Safran ECOTI thermal overlay now available factory-direct to civilians

Brewer

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Just read an email from TNVC: the Safran Optics 1 ECOTI that was previously only for mil/LE is now available to vetted civilians, factory-direct exclusively through TNVC. Very cool and very unnecessary for me but sharing for anyone interested. Ships in January and supply probably won't last long.


View: https://vimeo.com/444670860

Requirements:
TNVC said:
IN ORDER TO PURCHASE THE ECOTI AS A COMMERCIAL CUSTOMER, ALL CUSTOMERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO:
  • Sign and return ITAR Compliance Form
  • Provide Proof of U.S. Citizenship / government photo ID
  • Customer Name, Billing, and Shipping Address must all match, customers using business or company accounts will be required to furnish proof of authorization to use alternate form of payment/billing
  • Any orders that do not meet the above requirements will be cancelled
  • Export of Thermal Imaging Equipment or related accessories (such as manuals) is strictly regulated by the US Department of State in accordance with the guidelines of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). It is a major crime to ship or carry US manufactured thermal imaging devices outside the borders of the United States, punishable by fines and prison sentences. Ignorance of these regulations will not hold up in court. By purchasing thermal imaging equipment from TNVC, you attest that you will not attempt to export or carry this thermal imaging equipment outside the borders of the United States. Also, it illegal to allow a non-US Citizen to look through US Thermal Imaging Equipment, even on US soil. Again, this is a crime punishable by fines and prison sentences.

Full details from the link below:

TNVC said:
At TNVC, we have always strived to bring the absolute best in night vision, thermal and visual augmentation systems technology to all of our customers – military, law enforcement, and civilian.

We’re extremely proud to announce that we have partnered with Optics 1 to bring the most advanced thermal overlay system available, direct from the manufacturer with full customer and product support as the Exclusive Commercial Distributor of the ECOTI Enhanced Clip-On Thermal Imager.

The ECOTI is the next generation in Visual Augmentation System (VAS) technologies, and is 100% available NOW to vetted civilian customers exclusively through TNVC (please see below for vetting requirements). ECOTI offers unmatched capabilities and performance, and is truly a game changer.

As the exclusive authorized factory-direct distributor of the ECOTI, TNVC will offer ECOTI’s full suite of accessories, available Q1 2021. Accessories include: 6-Cell GPS-enabled External Battery Pack and Cable, Eyepiece Adapter, Replacement Brackets, and BNVD adapter cable for use with the AN/PVS-31A BNVD’s Cold Weather Battery Pack (CWBP), also available through TNVC. Accessories will be sold separately.

While we recognize that the ECOTI is not an inexpensive product, its capabilities cannot be matched by any other product on the market–the latest and greatest of military technology does not come without a price. However, at TNVC, we believe that ALL qualified U.S. citizens should be able to own top-of-the line capabilities if they are able, and we have worked tirelessly to make this possible to our customers.

The ECOTI is not a cast-off or obsolete product that didn’t get enough contracts or is taking up space in a warehouse, it is up-to-the-minute Visual Augmentation Systems technology with high demand from military and government customers who are being fielded these systems, and the cost reflects that. The Optics 1 ECOTI utilizes the latest generation Thermal Overlay technology and is currently being fielded to the United States Marine Corps as a part of the Squad Binocular Night Vision Goggle (SBNVG), as well as other U.S. DoD and international SOF entities.

While night vision/thermal fusion has been available for years to military and government customers, ECOTI provides users the advantage of long-wave IR thermal imaging when added to a traditional Image Intensification (I2) night vision device, allowing users to get inside the enemy’s OODA loop by providing unparalleled level of situational awareness, threat and target detection and identification. Moreover, the combination of analog image intensification and digital thermal sensors have allowed Fusion Technology to integrate augmented reality capabilities that would be impossible with traditional analog-only night vision.

Previously available to government customers only, the ECOTI is a small thermal monocular that clips on to a traditional I2 night vision goggle, such as the PVS-14, RNVG, DTNVS, PVS-31A BNVD, SBNVG, and GPNVG. ECOTI is now available to vetted civilian customers exclusively through Tactical Night Vision Company. While some thermal systems have previously been available commercially, they have typically been a generation behind the latest military systems or with uncertain origin.

