Night Vision

[Capt Chad]

FLIR is the king of night vision because of what has already been stated. It doesn't need any ambient light.

Any light gathering OR thermal device should be your 5th navigational instrument. Eyes, Radar, Plotter, Bottom Machine and then whatever you choose. I still verify radar returns with my spotlight if they look out of place or questionable. My radar tells if a contact is closing or leaving. Your camera image is 1 dimensional. It has a very limited application and as long as you use it like that its fine. But how many screens can you manage at one time?

I run a 29' ACB for my county in TN. It has FLIR with a 16" screen. It's in front of the seat beside the helm. Our SOP is 2 crew minimum. So, the guy not running the boat has that screen and the trackball. Very effective when used in that fashion. And where FLIR stands out is if you God forbid loose a crewmember overboard. If you have ever tried to find a head sticking out of the water at night in wind chop you know what I mean. And FLIR shines in that regard.

 

[Capt Chad]

This is a crappy picture that I can't remember why I took. I was probably making fun of someone holding that wall down. But this is a unit that's going on 10 years old and has never missed a beat. This is on a clear day. With fog it loses some effectiveness, but it's still leaps and bounds above any light gathering technology.

 

[JD5652]

My sole use would be to ID crab pots and other objects in the water when running at night. I run at 10 knots. We rarely get fog here in SW FLA. Yes, we get our share of rain. If it's raining or foggy, and my plan was to run at night, I would not run that night. Same practice I use now. Currently, I just don't run at night.

Totally understand the thermal versus low light technology difference and the limitations of both when compared to basic rules of navigation.

 

[madhatter1]

I just ordered Boateye360. Couldn't resist at that price. Got the monitor too for $250. We don't normally run at night but it will open up options for us. I can make it home from Marathon now if I want. With a fuel stop along the way it is dark by the time we get to Tampa Bay. Also if expecting weather on a run day we can leave early AM to avoid the storms the start brewing 11AM to 1PM.

 

[UNIQUE_NAME]

I just ordered Boateye360. Couldn't resist at that price. Got the monitor too for $250. We don't normally run at night but it will open up options for us. I can make it home from Marathon now if I want. With a fuel stop along the way it is dark by the time we get to Tampa Bay. Also if expecting weather on a run day we can leave early AM to avoid the storms the start brewing 11AM to 1PM.

interested to hear your review of it.

 

[madhatter1]

Well here is the first part of review. Lead time is 2 weeks. I asked if they could ship the cable so it can be run while I'm in the yard. No problem and sent out today. I heard good things about their customer service while researching this product.

 

[Len R]

Well here is the first part of review. Lead time is 2 weeks. I asked if they could ship the cable so it can be run while I'm in the yard. No problem and sent out today. I heard good things about their customer service while researching this product.

I'm very interested on how you like it. The reviews look great. They said it is "Plug and Play" with Garmin 86xx using HDMI.