LIEMKE Luchs-1 Thermal Imaging Camera User Manual

LIEMKE Luchs-1 Thermal Imaging Camera

Product Information

The product is a thermal imaging camera with the model name “LUCHS -1” or “LUCHS -2”. The camera uses a pitch-detector and has a detection range of 12 meters with a pixel field of view of 0.34 mrad and 0.24 mrad. The camera has a detection range of up to 1750 m or 2500 m, depending on the model. It has a 50 Hz image refresh rate and a NETD of 50 mK. The camera comes with either a 35mm/F1.0 or a 50mm/F1.0 lens and has a digital zoom feature with color modes such as White Hot, Black Hot, Extra Dark, Red Hot, and Rainbow. The camera is powered by an internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 4800 mAh and can also be externally powered. The camera is waterproof with an IP67 rating and has an operating temperature range.

Product Usage Instructions

1. Before Use: Ensure that the lens focus ring is set correctly for the desired distance, and the rubber plug is tightly closed to avoid moisture entering the camera.

2. Power On/Off: Use the three-position switch to turn the camera ON or to standby mode. A short press on the switch will turn it on to standby, while a long press will turn it off.

3. Input Modes: There are two input modes:
   Standard and Basic Mode.

   • Standard Mode: This mode is the default mode of operation. It displays the standard view, which includes the calibration mode (A, M, S), and Wi-Fi connectivity status. The Wi-Fi symbol will only be displayed when the Wi-Fi connection is active. To adjust the symbol display, go to the “Shot Alignment” submenu.
   • Basic Mode: This mode is used for settings and to conserve battery life by deactivating media functions. To enter Basic Mode, press and hold the MENU button.

4. Media Functions: The camera has a digital zoom feature and can capture photos and videos in JPG/MP4 format. To take a photo, press the DOWN button. To start/stop recording a video, press and hold the MENU button

5. Charging and Battery Life: The camera’s
   internal battery is rechargeable via USB-C cable, and the charging time is between 6.5 to 9 hours. The camera can also be externally powered using a power supply with at least 10W output. Avoid deep discharging the battery to prolong its lifespan.

Dear Customers,
Our mission to always offer you thermal imaging optics that are at the forefront of technology and quality means that you will find products with state-of-the-art technology and outstanding performance parameters in our new range.
With our service promise to return any optics you have sent in to you within ten working days, as well as a guarantee on our products of up to three years, we would like to thank you for your trust and wish you good hunting!
Your LIEMKE team!

TECHNICAL DATA

Depending on environmental conditions, settings and media functions. / Design, software and technical parameters of the product are subject to change without prior notice

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

The thermal imager is not recommended to be used in high temperature environment for a long time. If the temperature is too high, the imager will enter the high-tempera-ture protection state, and automatically shut down.
The recommended temperature for use is −10°C to +50°C.
Make sure that the USB interface cover on the side of the thermal imager is tightly closed when used in humid environments, e.g. on rainy days.

Disposal of waste electrical equipment and batteries

Do not dispose of waste electrical equipment and batteries in the household waste. Please hand them in to your local recycling centre. Batteries should be fully discharged when disposed of.
We are participating in INTERSEROH+ Verbund. The device components can be taken to plastic and metal recycling for disposal.

CE marking: The devices are in conformity with the EU directives:

• EMC Directive 2014/30/EU
• RED Directive 2014/53/EU
• RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU
• Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU

Blaser Group GmbH hereby declares that radio system type LUCHS-1 / LUCHS-2 complies with Directive 2014/53/EU. The complete text of the EU Declaration of Conformity can be found at the following web addresses:
liemke.com/CE_Luchs_1
liemke.com/CE_Luchs_2
FCC-ID : HK2106221988E

CAUTION!
Do not point the lens of the unit at intense energy sources, including laser units and the sun. Otherwise, there is a risk of damaging the electronic compo-nents of the unit. Damage resulting from non-compliance with the operating instructions is not covered by the warranty.

SCOPE OF DELIVERY

• LUCHS thermal clip-on device
• Protective flip-cover (mounted)
• Thread protector with rubber eyecup (mounted)
• USB-C cable
• USB charger
• Thread adapter M43x0.75 to M52x0.75 with lock ring tool
• Lens cleaning cloth
• Manual

**COMPONENTS AND CONTROLS

**

1. An objective lens with the focus ring
2. Button panel with three buttons (UP/MENU/DOWN)
3. Collimator with thread protector ring
4. Three-position switch (ON/standby/OFF)
5. The mounting interface on the bottom of the device
6. USB-C port with rubber cover for charging and data transfer
7. Protective flip-cover (mounted)

BASIC OPERATION

Before use
A technical inspection of the device is recommended before use.

