FLIR M-series vision-enhancer review for mid-size yachts.

By Ben Ellison

FLIR’s methodical two-year entry into the recreational marine world has been a thing to behold. Both its products, the popular entry-level Navigators and powerful Voyagers, and they way they’ve been promoted, through demo cruises, technical seminars, and the creation of a devoted dealer network, have been impressive. But while all this was going on, FLIR was also analyzing the market and its own resources in search of the killer 24/7 vision enhancer for the helms of mid-size yachts. Its answer, the M-Series, features a dual-gimbaled 11-inch-tall, seven-inch diameter, bullet-style casing that is reminiscent of FLIR’s rugged military products and fits under most open-array radar scanners. The initial model will contain dual high-res thermal and low-light/daylight cameras, both with fields of view fixed at about 26 degrees. FLIR says that the price--which it hopes will be under $15,000--will be “game changing,” noting that the new 640 x 400 pixel thermal imager yields four times more pitch-dark detail than the cameras found in much more expensive systems. The initial M-Series also boasts dual video outputs, support for dual joysticks, easy-to-install Ethernet control cabling, and onscreen camera angle graphics. And the M-Series is intended as a flexible platform for future developments.

FLIR (877) 773-3547. www.flir.com.