Thermal Imaging for smartphone, $349

Brian Shaffer

Hog Hunter
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Right, pretty damn good in a lighted environment where the FLIR image is supplemented with the optical camera image. Lighted testing is not going to give you the capabilities of the unit at night for hunting. Maybe it will work, but will it look good at night when you lose half of the unit's capabilities? Don't know.

Daniel TorelliCould you tell me how far it can capture heat?
"}'>Like · Reply · 8 January at 10:43
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The range is about 100 meters for DETECTION. Seeing a light pixel or two will tell you something is at your feeder 100 yards away, if it is big enough, but you won't be able to identify them as hogs.

Then there are the other issues using your camera for hunting, battery life, the big illuminated screen lighting you up, etc.

It is a nifty gadget, but it really isn't a $350 thermal scope. It is useless without the phone. It is a $900 thermal/phone combo.
 

Itsazonik

Cape Coral, FL
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Frank, I'll get one for my iPhone and bring it out by you and we can get it out
 

FrankT

Destin FL
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Yeah I have an android so not sure there will ever be one for me.
 

DaveABQ

Albuquerque, NM
Right, pretty damn good in a lighted environment where the FLIR image is supplemented with the optical camera image. Lighted testing is not going to give you the capabilities of the unit at night for hunting. Maybe it will work, but will it look good at night when you lose half of the unit's capabilities? Don't know.

Lighted environment would make it worse, not better because everything is near the same heat when in an indoor environment. Not sure why you think 'light' has anything to do with thermal? It is purely a measurement of temperature differences. How do you figure that the image is 'supplemented with an optical camera image'?
 

TEXASLAWMAN

Lone Star Boars Owner
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What he is saying is this unit combines images. Now it just depends how much of each image is used for it to work well in the dark. 50/50. 90/10 who knows. I don't plan on getting one but I sure think its a step in the right direction and hope they sell thousands of them.
 

DaveABQ

Albuquerque, NM
I think my question wouldn't be how much, it would be how is it possible to use an actual image at night and overlay a thermal image?

I get what you are saying, but what provides the actual image? The phone or the thermal imager?

Any thermal imager needs a display, so what is the difference between this unit and other thermal imagers?

I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens when people start using it. Now that it has been announced, sure others will get early versions to test and we'll see video's on youtube, etc.
 

rob072770

Lewisville NC
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Looks very interesting at that price point
 

Ident Marking

Rockwall, Texas
Vendor
Ok so here is the deal on a device like the Flir One.

This is a device that fits in its own category and its not like a handheld viewer we typically use in hunting. That being said, it is $350 and thats a game changer for anything that detects in the IR spectrum. Think of this unit as something you might look at objects at close range- like walking to a deer stand early in the AM to see where you are going, looking around in your back yard as well as some radiometric functions like viewing equipment and electrical panels. At its best you might use it at a deer stand to see if some thing has come into the feeder but it won't be replacing imagers to look at longer ranges like scanning a field for pigs. You can probably hear them or smell them at longer ranges. I think its great that low cost devices are coming out for folks that have spent the money it costs for longer range device because it will allow people to understand how effective a TI is for night time observation regardless of the useable range.
 

Hard_ware

Here piggy piggy! Deep Deep S. TX.
I think my question wouldn't be how much, it would be how is it possible to use an actual image at night and overlay a thermal image?

I get what you are saying, but what provides the actual image? The phone or the thermal imager?

Any thermal imager needs a display, so what is the difference between this unit and other thermal imagers?

I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens when people start using it. Now that it has been announced, sure others will get early versions to test and we'll see video's on youtube, etc.

The unit has a thermal core camera and a visible camera both side by side, no cell phone camera used.
The visual camera takes a photo and extracts edge data and overlays it flir calls it MSX, thermal only see temperature differences.
With the visual overlay the image looks much sharper. I don't know for certain but that is what I see happening.
Not a very complicated task for the video processing chips of today.
Flirone_zpsc33662c2.jpg


Here is image I extracted edge data from, if this were overlayed on top photo image would look sharper.
For detection purposes the overlay serves no purpose in my use.
house_exterior_edge_zps913417e3.jpg


Bottom line for hogs in a open field 100-150 yds should work well. The smaller the critter
the closer you need to be, depending on background temps.
For thermal its all about the contrasting temperatures.
 

DaveABQ

Albuquerque, NM
I agree Hard_ware, it is all about temperatures, that's why I believe it will work for limited things, i'll bet that hogs at my feeder at less than 100 yards in cooler weather will show up good
 

Hard_ware

Here piggy piggy! Deep Deep S. TX.
I agree Hard_ware, it is all about temperatures, that's why I believe it will work for limited things, i'll bet that hogs at my feeder at less than 100 yards in cooler weather will show up good

Look at the trees behind the house probably at least 60yds or more, the branches show up. A hogs body is much larger and would have a higher temp.
I just hope the photos are not BS from another imager, kinda like ATN gen1 NV photos :D
Once some hunters get them in hand the info will be much better on how they perform.
 

FrankT

Destin FL
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I think they need to send me a sample as a test unit for evaluation.
 

Itsazonik

Cape Coral, FL
Vendor
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I signed up to be notified when they go on sale so I can order one
 

Ratdog68

LSB Official Story Teller
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In comparing the FLIR models (like the one we got at work), the 240x180 resolution was good for a man sized object out to 350yds. The same unit with better glass (320x240) was good to 500yds. Add the 2x (optical, I believe), and it went to 800 yds. The tech support guy also said that the colder it is outside, the further it'll pick up and lock onto a hot spot.
 
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