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#287539 - 01/01/18 03:26 PM FLIR One
gonewiththewind Offline
Veteran

Registered: 10/14/08
Posts: 1517
I have acquired a FLIR One, Gen 3 for work for a specific purpose, but I would like to see what everyone thinks about other possible, survival related, uses. I will try to test as many of the ideas as possible.

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#287540 - 01/01/18 05:19 PM Re: FLIR One [Re: gonewiththewind]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
I would think there are good applications in SAR, looking for bodies that are still emitting heat(hopefully). How detectable would the signature be if a person were under heavy vegetation cover, or a tarp?

I can think of a bunch of none-survival applications, like detecting exposed fossil bone, or nesting bird locations, etc.

Interesting topic!
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#287541 - 01/01/18 07:04 PM Re: FLIR One [Re: gonewiththewind]
gonewiththewind Offline
Veteran

Registered: 10/14/08
Posts: 1517
Hikermor, you may want to try a UV flashlight as well. They are inexpensive and can help detect many different things that otherwise would be invisible to the naked eye. A very good one will run about $30.

I plan on going outside and looking at the house tonight (temps in the teens), and see if I can get my son to go hide in the bushes. I am not sure yet of the range of the FLIR, but will try it out.

Any ideas at all of how to test the capabilities wold be appreciated.

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#287542 - 01/01/18 08:18 PM Re: FLIR One [Re: gonewiththewind]
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
Sounds like a fun thing to test!
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#287543 - 01/01/18 09:03 PM Re: FLIR One [Re: gonewiththewind]
Pete Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/20/09
Posts: 1372
Montanero ...

this is on the crazy side ... while testing. maybe, don't try this in freezing temps.

1. Check you are visible under normal conditions (body heat). Then hose yourself down with cold water, and see if you become invisible. Seems like maybe it should work, but for how long?

2. Try hiding behind rocks, but your torso is visible. When the morning is cold (the rocks are cold), you should be easy to see. But later in the day, when the sun's rays warm the rock surface up to 98.6 deg F, do you blend in? Again ... that ought to work. but does it?

Just ideas.

Pete

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#287544 - 01/01/18 09:37 PM Re: FLIR One [Re: gonewiththewind]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
1. Reveal the shape and extent of the hidden tang in knives like Moras. (I use strong magnets, but FLIR would be better.)

2. Find small game (mice, voles, birds) under cover or snow. (Snowy owls have this ability -- IR sensor pits in their face.)

3. Can you see the outline of a person hiding beside the front door of your house? Right through the wall? (ID possible threat and target?)

4. Determine if a steak (or roast) is rare, medium, or well done?
(Surely you knew that BBQ would come into this eventually. Let 'em eat steak!)

5. Check if a polar bear is skulking around your arctic hut. (Oh wait, don't bother, it's been tried. They are so energy efficient that they barely register, unless you see an open maw with fangs, in which case it's probably too late.)

6. Epilogue: In case you all haven't figured it out yet, I want one!!! grin

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#287545 - 01/01/18 11:57 PM Re: FLIR One [Re: gonewiththewind]
LesSnyder Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 1680
Loc: New Port Richey, Fla
my cousin received a fire department quality thermal camera by mistake that was being shipped back for upgrade... of course, we had to play with it while the FD was coming to pick it up... look at your electrical panel

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#287546 - 01/02/18 12:29 AM Re: FLIR One [Re: gonewiththewind]
gonewiththewind Offline
Veteran

Registered: 10/14/08
Posts: 1517
It is good at picking up heat behind the walls, good for a safety survey of your house.

The cold water dousing does change the surface temperature for a very short while.

So far, I do not believe it can see a body through a wall from outside, but it can detect temperature differences through 1 sheet of dry wall for sure.

I think all of the small critters are inside where it is warm right now. I didn't see any moving around.

We don't have much in the way of rocks around here, but I will try that if I go where there are some (sand hills around here).

It can't see through glass, it only picks up the reflections.

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#287571 - 01/03/18 02:19 PM Re: FLIR One [Re: gonewiththewind]
Comanche7 Offline
Addict

Registered: 07/04/02
Posts: 436
Loc: Florida
It also is subject to reflection from certain metal surfaces, which we discovered at my job. You will get a false hotspot indication reflection when it happens. We worked around this by aiming indirectly at what we were working on.

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#287577 - 01/03/18 04:45 PM Re: FLIR One [Re: gonewiththewind]
Ren Offline
Addict

Registered: 11/05/07
Posts: 522
Loc: Wales, UK
Mylar survival blankets are supposedly somewhat effective at hiding thermal heat signatures.

The thinker grabber all weather blankets are really effective. Pretty sure there was a story about Afghan insurgents using them to evade thermal detection.

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#287578 - 01/03/18 05:14 PM Re: FLIR One [Re: gonewiththewind]
gonewiththewind Offline
Veteran

Registered: 10/14/08
Posts: 1517
In Afghanistan they layered them in with wool and under vegetation and snow. There was still a signature, but it was difficult to recognize for what it was. A mylar or space blanket will still show heat through the sides if that is the only layer. There is also seepage around the edges or any openings.

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