Hi, it’s Grant from GTEK Infrared, your thermal camera experts in Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Today we are unboxing the PathFindIR II, or PF II vision enhancement vehicle mounted system. We will also give you some vehicle installation tips.
If you are new to the PF II thermal camera and haven’t had the opportunity to watch our product information video, I suggest that you watch that video first.
What is Included in the PathFindIR II Kit?
In the FLIR PathFindIR II kit we have the:
- FLIR thermal camera head
- Universal mount bracket for the camera head
- Electronic Control Unit or ECU
- Mount hardware for the ECU along with the bracket
- FLIR interface cable harnesses
The first cable harness connects the camera head to the ECU. The second cable harness runs from the ECU with a power supply in and a video out.
Correct Installation of the PF II Camera System
GTEK Infrared highly recommends a competent auto electrician or mechanic install the PF II system in your vehicle.
The alignment of the FLIR thermal camera head is critical to the successful operation of this system. If the camera head is a couple of degrees out of alignment it can greatly reduce the effectiveness of the detection algorithm.
External Mounting of PF II Thermal Camera
When it comes to the positioning of the PF II system, the camera head must be mounted outside the vehicle on the driver-side, either behind the grill or on the bull bar.
The reason why we mount the camera outside the vehicle is because there is full attenuation of Long Wave Infrared (LWIR) energy through glass.
Most thermal cameras capture thermal energy at either the long wave infrared or the Mid-Wave Infrared (MWIR). However, long and mid wave infrared cannot pass through most types of vehicle glass, particularly if the glass has been heated by the sun.
Therefore, we install the camera block on the outside of the vehicle, on the driver’s side, either behind the grill or on the bull bar.
Mounting the PF II Electronic Control Unit inside the Vehicle
The ECU must be mounted inside the cab. This is because it is not IP rated for external weather conditions and will need to be shielded within the vehicle cab.
The ECU is connected to the camera block via the interface cable harness that is included in the FLIR PF II kit.
Recommended LCD Display PF II Live Thermal Camera Feed
Regarding the display, we recommend the installation of a seven-inch LCD screen.
There are many third party suppliers of LCD screens to choose from. Where you position the screen will depend on the type of vehicle, the ergonomics within the vehicle, and your local state and territory laws.
PathFindIR II Camera Cleaning and Maintenance
The FLIR PathFindIR II is a very reliable, robust system that requires little maintenance, if any.
Unlike a conventional camera, an infrared camera has a germanium lens which is not affected by dust and debris settling across the lens. In fact, you can have quite a dirty lens without compromising vision performance.
US Export Compliance for Thermal Imagers
As a global trade compliant product, there is paperwork to complete and submit prior to the purchase of the PF ll camera system. If you are interested, don’t hesitate to contact one of our friendly staff who can answer any questions you have, and also to step you through the process.
Contact GTEK Infrared for Further Advice
That’s been our unboxing and setup of the PathFindIR II vehicle-mounted vision enhancement system.
For any further information you can go to our website or give one of our friendly staff a call and we’ll be able to answer any questions you may have.
Thanks for watching and stay safe.
FLIR Product Update
FLIR PathFindIR II is Discontinued
In March 2024 GTEK Infrared was advised by Teledyne FLIR that the PathFindIR II (PF2) is no longer available for purchase. We will advise customers when a replacement driver vision enhancement system is available.
