Flir First Mate
The ‘Flir First Mate‘ is an advanced image processing camera from Flir which has established itself as a firm favorite amongst boaters, fisherman, border patrole guards and law enforcement officials – basically anyone that requires high quality, clear day and night, all-weather, reliable visibility of their surroundings.
Flir First Mate Thermal Imager
If you are not familiar with ‘Flir’, they are a hugely successful producer of sought after (often not available outside of the US for ‘security’ reasons), high tech, thermal imaging equipment. Flir are the leading producer in their field.
The Flir First Mate is light-weight, water-proof, fully manoeuvrable (i.e. held manually or can be fixed down), monocular viewing device (as opposed to a ‘binocular’ viewing device) which presents a true to life image on the built in LCD display or on a remote monitor / computer / hand held device.
First Mate For The Mariner
The first mate gives every boater the information they need to operate more safely night and day. Since it utilizes a high-quality thermal imaging core, the First Mate provides better image clarity and detail than various other systems, this means that boaters can see more of their surroundings than with any other night vision technology in the world. In essence, FLIR’s advanced image-processing algorithms produce crisp, clear thermal video day and night:
- See people, vessels, and navigation hazards in total darkness. First Mate’s VOx microbolometer provides high-quality imaging for a fraction of the cost of comparable cameras, giving sailors the detailed thermal imagery, cutting edge performance, and improved detection and recognition ranges they need in total darkness, even through smoke, dust, and light fog.
- See faint heat signatures from things that radar can miss like floating debris and bridge abutments in any lighting conditions; because First Mate cameras see heat, not light, they see things the naked eye can’t.
- See more – and see farther – than with other night vision technologies. Because First Mate thermal cameras see clearly without any light whatsoever, they can see farther at night than technologies that need ambient light to work and they can see heat sources that these other cameras could never find.
- First Mate is the world’s first IPX7* submersible, hand held, high-performance maritime thermal night vision camera.
Here is an good overview of the First Mate…
First Mate does NOT use light intensification technology or a near IR illuminator like almost every other night vision monocular seen to date. Thermal imaging allows you to visualize long wave infrared radiation vs. visible or near visible light waves. You can see in total darkness or even in broad daylight.
And unlike older technologies, the user won’t get blinded by marina lights or other bright background illumination. Also, there is no danger of “burning out” the element. Boat with confidence knowing that you can see hazards, harbor entrances, navigation aids and even a man overboard in total darkness. First Mate can even aid man overboard visibility during daylight as the thermal contrast is often superior to visual contrast. Switch between “White-hot” and “Black-hot” presentation modes.
*IPX-7 Waterproof Standard
Puddle, stream, beer cooler and splash rated – Protected against water immersion – Immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter.
First Mate Flexibility Of Use
The First Mate can be used in different modes according to your immediate requirements. Most simply you can simply hold it and view the displayed image. However the first mate has a video output. So you can easily mount the camera on deck facing front and connect the ‘video out’ to a monitor / computer inside the comfort of the cabin.
Comments from Flir First Mate users:
Matt from Tampa, FL
“I just bought one. It works GREAT in zero light. Very clear image and the range is very good as well. It doesn’t work AT ALL through glass. Since it reads infrared heat, this makes sense, and I probably would have figured this out in advance if I thought about it before buying. I like fishing in the evening. This adds a huge degree of confidence. I wouldn’t at all classify this as a gimmick product. It really works well. Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.”
Skigill from Princeton, WV
“Can see outside in total darkness. Excellent on boat.”
Flir First Mate Awards
As a further testimony to the calibre of First Mate, it has scooped up a couple of fairly prestigous awards:
NMMA Innovation Award
Category – Safety Equipment
The FLIR First Mate handheld thermal night vision camera took home the prestigious 2010 National Maritime Manufacturer Association’s (NMMA) in the Safety Equipment category.
Sail Magazine Pittman Innovation Award
Category – Safety Gear
FLIR’s First Mate handheld thermal imager has been awarded a 2010 Pittman Innovation Award
First Mate Vital Statistics
Battery Life: 5 hours continuous
Battery Type/Size: 4 AA NiMH batteries
Dimensions: 10.42″ x 3.33″ x 2.62″
Weight (including batteries) 1.45lb (652g)
Included Accessories: Includes video output cable, AC and DC power cables, USB connector, Hot Shoe charging and video output accessory, four rechargeable AA batteries, neck lanyard, manual and standard tripod mount
Waterproof: Rated IPX7 submersible
Warranty: Two years
Flir First Mate Supply
Finally a few comments about suppliers. Our preferred supplier in a lot of cases of marine products is West Marine. And the the reason is simple: established in 1979 West Marine is recognised as the largest and most trusted boating supplier in North America – and yes they deliver world wide!
They promise best prices online (with a ‘will not be beaten’ guarantee). Unlike some suppliers we could mention, ordering online with West Marine is safe, simple & reliable and you get first class customer support.