The ECOTI is an improvement over the legacy AN/PAS-29A COTI first introduced almost a decade ago by Optics 1. ECOTI has a 640×480, 60Hz sensor (compared to COTI’s 320×240 / 30Hz), and has increased field of view by 50% from 20o to 30o. It provides the user with a high definition, real-time thermal overlay. Users can select between Outline, Patrol, and Full Thermal modes, as well as white and black hot polarities. It also has pre-programmed environmental settings to provide the best possible detection in a multitude of operating environments.

Despite the numerous enhancements in performance and capabilities compared to the legacy COTI, the ECOTI is almost a full two ounces lighter. To lighten the load even more, ECOTI is also available without the internal CR123 battery and powered by the Optics 1 6-Cell GPS-enabled External Battery Pack.

ECOTI has a multitude of applications for law enforcement and civilian customers. The thermal detection capability is useful for SAR operations, fugitive and suspect pursuit, and hunting in thick brush or heavy vegetation. Unlike other weapon-mounted thermal scopes and handheld thermal monoculars, ECOTI allows users to be heads-up and hands-free.

Unlike Image Fusion systems such as the FGE and ENVG-B, the ECOTI is a clip-on thermal overlay with a dedicated power supply. A loss of power or damage to either the night vision goggle or ECOTI does not deadline the entire system; users can use one without the other. They can attach the ECOTI to its Eyepiece Adapter and used as a handheld thermal monocular. Image Fusion systems have complicated and costly maintenance and repairs, leaving users blind in the night.



Additional Features:

Import/Display RS-170 video
Export RS-170 video
7-PIN Connector
Connect to PC/Droid for picture download and NAV File upload
Connect to Situational Awareness Apps (SA-Apps)
Connect to external accessories: GPS, Smart Power Pack, etc.

Easy Push-Mode Buttons

Simple buttons allow user to modify Polarity settings
Optimized thermal mode, brightness, capture still pics



Heads Up Display (HUD):

For military and law enforcement customers, the ECOTI has also greatly expanded on the augmented reality capabilities of the AN/PAS-29A for customers with access to networked tactical C4ISR capabilities, including full integration with the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) displayed in the user’s night vision goggles via a Heads Up Display (HUD), providing unmatched situational awareness and command and control.

The ECOTI’s Augmented Reality capability provides a Head’s-Up-Display (HUD) with navigation and route execution as well as real-time, geo-referenced, XML-based augmented reality. When used with Android devices, the VD becomes a remote HUD display for identifying teammates, targets, and route points. The ECOTI allows the ability to keep eyes on the mission while the HUD eliminates the need to stop and look down at a screen.

The navigation capability utilizes KML and GPX formats from Google Earth® and similar programs for simple route planning. Along with route execution, the built in 16GB SD card provides on-board storage for image capture (>10,000 .TIF images), navigation tracks, and marking capability. AIR-based routes provide real-time altitude and glide ratio 3D Landing Point information for navigation under canopy.

 
I got to play with the older COTI system, they are pretty neat. If I hit the lotto, I'd probably get a set of floppy binos and one of these.
 
60hz is better than one of these, but the FLIR is AHRS stabilized for (sea state) motion. I have a transducer with AHRS, I'm surprised this unit doesn't have AHRS, or any interface capabilities. Plus, add the cost of a PVS14

Looks like it's something that wasn't selected for a contract
 
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I got to play with the older COTI system, they are pretty neat. If I hit the lotto, I'd probably get a set of floppy binos and one of these.

The E-COTI is a very significant improvement over the older COTI.

That said, new-but-last-generation units are currently available from Euro-Optic for less than half the cost. Note that despite the apparent name change (Vectronix vs. Optics 1), these were designed and manufactured by the same people.
 
60hz is better than one of these, but the FLIR is AHRS stabilized for (sea state) motion. I have a transducer with AHRS, I'm surprised this unit doesn't have AHRS, or any interface capabilities. Plus, add the cost of a PVS14

Looks like it's something that wasn't selected for a contract

There is a good reason it's not stabilized; this unit is intended as a clip on to I^2 goggles. The goggles are not stabilized. Stabilization would cause a temporary misalignment between the google and thermal overlay image, which could be disorienting.
 
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