FLIR Voyager User manual

V O YA G E R
OPERATOR’S MANUAL
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 - CAUTIONS 6
2 - OPERATION 7-14
2.1 System Description 8
2.2 Joystick Control Unit (JCU) 10
2.3 Voyager Controls 11
3  MENUS 1518
3  GETTING STARTED 1922
4 - CARE AND MAINTENANCE 23-24
4 - FUNDAMENTALS OF INFRARED 25-32
4.1 Intro to Infrared Technology 26
4.2 More About Infrared 28
5 - APPENDIX 33-35
5.1 Parts and Accessories 34
5.2 Specifications 35
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4
Equipment described herein may require US Government authorization for export purposes. Diversion contrary to US
law is prohibited. ©2007 FLIR Systems, Inc. Specifications are subject to change without notice, check our website:
www.flir.com.
FLIR Systems, Inc.
CVS World Headquarters
FLIR Systems, Inc.
70 Castilian Dr.
Goleta, CA 93117
USA
PH: + 1 877 773 3547
PH: + 1 805 964 9797
FX: + 1 805 685 2711
sales@flir.com
EUROPE
CVS Eurasian Headquarters
FLIR Systems CVS BV
Charles Petitweg 21
4847 NW Teteringen -
Breda
Netherlands
PH: + 31 (0) 765 79 41 94
FX: + 31 (0) 765 79 41 99
flir@flir.com
FLIR Systems, Inc.
Corporate Headquarters
FLIR Systems, Inc.
27700A SW Parkway Ave.
Wilsonville, OR 97070
USA
PH: + 1 877 773 3547
FX: + 1 503 498 3904
sales@flir.com
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5
CONGRATULATIONS ON BUYING
YOUR VOYAGER…
Welcome to the pioneering world of maritime thermal imaging! e Voyager
is a state-of-the-art thermal imager that lets you see at night, through smoke
and haze, without any lighting at all. FLIR has been building thermal imagers
for decades, and we are confident that you will see why FLIR is the #1 name
in infrared around the world.
ermal imaging technology has been a staple of military operations for
decades, but FLIR has just recently made it available to the public, and only to
a select few at that! By purchasing a FLIR thermal imager, you have established
yourself as a mariner on the leading edge of technological advancement.
Remember to register your Voyager by filling out the Registration card.
You will find that the Voyager is simple to use; it includes a Camera Body to
install on the deckhouse or mast location of your choice, a Bulkhead Box for
installation below deck, and a Joystick Control Unit (JCU) for installation at
the primary pilot station. Voyager will support up to 4 control stations onboard
and the video can be displayed on virtually any multi-function display or
video monitor.
Voyager uses two thermal imagers: one with a wide field-of-view (FOV) for
navigating and overall situational awareness, and another longer-range imager
for hazard and vessel identification. Both cameras provide clear imagery
regardless of lighting conditions.
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6
CAUTIONS
IntheVoyagerOperator’sManual,CAUTION n o t i c e s i n d i c at e a p o t e nt i a l
hazard, which, if not avoided, may damage you, someone else, or the Voyager.
For safety, and to achieve the highest levels of performance from your Voyager,
always follow these Cautions when handling and operating your Voyager
camera system.
CAUTION!
Failure to follow the caution may result in damage to the Voyager.
CAUTION!
• Do not use the Voyager imaging system as your primary navigation
system. Use it in conjunction with other navigation aids and a primary
manual navigation system.
• Do not open the Voyager camera body for any reason. Disassembly of the
camera (including removal of the cover) can cause permanent damage and
will void the warranty.
• Be careful not to leave fi ngerprints on the Voyager’s infrared camera optics.
ey are treated with a special coating that can be permanently damaged
by the oils in your skin. Also, they are delicate and can be damaged with
improper cleaning.
•  e Voyager runs off of 24 VDC. Operating the camera outside of the
specified input voltage range or the specified operating temperature range
can cause permanent damage.
• Do not use the thermal imager to look at high-intensity radiation sources
like the sun, lasers, arc welders, etc., as prolonged exposure can damage
the imagers.
•  e Voyager is designed to withstand the shocks and vibrations commonly
encountered in the normal maritime environment. Don’t expose the
camera to excessive impacts.
• Don’t paint your Voyager, as this may void your warranty
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OPERATION
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8
SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
Voyager is a stabilized maritime thermal and
visible-light camera system for use on nearly
any kind of vessel. It uses two thermal
imagers to provide wide-angle and telephoto
zoom images, instead of one imager with a
long telescope.
The Voyager consists of three main
components: the Camera Body,
Joystick Control Unit (JCU), and Bulkhead
Box. Each of these components is designed for
years of rugged, trouble-free use.
