On Tuesday, May 28, 2024, the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) announced on social media that PCO, a company from Warsaw and a part of PGZ, had signed a contract with the Border Guard Headquarters (KG SG) for the delivery of additional sets of NPL-1T Agat thermal imaging binoculars.
Photos: PCO
“Based on the contract signed on May 24, PCO, a company belonging to the PGZ Group, will deliver 37 NPL-1T thermal imaging binoculars to the Border Guard. The binoculars are to be delivered by June 15 of this year,” reads a brief post by PGZ on the social media platform X.
On March 1 of this year, the Border Guard Headquarters (KG SG) announced that it had received 67 newly ordered optoelectronic devices produced by PCO, including 37 NPL-1T binoculars. Earlier, on January 14, 266 sets of optoelectronic devices were received, including 35 NPL-1T binoculars. Meanwhile, on December 23, 2023, the Warsaw-based company delivered 41 NPL-1T binoculars.
The NPL-1T Agat thermal binoculars enable observation of the surroundings both during the day and at night, as well as in conditions of reduced visibility. The design solutions and advanced thermal image processing methods used in the binoculars have allowed for exceptional thermal image quality while simultaneously reducing weight and power consumption.
The thermal image is displayed on two OLED screens or can be sent via a digital video output to an external head-mounted display or monitor. The binoculars allow for the storage of images in internal memory, with the option to transfer images to a computer. The primary power source is four AA batteries, but the binoculars can also be powered from an external source within a wide voltage range. The NPL-1T is compatible with a military GPS receiver, enabling the display of geographic coordinates and time on the screen.
The binoculars are equipped with an additional optical attachment that doubles the image magnification. They are also fitted with a range-finding reticle, allowing the observer to estimate the distance to an object. The angular dimensions of the reticle correspond to the viewing angles of a target approximately 1.7 meters tall at specified distances.
The binoculars have dimensions of 190 x 150 x 100 mm and a weight of 800 g. They can operate in temperatures ranging from -30 to +60 degrees Celsius. They are equipped with a microbolometer with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels, a spectral range of 8 μm to 14 μm, a field of view of 12° x 9° (6° x 4.5° with the attachment), and a sensitivity below 50 mK. They are capable of detecting a human-sized object at a distance of approximately 2800 m and a tank-sized object at a distance of approximately 6400 m.
The binoculars are powered by four AA LR6 batteries with a nominal voltage of 1.5V. The actual power consumption is 1.25W. There is also an optional capability to be powered by external power sources with varying voltages from 8 to 32V. They are equipped with an RS422 (full duplex) control interface and an RGB24 digital input (60Hz, FPD Link III). The binoculars can work with military GPS receivers, enabling the display of geographic coordinates and time on the screen. The recorded images are stored on an internal memory card (up to 32 images) with the ability to transfer the images to a computer.
Additional features of the NPL-1T Agat include reticles, 2x and 4x digital zoom, image polarization, image parameter adjustment (manual or automatic), detail sharpening, approximate distance measurement, image storage, digital video output, external head-mounted display input, neck strap, and hand grip. There is also the option to connect an additional display.
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