Thought it was time to get a new Thermal Camera. Got one from FLIR, the new E60BX. The features and resolution looked really great, especially after 4 years of the old FLIR B-Cam SD. Recived it on Friday.
But…
The camera has multiple firmware glitches (won’t turn off, won’t go to menu, etc).
The camera came with the side access door hatch broken. No biggy, but it cam broken.
The software that they promised (FLIR Reporter) didn’t come, and the report software that did come was barely beta tested.
Additional software, free to download, has multiple glitches and hangs my computer when run. All sorts of system error messages when it installs.
Talking to the hardware guy there, he says that there are a lot of glitches, since this is a new model. One would think that the company would not go to market with a non-tested product.
But, from my past experiance as a sfotware developer, many times the schedule for release had nothing to do with the actual state of the product’s completion, but with the schedule set by marketing.
But, marketing doesn’t have to deal with all the problems.
FLIR used to be a good, reliable company, but this is very discouraging.
Stay away from the new FLIR cameras until they get all the bugs worked out.
I just got a call this morning from my rep about the battery “slack” issue. They have a fix in the form of a gasket that is going out to everyone that has bought one of the E series cameras. The newer ones come with it already in.
If you have not received notification on it as of yet, contact whoever you bought it from and they will get you hooked up.
I bought it through a finance company, so they won’t be of any help. I called FLIR service hotline, direct.
Seems I have to fill out a form and “request” an RMA. Then, when I ship the camera (and I will be without it for a good, long while), they will fix it and send it back.
The problem is, according to one hardware tech I talked to, is that the service guys haven’t recieved the E series cameras yet and have not been able to evaluate them, either for hardware or software.
His advice, hold onto the camera and try to use it as best as you can, then send it in in about a month, once they get all the problems figured out.
Finance companies do not sell cameras. They used either FLIR or a distributor. Call your finance company and find out who actually sold you the camera. Once you have that information call them and have them get you out a loaner camera, if it is a distributor. If it is a sales rep at FLIR, talk to him/her and see what they can hook you up with.
This is a very good example of why cameras should be bought through authorized distributors. Saving a few bucks from some company low balling a camera or offering it cheaper because you bought training often yields poor service in the future. Which not only leaves you without a camera, but lost revenue from not having a camera to do your job with. Manufactures do not like those types of practices either, because just like in your case it gives them a black eye for something that could easily be taken care of by a distributor that has a loaner pool of cameras. Which is how we would have handled this.
We currently have cameras out on loaner for E series customers awaiting their camera. When those come back I could hook you up with one (you just have to pay the freight back and forth) until yours is fixed.
Other than that I am not sure I can be of much help, but if you need anything feel free to drop me a line.
Also, I suspect your hatch issue was due to UPS. We have never had cameras come in from ANY manufacturer broken in any fashion. You might want to contact UPS or whoever sent you the camera might have to contact UPS. Hopefully they insured the package. If you bought it from someone selling it “cheap” don’t bank on it though. The only time we ever have broken product shipped to us or from us shipping it to the customer it is 100% of the time been UPS, or the freight company we used. We had an insulation machine a few weeks back that had two forklift fork sized holes going through the middle of the machine, gee wonder how that happened?
My business partner and the energy audit company(Dwell-Tek) we work closely with ordered 3 of the new E models.
I know for sure my business partner canceled his order. I asked him why because we had already made the decision to use both FLIR and FLUKE cameras. He said the first FLIR camera that arrived had all kinds of glitches so he canceled his order until learning a bit more about what was going on.
That kinda sucks because the new E-models are pretty bad-***. I’m sure they’ll get the bugs worked out but with this stuff being so expensive, I’ll probably wait until the 2nd year of production on all my future camera purchases.
I’d try and get up with Tom O Toole at FLIR. When I had problems with FLIR, I kept hitting dead ends that equaled spending alot of money. Tom came to the rescue essentially keeping me a FLIR fan. Getting in touch with the right folks at FLIR makes all the difference in the world.
Thanks, Bro. I also got a call from FLIR’s Distribution manager who promised that he would have someone contact me tomorrow. I will keep everyone informed.
Please don’t take my first post wrong, I was somewhat POed that here was my new camera and it was not right. Kinda like opening a big Christmas present, that you had been waiting for all year, and it’s broke.
You have to delay your play.
I will say that from what I was able to play with before it started acting up was very impressive. I remember getting my B-Cam SD for abou the same proce, but with well below half the resolution and no where near the features that this camera offers. I really do like FLIR. It’s that, just like other companies, they sometimes screw the pooch, so to speak.
I have posted about Primo Industry as in Canada. They have Fluke IR cameras at 30% percent off. 15 from Fluke and 15 in-house.InterNACHI MEMBERS GET 10 PERCENT discount on all electronic measuring interments
Before buying a IR camera see if you need it.
Do not fall into the HYPE. Make sound decisions please.
PS: Mr.Decker, best of luck with your new IR camera.
Thank you
Robert Young.
Do you do lick tests on the power buses to Mr.Decker?
I prefer someone else doing the test. I record the findings. HA HA HA.
They say they have little energy left and leave the lick test to the end of the report.
HA HA HA.
He will take care of you. I dropped him a line last night with your post and I didn’t think he would call till today. Looks like he works late also. Pretty sure he is on the east coast.
Amazing how Microsoft can continually put out a product that is full of glitches, security vulnerabilities, crashes, etc. Not to mention it constantly has issues when dealing with Apple devices and Google devices (the future of smart phones and tablets is one of these two). And these problems never fully get fixed, they just put out a new OS. And yet people keep on buying it.
FLIR just put this camera out and I guarantee they will fix these issues, you just have to give them a little time. The E series is a pretty big quantum leap in IR with the Apple and (through the grapevine) integration of Droid/Google devices, ability. Just ask Mr Gates, it is not easy to get all this stuff to talk to each other perfectly.
John, not to start up another debate, but there is no “correction” for Microsoft. It isn’t the Windows x or Windows xyz that everyone uses that causes us all to have to use Windows. It is the server side of stuff that dominates the marketplace. What consumer’s see is just Windows X not Sequel, Server 2010, etc, etc. With FLIR’s product(s) it is just firmware. It is a single device with software, not a multitude of software packages that run basically the entire country/world. They do have the added challenge of having to work with Apple and eventually Google devices, but both of these are a Linux based system. Working with Windows has to be a nightmare for any manufacturer of any device, not just IR. I do not wish that job on to anyone.
FLIR is sending me a T300 to use while they fix the problem. Got a call from the VP of Distribution and he made it right.
A testimony to this board. NACHI has industry clout (it’s a Chicago thing).
A testimony to all the NACHI members.
A testimony to the Distributors (Jason. BTW. The finance company bought it through AC) who also want to serve, do it well, and reap the rewards (MORE SALES! Duh?)
A testimony to FLIR, who monitors this board so that they can keep in touch with the customer, the customer needs and beat their compitition.
Finally, between failures, re-boots and other issues (Battery movement, firmware, etc. 25 years as a system’s analyst and designer comes in handy!) I am preparing a list of the observed problems and will supply it to the FLIR support team, hoping to take some time off their learning curve. Iron on Iron, helping.
Thanks to all who took the time to help.
To follow: A detailed critique of the new E series. Maybe even on the T300.
