Flir ThermovisionNavigator II Operators Manual

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High school physics revisited
Infrared	radiation	 combines	 with	Gamma	 rays,	X-rays,	 Ultra	Violet,	 Visible	
Light,  Microwaves  and  Radio  Waves  to  form  a  range  of  energy  called  the 
Electromagnetic Spectrum. 
These  are  not  exotically  independent  types  of  energy  –  in  fact,  the  primary 
difference between each of these types of radiation is wavelength: Radio Waves 
have the longest wavelength and Gamma Rays have the shortest.  Wavelengths 
are measured in micrometers, or “microns” (μ), which are equal to one millionth 
of a meter. 
Infrared	 radiation	 wavelengths	 are	longer	 than	those	 of	visible	 light.	Visible	
light  wavelengths  range  from  0.4μ  to  0.75μ,  while  infrared  is  between  1μ 
and  15μ.  Thermal  imagers  make  pictures  from  either  the  3-5μ  range  (called   
mid wave IR [MW IR]), or the 8-12μ range (called long wave IR [LW IR]).
Thermal images may look like black & white photographs, but the two types 
of  images  are  actually  quite  different.  Photographic  cameras  create  images 
from reflected light energy, while infrared cameras create images from radiated 
thermal energy.
The amount of radiated thermal energy that reaches the Navigator II imager is 
a function of the viewed object’s temperature and emissivity. This relationship 
between temperature and emissivity can be a complex one, but we’ ll sum it up 
with two basic rules: 
1) The hotter an object gets, the more infrared energy it radiates. Even a small 
increase  in  temperature  can  result  in  a  dramatic  increase  in  the  amount  of 
radiated thermal energy. 
						

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2) At a given temperature, the amount of thermal energy radiated by an object 
depends on its emissivity. Emissivity is the measure of an object’s efficiency at 
radiating thermal energy. For example, shiny metals are poor emitters. Instead 
of  radiating  their  own  thermal  energy,  they  tend  to  reflect  radiation  from  
their surroundings. 
Infrared, from theory to practical application
Infrared imagers operate by detecting the relative intensities of thermal energy 
radiated from the surfaces of objects, and displaying these intensities in black 
and white video as shades of gray. They do not show a “heat picture.” Even if 
an object is very hot, it may not display well if there is little or no temperature 
contrast between the object and its surroundings.
Thermal  imagers  primarily  detect  thermal  energy  radiated  from  an  object’s 
surface;  thermal  imagers  can’t  “see  through”  much  of  anything,  except  some 
plastics and nylon materials. 
As  you  look  at  the  thermal  images  created  with  your  Navigator  II,  you  will 
see  multiple  sources  of  thermal  energy  in  addition  to  your  main  object  of 
interest. When looking at a scene with a large number of heat sources, it can 
get confusing trying to sort it all out. Kirchhoff ’s Law is an easy way to account 
for the different sources of thermal radiation you see in your images. Kirchhoff 
says that all of the thermal radiation in an image has been Emitted (given off 
by  an  object),  Transmitted  (passed  through  an  object),  or  Reflected  (bounced 
off an object). 
Most  of  the  strong  energy  sources  you  will  see  in  a  given  scene  are  from 
“emitted ” energy. That is, they are giving off heat energy. Examples of strong 
emitters of thermal energy include people and boat engines.  
						

