I was just looking at the flir vue and contacted customer service.   Seems it needs a power source.   5VDC USB  -- simple small battery supply would suffice.   Then has an output by three different types of cable.  One is a USB that could plug into a video trasmitter for live streaming.   The other is a video out for an onboard DVR like the one being used for the thermal scopes.    Cost wise, the mini dVR would be less, but you only see playback once your back on the ground.  So  I think live is better.   They have video trasmitters and goggles for the mini drones.  I bet that's the way to go.

another nice option is to use the flir vue atop of a pair of goggles and walk around with them on.  I bet this is a nice alternative to strapping two Patrols on your head

Just got the email that they are ready to ship these. However I noticed the 'order now' button only offers a 9hz
version with 3 lens options in either resolution. The ad said they would be 30hz. WTH.

They provide a link to a distributer selling fast video models, must have some sort of drug deal with them. The applications are enormous even without a quad copter, could make tall mast with a Vue and a NVG equipped camera for dual views to put on an ATV or truck for tracking coyotes or pigs.

I would feel safer putting one on an RC truck or "tracked robot", or a fixed wing RC plane than a quadcopter, but the time on station wouldn't be as good without learning to operate a stable camera gimble and flying the plane in an elliptical orbit at the same time without vomiting for vertigo.

A) Who here has ever piloted a UAV ?

B) Who has done it at night?

C) Is there a requirement to be certified by FAA?

D) Those who know the answers to A / B / C - how many hours of practice do you think it takes to get proficient to the point that you are confident you won't be crashing or sailing your FLIR VUE into the oblivion.

I'm all for innovation and product evolution but I don't think this is a tool to buy into without key stats from the experienced crowd.

Skypup - what UAV do you pilot?

I have flown a few now...  DJI Phantoms (4 rotor) all the way up to the DJI S1000  (A sweet machine)

Have only done some dusk flights as of yet.  But incorporating NV/Thermal into is simple going to be a matter of budget.

For personal use, there is no certification. You're requred to stay under 400' (some areas even less), and you have to obey rules regarding airspace restrictions near Federal, State, and otherwise restricted airspace. However, if you're looking to do ANYTHING Commercial, technically, you're grounded unless you're one of about 20-30 lat I heard that actually has FAA Permits.

As far as practice...  The software that most drones come with is amazingly good at keeping the unit stable.  Any quality drone will come with an onboard CPU that interfaces with sensors (usually at least a gyro) that keeps flight relatively stable.  HOWEVER, in almost every software, there are ways to disable all of the 'assists' and when you do that all bets are off.

Most of the better drones ($2000 & up) will come with multiple sensors (Gyro and/or IR) that prevent collisions, etc.  But you know the story about making things idiot proof.  More often than not, you're going to run into problems with batteries/flight times that will cause crashes.  And then of course, there's always the unknown/unseen (Power lines, stray birds, or even aggressive/protective birds, rapidly changing weather, and my personal favorite: assholes that might have a right to shoot your drone down if you're over their property).

As of yet... SkyPup is tethered to his Honda... LOL!

A UAV is almost worthless in my heavily forested property except over recent clear cuts, ITT Raynoir did take out a square mile recently so bring that baby up SQ!

 

A: Me.

B: Me.

C: No.  As long as you are operating as a hobbyist you don't need the FAA's permission.  To qualify as a hobbyist, you must remain below 400ft, be within line of site, etc.  

Full details here http://www.faa.gov/uas/model_aircraft/

D: I had been flying RC airplanes for a few years before I launched my first FLIR into the air.  If you are flying with a camera/screen available it is actually easier than traditional 3rd person view flying.  That being said, the pucker factor was very high when I launched.  :D

I suggest you buy your rig with a daylight camera first to get a feel for things, when you are comfortable, stick the FLIR on it.

 
During the winter, (unless you have a very heavy evergreen tree population) you get to see lots and lots of things going on in the woods.









In this one you can clearly see the wounded pig in some set aside CRP land.  VERY thick stuff that I had trouble walking through, but mostly young trees.


 

My backyard is six square miles of slash pines with a couple of interspersed live oak prairies, so not real good, the only open areas are the forest roads that I grade each year.

However we do have a 65,000 acre totally open prairie absolutely infested with thousands of hogs to where a UAV would be excellent, but you'd have to walk over all the gators to get to the hogs since the only road out there is around the perimeter!!!

One of the helicopter pilots that worked on removing 8 live bull American Bison off the big prairie incidentally counted 460 hogs in three days that he was out on the prairie working though....the bison were darted with tranquiler guns and airlifted in slings out of the prairie.

So if I didn't want to put the camera on a UAV and instead wanted to use it on my Mule with a screen what lens should I get.

A 19mm lens will give excellent FOV and long range.

Sold some NVG but waiting for videos before comitting to a particular unit or maybe looking at a tau 2. Thinking about a vehicle set-up.

I'm sold on this!  Not only for killing pigs but for finding wounded deer in south texas.   Where we hunt sometimes you want to get a dozer to track the animal.

The Flir PathFindIR has a 320 core and 19mm lens and is plenty good got detection with WFOV out 3/4 mile, a 640 core will give you a little more range but much better ID.

My Marine M-Series pan/Tilt in the UTV has a 320 core and 35mm lens and detects hogs etc. out a mile.

Thank you! Good info!  

The more I think about it, some stands and many sanderos I corn are pretty close to camp.  I could see some pig scanning while cooking steaks drinking a toddy. ....

A: Me
B: Me
C: DK/DC
D: A few minutes?

Most of my Night Flights are done via pre-programmed waypoints over known terrain. A Caveman could do it.

Found a good video comparing Tau2, shows differences in resolution pretty well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idLlkAwxwn4

I love your setup and remember seeing it a few years back. I have 2 rvosd's in a solius and a slow stick. Have you thought about having a pilot and camera operator? It seems like you have it down with the rvosd AHI. A wicked setup would be 3 axis brushless gimbal with the flir mounted on it, and a pilot cam with a pvs14.

But anyways, congrats. Some day I would like to mount my pvs14 and fly fpv at night.

I ordered a 30hz 320 with a 6.8mm lens (I have different plans for mine)
The fellow at OEM Cameras said it's a TAU 2 minus the Radiometry and
other features like more color pallets.. The 30hz is slightly more than the
Itar free unit you can get direct from FLIR.

They didn't get any 320's in the first shipment.

What is this setup? Drone, camera ect?

 

I wonder if you can buy that snout mount separately.

http://www.dronebase.it/prodotto/drone-flir-con-termocamera-phantom-2/

So, I was at a drone conference in Vegas last week and got to take a look at the FLIR Vue Pro.

Freeking awesome.  Apparently they got together with a little drone company and got some really good advice.  


Onboard recording

Onboard image capture

Standard RC inputs to change color modes etc.


Way to go FLIR.

Plus, from what I understand, not longer do you need to field a laptop to run it either as it all works off either a smartphone or I-Pad app.

 

So, now what do I do with my two Tau 640's?  :(