duty gas coil over shocks to beef up the chassis this evening....


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[beeep], I was hoping these Walker Evan Baja 500 Race Shocks would be nice, they are beyond nice, they are fantastic, next thing I know I'm going to get some air!

After installing the 30 pound AGM battery and the 15 pound FLIR M instrument/accessories and another ten pounds of welded 3/8' steel for the battery box and the mil-spec 850 IR spot beam, I wanted to replace the front OEM KYB shocks to improve the vibration and ride for using the thermal video camera.

Major f-ing improvement in everything, much less vibration and bouncing around and much quieter too, handling and compliance is way way better.


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The FLIR M-Series is totally real mil-spec for water proof, vibration, shock, dust, etc. but is always best to treat sensitive instruments as well as possible, not to mention the video output will be much smoother too.
 
How long you think you will get out of a charged battery with flir? I am guessing you will have no problems for your setup.

At night and no charging...I am getting at least 12 hours in summer with one group 31.. but wintertime about 8 hours. So I went with two sears group 31 marine batteries.

What type of grip or mount is holding the AR15 vertical?

keep the photos coming!
 
Got out of the UTV without my rifle and went for a walk. No sooner do I get a 100 yards that I see a large sounder group in thick woods to my right. All I had was the SIG .357 with 124 grain Hornaday reloads and there were six large sows over 325 pounds, so I took out this small hog with the pistol with a lung shot that went clean through him.

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Holy Moly, this 24 watt Larson Electronics mil-spec 850nm IR LED spotlight is the real deal if you want to light up everything 3/4 of a mile in front of you.

This kit is the real deal top notch professional heavy duty, not some cheap POS. It has mil-spec waterproof Deutsch connectors on the wiring harness cable and the entire unit is rated IP67, it is a no BS powerhouse of IR.

Very impressed with the American build quality of this and highly recommended for anyone in the market for kick [beeep] IR, you can get the kit in 750, 850, or 940nm IR.

I will take some pics through the NV camera to demonstrate how wicked this baby is...


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Nailed my first nice hog thanks to the FLIR M-324XP thermal camera.

Set up right at twilight at a known crossing and had the FLIR covering the road down into a ravine about 125 yards in front of me and sat quiet, just as it was getting too dark to shoot an entire herd of hogs came out of the thick woods and started crossing the road, I could barely see them in the twilight darkness. Sat and watched them on the thermal for about two minutes as they were cavorting around back and forth around the road and figured I would not have a shot.

However this big sow cam walking up the road to the top of the hill that I was on and just kept coming, I could see her on the thermal and just keep quiet.

Finally she was less than 100 feet in front of me all lite up on the FLIR thermal and I took a head shot on her with my Thompson Center Contender with 10" barrel in .44 MAG with a 1.5X T/C scope.

Slug hit her right in the head and put her down.

This is the second kill with the M-Series, got another small shoat the other night too, but this one is a good 275 pounds...


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Here is the view from the drivers seat through the FLIR MS-324XP thermal camera of the infamous game cam tree out at 175 yards with some hog offal next to it waiting for some coyotes to show up. Very nice FOV and easy to see coyotes coming in out past 350+ yards. Plus I can zoom into 2X and change color pallets and scan back and forth manually or automatically.

The view is actually much better than the pic due to interference with the frames on the LCD monitor.

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The Mil-Spec Larson Electronics 24 watt 850nm Infrared Light Bar with 8-3 watt IR LEDs is a definite keeper!


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Don't use without an autogated NVO system, it is super powerful, not to mention do NOT shine it at any human beings.
 
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