Thermal imaging cameras. What laws?

[Spacemonkey]

Does anyone know the laws relating to supplying thermal imaging cameras to the general public in this outpost of freedom that we live in? So far every supplier of the equipment in this country will not sell to Joe Public and comes up with all kind of reasons of a supposedly legal matter, yet nobody says it is illegal to supply the public, nor does anything come up on Google etc.

Any ideas? Or better still if anyone knows a freindly understanding supplier, please feel free to PM me.

Many thanks...

 

[spamel]

I would have thought they would be very expensive? Maybe there isn't much call for them.

 

[Spacemonkey]

Yes, rather a bit... In the US good rifle scopes are about $10k, and cameras about $8. Over here prices start at about £5k. It's not too many years ago that IR and image intensifiers where stupid money, so maybe one day Thermals will be cheaper, but my mate simply MUST have one and has the money spare to buy one, it's just nobody will flog him one. There are quite a few retailers in this country though.

 

[stotRE]

Does anyone know the laws relating to supplying thermal imaging cameras to the general public in this outpost of freedom that we live in? So far every supplier of the equipment in this country will not sell to Joe Public and comes up with all kind of reasons of a supposedly legal matter, yet nobody says it is illegal to supply the public, nor does anything come up on Google etc.

Any ideas? Or better still if anyone knows a freindly understanding supplier, please feel free to PM me.

Many thanks...

Don't see why they would be illegal?

But then again this is Britain.

The country where our nations flag is racist and the word 'nonsense' is an act of terrorism

 

[Spacemonkey]

I agree on all points mate, and i really cannot for the life of me think why the sale of thermal cameras would or should be restricted. After all, what the heck could a terrorist do with one that they couldn't achieve cheaper? But as you say, this is Blair's Britain where all fun is banned....

 

[stotRE]

You could probably download a pdf that tells you how to build your own

Failing that join the TA and nick one

All outdoor fun is banned but drinking and gambling are not

What 'nonsense'.......................aaaarrrrghhhh they've got meeeeeee

(Guantanamo bay here i come.Hope they play some iron maiden at full blast and have guarddogs snap at my whatsits )

 

[Spacemonkey]

Failing that join the TA and nick one

Finally just too old for it. Every time I made the effort and contacted them they always tried to 'persuade' me into the Medical Corps. They didn't seem to understand that I wanted to join to have a change from my normal job...

 

[Sickboy]

Surely they can be hunted down off the net, same problem getting hold of super accurate gps units years ago, no one could/would supply them over here but they could be bought over the counter n the states, normally knocked off millitary units by the looks of them. If you friend really want's one yesterday then maybe a trip to the states for the weekend shopping :thinkerg:

 

[Spacemonkey]

Funny you should say that..... and then pop it in a cam corder bag with a load of other equipment. Cheaper too.... However, I found that most retailers over there aren't too keen either for the sort he wants. Grr...

 

[Stuart]

get one from here http://www.sovietbazaar.co.uk/thermal.htm or here www.lamsa.com/home.html

and can we quit all the pointless political whining!

 

[khimbar]

All outdoor fun is banned but drinking and gambling are not

They haven't found a way to tax the countryside. Yet.

 

[pumbaa]

I dont know if NV monoculars will fit your purpose but they sell them in our local army surplass for £180 . Bending SWMBO's ear for one.
Pumbaa

 

[innocent bystander]

I dont know if NV monoculars will fit your purpose but they sell them in our local army surplass for £180 . Bending SWMBO's ear for one.
Pumbaa

Soviet bazaar do one for £98 - it's piezo so you only need batteries for the illuminator. It is kinda fun....

I love smilies

 

[leon-1]

Spacemonkey, I am curious, what does your friend want it for??

I have used a number of the military ones and to be honest most were large, heavy, noisy and not always the easiest of things to use. Innocent bystander said it and your mate would be better off with standard NVG's be it a scope or glasses.

All the best in your search, but I really cannot see the point.

 

[Spacemonkey]

He has some very high spec NV equipment including a tiny monocular about the size of half a bog roll! But for some reason he really wants a thermal camera. Probably the same reason some of us will pay £250 for a knife when a sub £10 knife will do the job just as well. Each to their own I guess..
Reading that American Lamsa site it states about licensing for export for anything higher than gen2 to non NATO countries, and even only gen3 for NATO, so maybe there are forced restrictions for sale to civvies in the same manner accurate GPS was years ago. I know that he knows of the Soviet Bazaar camera and there is a reason he doesn't buy it. Maybe they wouldn't part with it, but more likely it is out of his budget. He can afford the American home prices no problem but not as much as the soviet one, but then it does give full colour night vision. You get what you pay for i guess, and it is quite compact, hence £9k price tag. Thanks to all, I shall pass this info on and stop my political whining. For now, anyway...

 

[Danceswithhelicopters]

Just to clarify Thermal Image (TI) is a camera which detects radiated heat and Night Vision(NVG) multiplies ambient light to allow you to see in low light.
AFAIK TI camera are not illegal to sell but are hugely expensive and not available as surplus. the BBC uses them regularly to look at animals on nature progs.
They are used by Fire Brigades in hand held versions to seek victims and detect fires sources.
The versions used by Police Helicopters are the bees knees but are the size of R2D2.

 

[steven andrews]

mmmmmmmm TICs!!
We have the ISG Talisman on two of our appliances.
It is a fantastic piece of kit and makes our job much, much easier.

 

[stoddy]

contact your nearest friendly former soviet bloc country

there soldiers will sell anything for a few bottles of grog and some beattles tapes

 

[Spacemonkey]

Only if they throw in a Dragunov...

 

[tomtom]

as far as i know there is no restriction on owning them, perhaps try getting one from the US!