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Thermal  energy  doesn’t  pass  through  much,  but  it  does  “transmit”  through 
some  plastics.  When  a  material  is  not  transparent  to  infrared  radiation, 
it  is  said  to  be  “opaque.”  Most  commonly  viewed  materials  are  opaque  to  
infrared radiation.
Materials  that  mirror  the  infrared  signatures  around  them  are  “reflective.”  
Ever y thing is reflective to one deg ree or another, but the most high ly reflective 
objects are those made of polished, unpainted metal. Painted metals, glass, and 
even wood can display greater or lesser degrees of reflectivity, but this becomes 
dependent  upon  myriad  factors  like  their  surface  coatings,  textures,  and  the 
angles  from  which  they  are  viewed.  Reflections  can  appear  hotter  or  colder 
than  they  really  are,  based  on  what  they  are  reflecting.  Sun  reflecting  off  of 
polished chrome looks quite bright, and a common mistake is to think that this 
section of chrome has suddenly become very hot. It hasn’t, it is just reflecting 
energy  from  the  sun.  Look  also  at  the  two  images  on  the  previous  page,  and 
note the reflections of thermal energy from the bridge and boat off the water, 
which can readily reflect thermal energy. 
a nother reason to care about the weather
The time of day and weather conditions in which you use your Navigator II can 
have a significant influence on how objects look on the screen. Remember that 
thermal imagers detect and display differences in infrared radiation. If an object 
and its background do not display any appreciable temperature difference, that 
object will be very difficult to detect. Therefore, the time of day during which 
your Navigator II is used can have a direct impact on your ability to detect and 
recognize objects. 
When  things  are  exposed  to  the  sun,  they  absorb  infrared  radiation.  As  the 
duration  of  this  exposure  increases  throughout  the  day,  thermal  contrast 
between targets decreases. 
When  the  sun  begins  to  set,  objects  begin  to  cool.  In  doing  so,  they  radiate 
some  of  this  stored  thermal  energy  back  into  the  atmosphere,  and  a  certain 
degree of thermal contrast is restored. This increase in contrast continues until 
the  sun  comes  up  the  following  morning.  This  daily  sequence  of  heating  and 
cooling is called the “Diurnal Cycle.”
Atmospheric conditions can limit the range and imaging performance of your 
Navigator  II.  Under  ideal  conditions,  most  of  the  infrared  energy  radiated 
from an object gets through the atmosphere and to the imager. Under typical    
						

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conditions however, atmospheric moisture and dust scatter can absorb some of 
the radiated energy before it reaches the imager. The effect of this is to weaken 
the overall thermal signal and shorten the range at which you can detect it.  
The  weather  can  impact  more  than  just  the  range  at  which  the  Navigator  II  
can detect a specific object – it can also affect an entire scene’s thermal contrast 
and affect overall system performance.
Cloud cover affects the diurnal cycle in two ways:
First, cloud cover decreases the amount of solar radiation allowed to strike the 
earth ’s surface, keeping days cooler and nights warmer.
Second,  clouds  form  a  layer  of  insulation  over  the  earth,  prevent  heat  from 
being radiated back into space at night.
Like clouds, humidity tends to reduce contrast and wash out the effects of the 
diurnal cycle. While humidity doesn’t block out solar radiation during the day, 
it does tend to keep nights warmer.
Rain  acts  differently  because  water  tends  to  cool  the  surfaces  it  touches.  
Remember  that  thermal  imagers  only  detect  differences  in  thermal  energy 
radiated  from  an  object’s  surface;  therefore,  rain  can  markedly  reduce  a 
scene’s  contrast.  While  rain  reduces  contrast  between  objects  with  no  heat 
source, it will allow objects with a heat source (like, people, animals, running 
vehicles,  some  structures)  to  show  up  with  even  more  contrast  to  their   
now-cooler surroundings.
c onclusion
Tired? Confused? No problem. If you see something through your Navigator 
II  that  looks  suspicious,  don’t  get  too  hung  up  on  trying  to  figure  out  why  it 
looks the way it does. Just remember: if something is in your way, play it safe 
and steer clear! 
						

							appeNdI x a
p art S aNd a cce SSO rIe S 
						

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Stat Ic N aVI gat Or II FLI r par t Number
Navigator II camera with attached 25’  
cable and wired On/Off switch with  
fuse holder. The camera and switch  
plate come with gaskets attached. 
Navigator II slow video (9 Hz) camera  
with attached 25’ cable and wired 
 On/Off switch with fuse holder. The  
camera and switch plate come with  
gaskets attached. white color, NTSC 
432-0001-01-00
white color, PAL  432-0001-03-00
white color, NTSC  432-0001-01-00S
white color, PAL  432-0001-03-00S
appeNdIx
p arts List
The Navigator II includes the following thermal imaging components:
If  the  components  you  have  are  different  from  those  enumerated  in  this  Parts  List,   
please call us immediately at 888.747.3547.
Two sets of mounting hardware for the camera, one set of mounting hardware for the On/Off 
switch, 5-amp fuses, 10 cable clips and wood screws, and a BNC to RCA adapter.
Navigator II Operator’s Manual    432-0001-00-11 
accessories
FLIR  Systems  makes  a  family  of  extension  cables  and  remote  video/control  station 
kits for Navigator II systems. The cables may be combined to a total length of 100 feet.   
The part numbers are as follows:
 FLI r p ar t Number 
25’ Extension Cable for Static Navigator II   308-0128-00
50’ Extension Cable for Static Navigator II   308-0130-00
Video	Extension	Kit,	contains:  Video	amplifier,	25’	video	cable, 
50’ video cable, and wiring instructions   432-0001-14-01
FLIR lens cleaning kit 
						

