Warning

 

Close

Confirm Action

Are you sure you wish to do this?

Confirm Cancel
BCM
User Panel

Posted: 11/18/2014 7:11:44 PM EDT
Anyone know where I could get my hands on a video cable for a L3 Thermal Eye?
Link Posted: 11/18/2014 9:26:57 PM EDT
[#1]
No, but if you find a cheap one lemme know.
Link Posted: 11/19/2014 10:15:51 PM EDT
[#2]
The Hirose connector is available for about $5 from Digikey. The factory video cable is a 4 wire one, 2 of which serve the USB and 2 serve out the video.
I wrote up the connector part number and pinouts some months ago. I have made many cables with one or another pair used, or both used. It's easy BUT the connector pin spacing is close, so you must use shrink tubing on it to prevent shorts, and you must use a pretty small soldering iron. Nothing special at all about the cable.

Let me know if you cannot find the data on this forum and I will repost it.
Link Posted: 11/20/2014 7:36:26 PM EDT
[#3]


If you don't mind reposting it I'd sure appreciate that.
Link Posted: 11/22/2014 12:53:19 AM EDT
[#4]
This applies to the Thermal Eye X320.
I bought my Hirose connectors from Mouser.com
The Mouser part number is 798-MQ172X4SACV50
Hirose part number: MQ172X-4SA-CV(50)

The outline diagram of these connectors is available here:
http://www.hirose.co.jp/cataloge_hp/e20609504.pdf

In the Hirose specifications sheet, you can plainly see that the Hirose connector has a notch on its snout (looking into the hole in the end that plugs into the Thermal Eye).
There are 4 contacts in the Hirose.
Beginning at the the contact NEAREST THE NOTCH, these are Video, Video Shield (ground), USB Data Negative (D-), USB Data Positive (D+)

Pinouts for USB cables are available at Google. My computer uses the larger, flat USB connector. You can get an old USB cable and cut it to the length you wish. Then solder the proper wires onto the Hirose connector.
Please use heat shrink or another insulator on the wires inside the Hirose connector. Those solder points are easily bent together and a short circuit could damage the Thermal Eye.

It is a good idea to check my pinouts with an ohmmeter to confirm that I am not mistaken.
Every single time I make a cable, I CHECK IT with an ohm meter to make CERTAIN that the pins on both ends agree with those of the factory cable.

For USB, Get a USB cable with the correct connector for your computer and find D- and D+ with an ohmmeter.
Strip the cable so about 3/8" of the wires sticks beyond the cable jacket end. Strip about 1/8" of insulation off of those wires and tin them with solder lightly but thoroughly. Trim the tinned wire to 1/16 or a little less. When they cool, slip on a short piece of small heat shrink.
Slip the Hirose backshell onto the USB cable. You will forget to do this, so I'll say it again.
Slip the Hirose backshell onto the USB cable.
Carefully solder the USB wires to the Hirose pins, push the heat shrink down, over the pins, and shrink on the heatshrink.
It's a good idea to put heat shrink on the unused Hirose pins to prevent the Thermal Eye video becoming shorted to any other pins or the Hirose shield.
Attach the Hirose connector shield. This has a couple of locating holes and simply bends into shape.
Slide the Hirose backshell onto the connector.

For video:
Most of my video equipment use RCA connectors (those push-on connectors). If yours does too, you may wish to get standard audio or video cables and cut the cable to the length you desire. Then solder the coax wires to the Hirose. If you do this, be VERY careful that you don't melt insulation and short the video line to ground. Test it when the cable is finished, just to be safe.
Choose a cable or piece of coax that will fit through the tapered strain relief section of the Hirose backshell. That tapered section may be cut back at any of the slots to fit cable that is slightly too large for the size of the passageway. The cable passage is tapered a bit and gets bigger inside the strain relief section.
Attaching a video cable is more troublesome, especially if you use large coax. Find a piece of flexible coax just longer than you need.

I usually use high quality Switchcraft RCA connectors and my own coax, and I make the whole cable.
Teflon insulated coax works great for me because the insulation doesn't melt when I solder it. Strip the outer insulation about 1".
Then push back the braid so it gets fat and loose and trim it so the braid is only 1/16" or so in length.
Strip a short length of small wire (22 ga will do) and wrap one turn of wire around the exposed braid and solder it. That wire is the ground lead, and the center coax wire is the video lead. Trim those to about 3/8" and strip a short length of insulation. Then tin the exposed conductors.
Slide the Hirose backshell onto the coax.
Slide on a piece of heat shrink on each one of the wires and then solder to the Hirose pins, slide the heatshrink down over the pins, and shrink the heatshrink on.
It is a good idea to put heatshrink over the unused pins in the Hirose to keep the USB of the Thermal Eye from shorting to anything.
Put the Hirose shield on and slide the backshell on.

That rubber door that covers the connectors on the Thermal Eye gets in my way when I am using the eyepiece and a DVR. You can remove the door easily.
Remember this: When you have the connector door open, the Thermal Eye is NOT WATERPROOF. Same applies to the battery door. The device is wide open to water if either door is not tightly closed.


Close Join Our Mail List to Stay Up To Date! Win a FREE Membership!

Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!

You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.


By signing up you agree to our User Agreement. *Must have a registered ARFCOM account to win.
Top Top