• Check the external appearance of the device: There should be no cracks in the casing.
• Check the condition of the lens and eyepiece: They should be clean and free of damage.
• Check the condition of the battery: It should be charged if necessary.
• Check the USB connection and the rubber plug: The contacts should be clean and free of oxidation and the plug should be put firmly in place before use to ensure protection against moisture.

Lens focus ring

• Focus the objective lens for different distances by turning the focus ring until the image is sharp.

Flip-Cover
The device comes with a protective flip-cover installed.

• Open the cover by pushing on the tabs opposite the hinge.

The cover snaps in place as the hinge opens completely and sits almost flush with the housing. The cover can be rotated to open to the left, right or top. The cover can be removed from the device by grabbing the closed cover at the back of the hinge and pulling it away from the device. It can be reinstalled by pushing it onto the finishing lip of the objective and snapping it in place.

Adapter threads and thread cover

At the rear of the device there are threads (M43x0.75) for attaching to a clip-on adapter. The device is delivered with a protective thread cover with a rubberized eyecup. When using the device as a clip-on, this thread cover needs to be removed by unscrewing it counterclockwise.

Three-position switch lever

• Move the lever to the desired position for OFF, S (standby), and ON settings.
  The white dot is partly visible in standby mode and completely visible when ON, making the status of the device easily discernible in dim light conditions. The startup time from OFF to ON is 5 seconds for image display. Images and videos can be taken from 20 seconds after startup. The standby function switches off the display and interrupts Wi-Fi transmission (when Wi- Fi is active) to save battery power and cut light emissions from the device. When switching from Standby to ON, image and responsiveness are there immediately.

Button Panel

On the top of the device is a panel with three large buttons. There are two different input options for each button:

• Click (short press)

• Long press
  A click consists of pressing and releasing a button immediate-ly. A long press consists of pressing and holding a button for at least 0.4 seconds.

• Additionally, you can exit the menu from any point by pressing the MENU button for 2 seconds.

Default Screen

• The standard screen (when not in the menu) shows icons for the selected gun profile (G1-G3), battery charge status and calibration mode (A, M, S). The Wifi symbol is shown in the top center of the image only when Wifi is activated.
• For use as a clip-on, the position of the information displayed on the screen can be adjusted to the lowest magnification of the rifle scope. This keeps the information visible but at the edge of the field of view without block-ing the view of the target. The icon display setting can be changed in the Shot Alignment submenu and saved together with the alignment setting for the respective riflescope.

Menu navigation

• Enter the menu by long pressing the MENU button.
• The menu on the left of the screen consists of menu icons. There is a short information text shown in the top center of the screen when a menu item is selected.
• Navigate to the desired menu item with the UP and DOWN buttons and select the desired menu item with a click of the MENU button. Further submenu items, if avail-able, are indicated by arrows above and below the selected submenu item and can be selected with the UP and DOWN buttons.
• Choose a menu or submenu function by clicking the MENU button.
• Save and return to the previous menu item by long pressing the MENU button.
• To completely exit the menu from any point in the menu, press and hold the MENU button for 2 seconds.

CHARGING AND BATTERY WARNING INDICATOR

The battery symbol in the lower area of the display indicates the battery level – from fully charged (five bars) to almost empty (red with one bar). Charging normally takes about 3 hours.

• Before each use, make sure that the battery is charged sufficiently.

• Charge the LUCHS when it is switched off (OFF).
  This is the only way to ensure reliable charging.

• Use the USB-C cable included in delivery and the original charger to charge the LUCHS.
  During charging, the LED between the MENU and DOWN buttons lights up red. Once charging is complete, the LED indicator turns green and goes out after a while.

• Remove the device from the power source when charging is complete.
  If the battery is already fully charged, the green LED may not light up if the LUCHS is connected to the charger again.

Minimum requirements

• Use the charging accessories included in delivery or equivalent accessories from third-party providers. The power supply unit must supply at least 10 W to be able to reliably charge the internal battery.

Deep discharge

• Avoid deep discharge of the battery so as not to shorten the service life of the battery unnecessarily.

If the battery is discharged completely, charging will take significantly longer, as very little charging current flows initially in order to not damage the battery.
Powerbank
You can operate the LUCHS with an external power source (powerbank).

• Make sure that your additional battery supplies at least 10 W (5 V / 2 A). Otherwise, you may encounter malfunctions operating the device.

INPUT MODES

The LUCHS has three different input modes with specific functions directly accessible by a click or a long press of the buttons. Input Modes can be changed in the Menu item “Input Mode”.