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paN /tIL t N aVI gat Or II FLI r p ar t Number
Navigator II camera with attached 25’  
cable and wired Joystick Control Unit  
with fuse holder. The camera and  
Joystick come with gaskets attached.  
Navigator II slow video (9 Hz) camera  
with attached 25’ cable and wired  
Joystick Control Unit with fuse holder.  
The camera and Joystick come with  
gaskets attached.  
Two sets of mounting hardware for the camera, one set of mounting hardware for the Joystick 
Control Unit, 5-amp fuses, 10 cable clips and wood screws, and a BNC to RCA adapter.
Navigator II Operator’s Manual      432-0001-00-11
  FLIr p ar t Number
25’ Extension Cable for Pan & Pan Tilt Navigator II    308-0129-00 
50’ Extension Cable for Pan & Pan Tilt Navigator II    308-0131-00 
Video	Extension	Kit,	contains:	  Video	amplifier,	25’	video	cable,	50’	video	cable,	 
and wiring instructions    432-0001-14-01 
Dual Station Accessor y Kit, contains:   Joystick with 50’ cable and installation instructions    432-0001-14-03 
“Delu xe” Dual Station Accessor y Kit, contains:   Joystick	with	50’	cable,	a	Video	Extension	Kit,	 
and installation instructions    432-0001-14-02 
FLIR lens cleaning kit
a ccessories
FLIR  Systems  makes  a  family  of  extension  cables  and  remote  video/control  station 
kits for Navigator II systems. The cables may be combined to a total length of 100 feet.   
The part numbers are as follows:
white color, NTSC   432-0001-09-00 
white color, PAL  432-0001-11-00 
white color, NTSC   432-0001-09-00S 
white color, PAL   432-0001-11-00S 
						

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System Overview 
Size7.3” x 4.0” x 7.4”7.3” x 4.0” x 9.5”
Weight 6lb7lb
t hermal Imaging p erformance 
Sensor type 320 x 240 
 
Microbolometer 320 x 240 
 
Microbolometer
FOV 36° x 27°36° x 27°
E zoom N /A2x
System Specifications
Pan/Tilt Coverage N /A360° A z/ +/-45°
Video Output NTSC or PALNTSC or PAL
Power Requirements 12 V D C12 V D C
e nvironmental
Operating Temp -25°C t o 55°C-25°C t o 55°C
Joystick c ontrol Unit (J cU)
Dimensions N /A3.25” x 6.13”
SpecIFIcat IONS
Static pan/tilt 
						

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Document Number: 432-0001-00-11, Rev 100
©FLIR  Systems,  Inc.,  2008.  All  rights  reserved  worldwide.  No  parts  of 
this  manual,  in  whole  or  in  part,  may  be  copied,  photocopied,  translated,  or 
transmitted  to  any  electronic  medium  or  machine  readable  form  without  the 
prior written permission of FLIR Systems, Inc.
Names  and  marks  appearing  on  the  products  herein  are  either  registered 
trademarks  or  trademarks  of  FLIR  Systems,  Inc.  and/or  its  subsidiaries.  All 
other trademarks, trade names, or company names referenced herein are used 
for identification only and are the property of their respective owners.
This product is protected by patents, design patents, patents pending, or design 
patents pending. 
The  Navigator  II  imaging  system  is  controlled  by  US  export  laws.  There  are 
special versions of this system that are approved for international distribution.  
Please contact FLIR Systems if you have any questions.
FLIR Systems, Inc.
70 Castilian Drive
Goleta, CA 93117
Phone: +1.888.747.FLIR (+1.888.747.3547)
www.flir.com