The Voyager Camera Body
The Camera Body’s pan/tilt mechanism allows the operator to look 360°
in azimuth, and +/- 90° in elevation. The Camera Body houses all three of
Voyager’s imaging sensors: wide-angle infrared, long-range infrared, and
zoom color daylight/low-light camera.
Each of the infrared cameras uses an uncooled vanadium oxide (VOx)
detector sensitive to long-wave infrared (LWIR) energy. The wide-angle
camera uses a 35mm lens, and the long-range camera uses a 140mm lens.
In its default setting, Voyager will zoom digitally from the wide FOV
camera to the narrow FOV camera. At that point, the system switches
seamlessly over to the narrow FOV camera and zooms digitally to its
maximum magnifi cation.
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Voyager’s Camera Body is sealed at the factory against atmospheric
humidity, suspended particulates and other contaminates. It is important
that you not open the Camera Body for any reason, as it will compromise
this seal and possibly damage the unit. Opening the Camera Body will
void your manufacturer’s warranty.
Bulkhead Box
The Bulkhead Box is the central hub for all other Voyager system
components. It accepts vessel power in (24VDC), and exports it to the
JCU and Camera Body. The Bulkhead Box also passes command signals
from the JCU to the Camera Body, and exports up to four video signals for
viewing around the ship.
Cables
The Camera Cable connects Voyager’s Camera Body to the
Bulkhead Box. This cable will be either 50’ or 100’ long, depending on which
length you ordered. It relays power and control commands between the
Camera Body and the JCU, and outputs standard RS-170 video. This cable
connects to the back of the Camera Body base with a circular connector. It is
important not to bend this cable too tightly.
Detailed instructions for connecting the cable to the Bulkhead Breakout
Box are included in the Installation Guide.
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JOYSTICK CONTROL UNIT (JCU)
The JCU is your primary method of control for the Voyager. It allows
you to point the Voyager, zoom the cameras in and out, switch between
infrared and visible-light cameras, focus, and adjust Voyager’s image
quality, among other functions. In conjunction with the Joystick, Voyager
provides Accu-Point, a complete set of on-screen symbology, so you can
see where the camera is pointed at all times.
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VOYAGER’S CONTROLS
Each of the JCU’s functions, and their corresponding on-screen
symbology, are described in this section.
DESCRIPTION
Power – Press this button to turn the system On and Off. When
turning the system On, two splash screens will display. When the
thermal image is displayed along with the pan and tilt symbols the Voyager
is ready to use. It will take approximately 40 seconds before the system is
completely active; a “LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...” message will display
until the Voyager is ready for use. When turning Voyager Off, drive the
Camera Body to the Park position with the Joystick (described below), and
press the Power button to deactivate the system.
Voyager is in the Park position when its optics are pointed straight down.
This position protects the cameras from damage when not in use. Park the
Voyager before turning the Voyager Off.
Setup – Press this button to access the Setup menus. (See Menu
section for full explanation.)
VIS/IR – Press this button to switch between IR and visible-light
cameras and back, as desired.
Dim – Voyager’s JCU controls are backlit to make them easier to see at
night. This button controls the brightness of the JCU backlighting, so you
can adjust it for your comfort. Press this button to cycle through the four
different settings or levels of brightness.
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Joystick – Use the Joystick to pivot the Voyager’s Camera Body left
and right, and tilt it up and down. It is intuitive to use – push the Joystick
to the left, and the Voyager will pivot left, push the Joystick to the right
and the Voyager will pivot to the right. Push the Joystick forward and the
camera will tilt down, pull it back and the camera will tilt up.
Zoom – Twist the knob on the Joystick to zoom in and out with the
active sensor. Twist the knob to the right to zoom in, and to the left to zoom
out. Thermal and visible-light imagers zoom together, so that when the
operator changes from one imager to the other the same FOV is displayed.
Home – The Home position is a known set of pointing angles – usually
straight ahead and level with the horizon – which operators can use as a
reference. To set the Home position, use the Joystick to point the camera’s
line of sight to the position you want to set as “Home.” Press and hold the
HOME button for 3 seconds; the Home symbol will fl ash when the new
Home position is set. When you want to drive the camera to this Home
position, press and release the HOME button. When you push the HOME
button, this icon will appear on the screen briefl y.
Home Icon
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Stab – Pressing this button cycles the 2-axis gyro-stabilization
on and off.
Point – The Point command turns off the Voyager’s pan stabilization.
This can be helpful when you want Voyager to stay pointing in the same
position relative to the vessel in a turn.
Night – Voyager’s infrared imagery is normally black and red video.
The NIGHT control toggles the IR imagery from black and red to black and
white. Two rainbow color palettes are also available via the Setup menu.
