Go over and read the FLIR Scout TS-Series review on Gizmodo. If you don’t, this article won’t make sense.
Over the past couple of years FLIR has been trying to commercialize their IR sensor technology. FLIR builds a solid product and their military and commercial grade products are everywhere. Considering what you are getting, their personal vision products are fairly inexpensive, and the resolution is pretty good. So good in fact, that Gizmodo’s reviewers came to the amazing conclusion that, “IT LETS YOU SEE IN THE DARK, DUDE.” Amazingly, they were dumbfounded by the notion that although field replaceable, a screw driver was required to change the batteries even though the unit is waterproof. What’s more, they were a bit put off that the FLIR used up batteries even though it only uses 4 x AA.
“You need a screwdriver to remove the batteries, which is screwy because a) They’re supposedly “field-replaceable” and b) The thing eats batteries like they’re covered in sugar and sitting in a pie dish.”
I have to admit I read Gizmodo. But what do hipsters do when you give them military grade hardware? Why, they use it to photograph themselves urinating of course. Score one for the marketing machine at FLIR. It’s the weekend so I’ll give you my opinion raw. When I read this article, I formed this image in my mind’s eye that involves a monkey violating a football.
Bottom line, civilians are absolutely amazed by shit military folks take for granted. Conclusion? They need to man the fuck up and serve their country instead of reading about it on hipster websites.
-EG
Sounds like you are holding Tactical Fanboy readers in contempt with that last para.
How many TF readers feel outraged that I said that?
Can’t say. Don’t read it. But do they read here?
If you can’t say and don’t read it then why did you make the comment in the first place?
I am a little bit… I spent 4 years trying to get into any branch after a being told by a civilian console Dr. at MEPS that my knee (ACL surgery 3 years prior) was so bad he was surprised I could walk… I spent 4 years just trying to get back to MEPS before being called on a Sunday by an Admiral at BUMED and was told: “Son you ain’t never gettin’ into the Military, stop trying.”
I’ve tried 4 separate times since then, and it turns out my social and name are red flagged and am considered physically unfit for military service… I’ve actually been informed they won’t even draft me if it were to be instituted.
I’m not a “hipster” by any means, and I don’t read gizmodo… I’m also not “outraged” by your post… However it did hit a little close to home in the sense that I’ve wanted to serve my country as long as I can remember… I still do… Just not allowed to.
Oh… And for the record, there was nothing wrong with my knee then and there isn’t any thing wrong with it now. Every single visit to an orthopedic surgeon has resulted in being told that my “bad” knee is in better condition and health than my “good” knee. (including the visit 2 days after my fated MEPS fiasco.)
Relax, you’re not the kind of guy we are talking about.
You read Gizmodo? And you’re surprised? 😉
I love Gizmodo, usually
Bottom line, I concur.
who needs to man up now?
the writer seems to be the one crying about hipsters. gizmodo has been a low quality tech rag for a while now. apparently an internet blog doesn’t live up to your super elite standards for reviewing military equipment (or in this case, the civilian-grade knockoff).
how else should FLIR be marketing this to the civilian market? I don’t think Joe Q public cares about being able to spot guys planting IEDs in his driveway.
also, you want more hipsters to join the armed forces for some reason?
I think “-EG” is just mad he didn’t get sent a device for review.
What’s the high quality tech rag?
Not sure what else I need to do to “man up.” After all, I served for 21 years in the military and have been retired for five years.
I didn’t get a device because I didn’t ask for one. I have handled FLIR’s commercial offerings and they are nice, but I don’t need to take a video of myself peeing to demonstrate that.
No jealousy here, in fact, SSD was inspired by Gizmodo. I’m just old and curmudgeonly and fed up with the “oooohhh, I don’t know what this is but I’m going to write about it anyway” thing that’s going on these days.
There’s an old(ish) SOF adage, “Don’t confuse enthusiasm with capability” that is probably at play here and has driven with my recent tone.
And don’t get confused by someone writing to their audience.
I’m not confused. I am writing to my audience.
Nice conclusion!
I’ve got to agree with MRC above. The review at Gizmodo and the accompanying video from FLIR shows the scout light being used for game hunting. So short of having a pet deer pee on command, they did the next most expedient thing and take a leak, showing it could be used for tracking animals. I wouldn’t badmouth civilians either. Most Joes are probably going to play around with thermal is much the same way when they first see it too; i.e. holding their hand on a tree or wall to see the thermal impression, seeing if their crotch puts out heat, etc. Regardless of your retired status or prior service, you are a civilian now as well. Respect the taxpayers that paid your salary for 21 years and will continue to pay your retirement. Military or govervnment service is just that; you are working for the citizens of the country, not the other way around.
The point of the article was kind of an Andy Rooney thing and not a blow by blow ode to suckage. If the reviewers point was to show that you can track game, maybe they should have done exactly that.
All in all, it was a pig looking at a wristwatch effort at best and it showed.
As for my status, as a private citizen I can pretty much say what I please. Naturally, just because I put it out there, it doesn’t mean you have to agree. By no means am I going to kowtow to political correctness or worry about what the civilians might think. I’m simply expressing my opinions just like you’d like to be able to. So don’t get on some high horse with some declaration about me working for the people. Readers don’t come here to see me say the politically expedient thing. They read because they want to see new things and hear my perspective.
It’s your site, and you can pretty much say what you like here. It’s all part of the Constitution you, me, and many others swore an oath to defend. I do come here to see new things and see people’s take on them. But I don’t want to see it become a matter of “us” and “them”. I may not care for the guy with purple hair and his head full of tattoos or piercings, but he is who I took an oath to defend, so be it.
For the Gizmodo review, maybe they could have shown how it would be helpful to look for a home intruder or some other application. Chalk it up to lazy journalism or a lack of knowledge of the product. But don’t bash all civilians based on a couple bad experiences.
Companies like this should think about equipping the private corporate seucrity sectors, like where I work. My company is so underequipped it isn’t even funny.
I believe that is one area they are moving toward. At this point, it is probably more of a cost issue than anything else.
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