Yachting Monthly – March 2018

WHY IT’S USEFUL
Being able to see heat, particularly
in a man-overboard situation at
night, could be a potential lifesaver.
Until recently, thermal-imaging
camera systems built for yachts were
extremely expensive. Both fi xed and
portable systems were mainly found on
large yachts. The cameras work by detecting
the amount of infrared light entering the lens
and then converting this into an image that
depicts degrees of heat in varying shades of
colour. Unlike night-vision technology which
enhances the light available, thermal cameras
will work in absolute darkness.
The FLIR One fi ts in the palm of the hand.
By using your smartphone as the screen, it’s
the most compact thermal-imaging camera
we’ve seen and packs away cleverly into a hard
protective case that can be kept on a lanyard.
However, the FLIR One isn’t waterproof.
Integral to the camera’s functionality is
its app, which makes switching between
camera modes easier, allowing you to save
images to your smartphone, potentially
useful when being used as an engineering
tool. Despite having its own power supply,
charged using a micro USB port, the battery
drains relatively quickly.

HOW WE TESTED
We used the FLIR One iPhone model (it’s
also available for Android) in a variety of
situations afl oat. In the engine room, the
camera clearly differentiated between varying

degrees of heat and can identify moisture or

electrical issues, while outside on a cold winter

evening, it was brilliant at showing up humans

and animals in pitch darkness. Pointing the

camera at someone wearing a heavy winter

jacket showed exactly where the heat was

leaking. An MOB would stand out clearly

in the water, even at some distance.

VERDICT

A neat, versatile piece of kit for any size of

yacht. We were impressed by the quality of the

picture generated from such a small camera,

though it is compromised by a delicate

connection plugging directly into the iPhone.

This also means that if you keep your phone

in a waterproof case, it has to come out. It’s

not an essential piece of kit, but it’s certainly

a well-priced, clever addition to your boat’s

engineering arsenal that could come into

its own as an additional MOB search tool

or fi nding your way into a dark anchorage.

An upgraded model, the FLIR One Pro, will be

available later in 2018. http://www.raymarine.co.uk

Inc

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The camera excels at

differentiating between

temperatures and can even

give temperature readings

The FLIR One worked

just as well at identifying

hot and cold spots in the

engine room