Focus – The Wide FOV thermal imager has a fi xed focus; the
operator can’t adjust it. If the operator tries to adjust the Wide imager’s
focus, the Focus symbology will fl ash. The Autofocus (AF) and Manual
focus (the IN and OUT buttons) control only the Narrow FOV thermal
imager. Use the Manual Focus controls for coarse focus adjustment and
press the AF button for fi ne focus adjustments of the thermal image. The
visible-light camera uses a continuous autofocus and its focus cannot be
adjusted manually.
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Scene – Voyager has four available auto-gain correction (AGC)
settings: Day Running, Night Running, Night Docking and Man Overboard
(shown below). Pressing this button toggles between these four presets.
The infrared cameras in Voyager automatically adjust to the scenes they
are viewing to provide you with the optimal image quality. However, you
may want to view different areas of the temperature spectrum, or prefer an
image that has more or less contrast than that provided. Toggling between
these four presets will change the image gain and level settings used as
a baseline. Which setting to use comes down to personal preference – if
you like the way the Man Overboard setting looks, even though you are
running on open water during the daytime, use it.
The Voyager system operation is intuitive and straightforward, but the
more you use it the more you will get out of it. In turn, the more you know
about your Voyager, the more you will like it.
Night Running
Man Overboard
Day Running
Night Docking
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MENUS
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MENUS
Voyager’s menus allow the operator to customize certain system features.
Pressing the SETUP button will activate the Voyager’s menu structure.
Voyager is continually evolving as FLIR incorporates product
improvements, so the menus you see may be slightly different from the
ones shown here. If you have any questions, call an Applications Expert at
1.888.747.FLIR.
To navigate the menus, use the Joystick to move the cursor up and down
from one selection to the next. To activate a selection, move the Joystick
left or right. Once you are satisfi ed with your changes, press the SETUP
button to exit the menus. The Setup menu will time-out and disappear if
it is left on for 30 seconds with no activity. Each of the menu items are
explained on the next page.
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Disable Elevation Icon – Selecting this item toggles the
elevation icon on and off. Some operators prefer an image less cluttered
with symbology, so they turn this icon off.
Set Video Polarity – Selecting this item will toggle the infrared
imagery from white-hot (or red-hot, if the NIGHT setting is active) to
black-hot. The difference between white-hot and black-hot are below;
white-hot is on the left and black-hot on the right. The use of white-hot or
black-hot display mode is strictly a personal preference; experiment with
the different settings in different conditions and see which you prefer.
Align Thermal Images – If the operator has selected to leave the
Foveal View (picture-in-picture) active, the thermal images may require
a small amount of alignment to counteract parallax. Select this item and
use the Joystick to steer the inner image around until it is aligned with the
outer image.
Enable Foveal View – Operators can view Voyager’s two thermal
imagers separately – with steps of electronic zoom providing transition
from one to the other – or overlaid, with the Narrow FOV image nested
within the Wide FOV image. This nested image presentation is a “Foveal”
view, and lets the operator zoom from the Wide FOV to the Narrow
without losing image resolution. Activating this menu selection toggles
Foveal view on and off.
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Enable Color Thermal Video – Some operators prefer to look at
their thermal images in color instead of grayscale. Selecting this menu item
will activate two color palettes, called “rainbow” and “fusion,” and change
the function of the JCU’s NIGHT button to cycle through all four settings
instead of just two: grayscale, red, rainbow and fusion.
Hide Icons – Selecting this menu item will turn all of the on-screen
icons off except when their corresponding controls are actively in use.
Display Version Info – Should a factory representative need to know
your Voyager’s software revision levels, they can be found by selecting this
menu item.
Restore Factory Defaults – Select this item to restore your
Voyager to its factory default settings
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GETTING STARTED
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The qualifi ed technician who installed your Voyager isolated it from
vessel power with a customer-supplied switch or circuit breaker. The fi rst
step to take in using your Voyager is to make sure that this switch or circuit
breaker is turned on. After that, turn on your display and select the Voyager
as the video source for your display. (Remember that most multi-function
displays (MFDs) allow you to select from a number of available inputs.)
Finally, press the Power button on the JCU to turn the Voyager on. From
there, use the controls on the Joystick Control Unit (JCU) to operate and
confi gure your Voyager. If you choose to operate your Voyager with
engines off, be aware that this may drain power from your batteries, unless
connected to shore power and equipped with a suitable battery tender.
The Voyager will go through its start-up routine – two splash screens
will display for a few seconds, the IR wide FOV will display, and when
the pointing icons are displayed, the system is ready to go (see images
below). You will notice that the Voyager starts up in red-hot mode. This is
because many users will be turning Voyager on when there is little or no
light available, and is an effort to safeguard the operator’s night vision. If
you would prefer to use white-hot display mode, simply press the NIGHT
button on the JCU.
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