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FLIR installation experience

Discussion in 'Electronics' started by Pascal, Jun 28, 2021.

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  1. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Just had an electronic tech I ve used many times over the years install a new FLIR M232. We run a lot at night so it’s needed with an enclosed PH especially with the crazy Miami traffic.

    I figured the hardest part would be to run the cables from the top of the skylounge down to the RPH. Wrong: the worst part was configuring the **** thing...

    Apparently the newer FLIR units are designed to be connected to a networked MFD. That s fine on a small boat with limited screen space but otherwise I want one MFD for plotter and one for radar. How hard could it be to send the FLIR output to one of big screens at the helm?

    And that’s where it got funny... in addition to needing a Raymarine network switch plus an optional joystick control we also needed a video converter to capture the FLIR signal and send it to a video or HDMI input

    simple enough, right? Well the geniuses at FLIR - Raymarine have designed a video converter which has to be configured upon installation using a laptop with an Ethernet adapter running internet explorer (and only IE) with the Microsoft Silverscreen plug in plus a special utility you have to download.

    Good luck if you are not pretty good with computers.... and never mind that Internet Explorer is really no longer being used having been replaced with MS Edge and that the support for the Silverscreen plug-in is being terminated this year...then when you have all the plugins, browsers and utility you have to go in and modify half a dozen settings...

    But we got it to work. So now I can have my FLIR on a separate monitor and both radar and plotter at the same time ...

    Oh and with my laptop connected to the Raymarine network I can view and control the FLIR from laptop. Sounds great right? Well yeah except that the image size is about a quarter of the laptop screen and came be enlarged. Brilliant.

    Older FLIRS had direct video output so it took seconds to hook up. I guess it s called progress.
  2. Danvilletim

    Danvilletim Senior Member

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    Yeah but older FlIRs that are analog are limited to 320p. Pretty low res. But easy!
  3. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Actually M232 is still 320x240

    ... it s just that they could have easily build in an HDMI or video out in the joystick unit.

    and don’t get me started on the converter instructions being printed in 3 point fonts that anyone over 35 year old can’t read

    on the plus side, I can view both the FLIR and the aft deck Axis cam right from laptop on the side of the helm
    Last edited: Jun 28, 2021
  4. Danvilletim

    Danvilletim Senior Member

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    Looks we are going with beetronics for new pilot house monitors. Amazing clarity and value. Still supports many inputs including analog like the old furunos.
  5. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    I have 4 monitors plus two new garmin touch screens. Existing setup didn’t make much sense so we had to switch some things around. Now I have it set up pretty much the way I want it to be

    Attached Files:

  6. rtrafford

    rtrafford Senior Member

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    Ok.....so.....no, you didn't need the joystick, and I put one at both stations only to never use them.
  7. rtrafford

    rtrafford Senior Member

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    ...I ran both of my FLIR cameras to the Raynet hubs, and I can access them at every station. I have 5 screens aboard. I also have a video camera system aboard with multiple cameras in the ER, transom, etc...and I was able to share the FLIR signal to that system via a splitter on each line. I can se them on my TV's via HDMI splitter/boosters, and I can see them when I log into Gost Watch. I'm not clear what your struggles were aboard, but we did our own installs.
  8. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Yes I do because I m not outputting the FLIR on the Garmin touch screens. Instead it is going to non touch screens monitor

    plus, I find it much easier in the dark to grab the stick than using a touch screen. Although FLIR no longer use a joystick.. that was too simple. Instead they use a raised thingy you have to press
  9. rtrafford

    rtrafford Senior Member

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    Running both a M300C and a your M232...
  10. rtrafford

    rtrafford Senior Member

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    Right, missed that. I'm connected to the Raymarine Glass Bridge displays through the hubs. Could have sold you mine....lol...
  11. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    The struggle is that now FLIR requires a PC to program the IP to Video/HDMI converter but not just any PC. You have to use a browser and a plug-in which are no longer supported to manually enter IP addresses and a bunch of other setting. No big deal as I m used to deal with network stuff but in this day and age why make it so complex.

    I have four almost new 20 inch or so daylight monitors in the RPH in addition to the two new garmins. I was not going to replace them.
  12. rtrafford

    rtrafford Senior Member

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    And same reason, in the dark I find it much easier to simply manipulate the screens as opposed to fighting a joystick only to realize I'm operating the thrusters...
  13. rtrafford

    rtrafford Senior Member

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    I can imagine, now that I've properly read your setup, that the Fair outside of the Ray platform could be a challenge...
  14. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    I like to keep things separated with back ups. I don’t want a single item to bring everything down. For instance we have an older Simrad radar and Furuno sounder which works fine. As a back up to the garmin system I wanted them on a single monitor so I can just switch inputs.l to go back n forth. No need to use two separate monitors for a back up.
  15. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Stick vs screen is personal preference.

    Actually the FLIR plugs in the garmin network easily. Since I run the boat a lot at night I just don’t want to have to choose between radar and flir, I want both on different screens.
  16. rtrafford

    rtrafford Senior Member

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    Yes, I'm a believer in redundancy as well. And I have a couple of legacy pieces still aboard for that same reason. In fact Im still running a 1980's Ray Tri-Data unit with displays at both stations that was originally installed by Burger. They work. Why remove?
  17. rtrafford

    rtrafford Senior Member

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    Right, and the Ray hub gives me that capacity, but I can see how you'd be limited. I had my initial setup installed by a vendor. It was all reworked to capture the redundancy, the locations and functionality that I wanted...and more screens added for the same reasons you call out. Now that I've got a solid understanding of their systems Flir will revamp the entire setup to an entirely new design. I'm convinced they do this on purpose.
  18. wdrzal

    wdrzal Senior Member

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    Starting with IE ,then EDGE, Microsoft already announced plans for a new browser in 2 years.