Newer FLIR... why so complicated.

I can tell you why. Teledyne is wanting FLIR users to all use Raymarine. They want to make it difficult on you to use with other systems. They apparently forget that others now build plenty of thermal cameras. Axis, Seek, Fluke, GANZ, Bosch, TKH, TBD, Hikvision, Opgal, Garmin, Simrad, Montavue, Guide, Iris, Comnav, Sionyx, are just a few. In the hardware sector, FLIR Is already losing share. Now FLIR is still the bolometer used by some of the others.

I don't know if the problem is attributable to when FLIR bought Raymarine or when Teledyne started talking to FLIR although that purchase only went through in May.

We still bought FLIR with our latest Furuno but only because Furuno has seamless integration. We did consider Bosch.

When you start with nearly 100% of market share, it's going to fall but this kind of thing isn't going to help you.

Now I don't know how much of your problem is FLIR and how much is Raymarine as we don't use Raymarine.

Then they're ignorant. I know many commercial captains and they do know. However, I'd advise that this isn't the commercial world and thermal cameras are even more helpful on recreational boats. Whether planned or by design, departing or arriving after dark, can definitely benefit in the use of one.

I don't doubt they do, but I seriously doubt many of them haven't ever heard of thermal cameras. Ignorance is lack of knowledge or information, not a character attack. Not stupidity or anything of that nature. Perhaps lost in translation.

I would be ignorant about many things they might have knowledge of.

There is no tone and no music. Simply fact. To some, ignorance is bliss. To some ignorance is by choice, to some by lack of exposure and education.

Then so I am.....does that make you happy.....that you got the last word in? I sure hope so and we can get back to relevant discussion of FLIR.

FLIR is a great thing to have, both on Your boat and in Your plane. Once You get used to, You do not want to miss it anymore. I have two FLIR M 500 on my full displacement yacht, one forward and one aft of the mast / exhaust stack. The gyro-stabilized FLIR M 500 cooled thermal camera is the most technologically-advanced thermal camera available on the civil market. Designed around a cryogenically-cooled 640 x 512 pixel Mid Wave Infrared (MWIR) thermal sensor, the FLIR M 500 works at both short and ultra-long range target detection and identification.

The thermal cameras are intergrated into a Raytheon Anschütz integrated Synapsis NX glass bridge with multifunctional workstations. The FLIR systems are perfectly integrated into the bridge and ships network and work absolutely flawless.




I am not the type of owner, who opens electronic panels and tries to work on the fancy staff and wiring behind the panel. Even my Chief would rather have the service rep from Rhaytheon-Anschütz coming to the boat, then screwing around with the system. But up to now there was no need for that. This complicated and expensive equipment needs to be worked at by professionals. And very important, system integration needs to be done by a single contractor and with Raytheon-Anschütz, I think I have taken the best. Btw. they are the Lürssen and Abeking "purveyors to the court" for most of their yachts.



The smaller boats of my children are all equipped with Raymarine electronics only and smaller versions of the FLIR M series. Here too the system intergration was done by a single contractor and several software updates have meanwhile been done by this contractor. We never had any failures on the Raymarine electronics, the integration of the Volvo IPS steering and the FLIR system while in voyage.

The FLIR system in my jet is even better. It fully integrated in the avionic and the FLIR picture can be overlaid on HUD display. My pilots and I swear by the system.

Such advanced systems are nothing to tinker yourself. That is a job for pros and specialists among them. The times of shooting sun and stars with a sextant are over also my skipper and the first mate are still required to work with this system.

The modern bridge electronic systems are so complex and advanced, because the market is asking for it. But small stand allone systems are still available. The Raymarine systems on my childrens boats for example can be isolated from the network and operated as stand-allone equipment, in case of network failure.

The problem starts with different, incompatible hardware within the network. No hardware manufacturer will have any interest whatsoever, in making his system compatible with others. It is like expecting a Toyota engine to fit and work in a Ford car. But even this is coming along. The french 2 Liter PSA engine can meanwhile be found in Citroën, Peugeot, Renault, Opel and even smaller Mercedes cars.

I am not the greatest computer hardware specialist but in Your case it sounds like, Your network controlling black box is the weak spot in Your system. This is the point in the system, where all data are interfaced and distributed.

If You disconnect Your FLIR from the network and connect directly to a screen, You will most likely find out, that it works flawless.

But under the bottom line, it sounds to me that Raymarine systems are not installed, working, being serviced and repaired on Your side of the pond as good, as here here in Europe.

Here we have Furuno with the highest trouble rate, at least on recreational crafts.

Yes, the good old stuff. The big green eye, the gyro compass as big as barrel of beer. One officer on the wing station with the sextant and a bearing plate. SSB radios and Morse comunication. I have had all of that during my time as a commercial skipper on my fathers ships. But this was in the last century, now is 2021.

But how about state of the art electronics. Radar lock-on on a target with the high definition / high resolution auto tuning colour radar, slewed to the Map display, slewed also to the search light and the FLIR with automatic target tracking. The visual and the IR picture stabilized, the slewed low light camera helps identifying the target and all of this at short and up to very long ranges. Everything with todays GPS accuracy and with a cryogenic cooled IR sensor, You can pick up a Delta T of a tiny fraction of a degree miles ahead.

Today these features are no gimmicks anymore, they achieve higher accuracy with lower work load and will finally result in a higher safety margin. The only problem comes up, when operators insert a destination or waypoint like
a buoy or a lighthouse and then get surprised, when their boat hits this waypoint with this highest accuracy .

If You have done a bad weather approach with a fast jet (150 Kts+ final speed) with a forecasted visibility of 0.5 NM and You are able to see the runway on the overlaid IR picture on Your Head Up Display (HUD) already 5 NM out, You never want to miss this "gimmick" anymore.

Keep it simple, stupid (KISS) might still be valid for some features but there is no reason not to use available and proven technology!

Just my famous 2 (Euro) Cents

HTMO9

P.S. Carl, I got it correct this time .