Latest project - Thermal NV.

[cj7hawk]

Hi all,

I've been a bit snowed under with work lately, but thought I'd introduce the start of the latest project.

Low-cost thermal gear.

Basically modified thermal cores intended for vehicle navigation and threat detection, but at around $3K all up, it's way under the $15K prices we've been seeing lately.

Specs: 320x240 30hz Uncooled Focal Plane Array.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLkt_5O7l8Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS2BvcTdJrc

No hunting pics yet - I am still building it and still weighing up whether to add a reticle and rail grabber.

Anyway, thought you might like to see the early results - One night image, one day.

Regards
David

[kjd]

THAT IS FRIKKEN AWESOME CJ! Great stuff mate! is it legal in Aus?

[cj7hawk]

THAT IS FRIKKEN AWESOME CJ! Great stuff mate! is it legal in Aus?

Yes, it's all legal in Australia... Getting things is hard because of complicated US based export laws but when you can get them, it is perfectly legal.

Though of course some other rules apply where deer are concerned. But it does make spotting easy... I was watching cats walk in the shadows and hide in bushes all evening.

If you look up Thermal Camera on Ebay, there are a whole lot of hits that just never used to be there... Costs are coming down and there's no longer the $10,000 barrier to entry there used to be.

The Pathfindir ( FLIR ) is also available commonly for around $3000 and is a very good thermal camera with reasonably zoom and when you add a battery and screen, you have a portable unit for checking fields for foxes and rabbits. Right at the moment, there are a number of ex-fire-dept thermals for about $3000... But they are a little wide to spot smaller animals at a distance. The automotive ones are great because they can spot larger animals out to nearly a kilometer away depending on the conditions.

I am hoping to make a trip out to my farm in the next few weeks to try it out Then when I am close enough, I'll switch the normal intensifier NV for the shot.

Regards
David

[trevort]

serious fun coming up. look forward to real action vids

[terrys]

That is awesome. Very impressive.

[jeffk]

Excellent stuff....

[Marco]

oh man! so cool!

[cj7hawk]

I am hoping to give it a field test in a few weeks

In the mean time, here's something I know you'll all appreciate -

Cat at 40m.

I didn't even see this one with my eyes until he was halfway across the road and under the streetlight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgxrmIB1ppQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgxrmIB1ppQ

Nice to see they have nowhere to hide. Of course, this is a friendly cat, but if not, I reckon it would have trouble hiding even out to a couple of hundred meters.

David.