Standard Mode
Standard Mode is the default mode that is suitable for most use cases. Brightness and Image Mode as well as the Photo and Video Recording functions
are directly accessible via the button panel. The menu is always accessed with a long press of the MENU button and manual calibra-tion is always performed with a long press of the UP button.

Basic Mode
Basic Mode is a simplified input 01 02 03 interface for users that do not want to change their settings frequently, for example for only hunting at night and with a fixed set of preferred settings. The menu is accessed with a long press of the MENU button and manual − calibration is performed with a long press of the UP button. There are no additional functions available via the button panel. Photo and video recording functions are deactivated. Changes to settings like brightness and color mode can be done by entering the menu .
Basic mode provides maximum protection against accidental changes to settings and lowers battery consumption by disabling media functions, providing up to 9 hours of operation on a single battery charge.

Custom Mode

Custom Mode allows the user to personalize the button panel functions based on his usage preferences. Functions that are often used can be directly accessed via the button panel and functions that are not
needed regularly can be switched off to prevent accidental activation. For how to assign functions to the buttons, see “Input Mode” in the Menu section of this manual.

MOMENTARY 2X ZOOM FUNCTION

Pressing the UP and DOWN buttons simultaneously activates the momentary 2x zoom function. The 2x zoom is only active while the buttons are pressed. When releasing the buttons, the magnification automatically reverts back to the default 1x zoom. Important: This function is meant for target identification. Shooting with the zoom func-tion activated may result in a change of point of impact. A warning appears on the screen while the zoom function is activated.

MENU FUNCTIONS

Brightness

When changed via the button panel, brightness cycles from 1 to 10 and then goes to 1 again. When changed via the Brightness menu item, brightness can be increased or decreased with the UP and DOWN buttons and it stops at 1 and 10 respectively. This way the brightness can be increased or decreased deliberately which is especially use-ful in the dark when you want to choose a lower brightness setting without first cycling through the higher brightness settings. Brightness is the first menu item so it is quickly ac-cessible when the customizable buttons in Custom Mode are used for other functions.

Image Mode

• Select Sun or Rain.
• Choose a mode based on the properties of the scene and your preferences.

Sun mode shows a smooth and natural looking image for scenes with good inherent contrast like on sunny days or nights after a sunny day when objects in the landscape have different temperature levels. It is also useful for seeing fine detail in the warm target.
Rain mode enhances the contrast and makes fine structures visible in scenes with low inherent contrast. It is especially useful to show details of the landscape in rainy or overcast conditions.

Color Mode

Cycle through the activated color modes. Color Modes can be selectively deactivated in the Advanced Settings submenu “Color Mode active/inactive”. Deactivated color modes will not show up in this menu so you only cycle through modes that you find useful. The available Color Modes are:

• WH – White Hot: For accurate identification, good for nighttime use because of darker background
• BH – Black Hot: Provides a more realistic visual impression with dark target on brighter background
• ED – Extra Dark: Based on White Hot mode with lower overall brightness and a warm tint, ideal protecting the natural night vision ability of the eye
• RH – Red Hot: For fast detection of heat sources
• RB – Rainbow: For showing small temperature differences

Use case descriptions are only guidelines, use of color modes is largely a matter of personal preference.

Input Mode

Input Mode allows you to select what functions are controlled directly by a button click or long press so you don’t have to enter the menu to change them. See Chapter 05. for information on the Standard and Basic input modes.

Custom Mode button configuration

In Custom Mode, button functions can be configured to the preferences of the user.

• To assign the button functions in the “Custom” submenu, short-click the MENU button to toggle through the input functions
  The functions for clicking are on top, long press on the bottom for each button.

• Change the input functions with the UP and DOWN buttons.

• Switch to the next button function with a click of the MENU button.

• Long press the MENU button to save the settings and return to the Input Mode sub-menu.

The configuration options are:

• UP (click): Brightness / Color Mode / Image Mode/none
• UP (long press): Calibration
• MENU (click): Brightness / Color Mode / Image Mode/none
• MENU (long press): Enter Menu
• DOWN (click): Take Photo/none
• DOWN (long press): Start/Stop Video/none

Calibration Mode
In this menu item you can choose the calibration mode.

• A – Automatic calibration every 2 minutes
• M – Manual calibration triggered by the user with a long press of the UP button.
• S – Shutterless calibration triggered by the user with a long press of the UP button.

During use, the image gradually deteriorates because of the changing background temperature of the sensor. This is compensated for by periodically calibrating the sensor. Calibration is performed by activating an internal shutter and equalizing the sensor output. The shutter makes a very faint clicking noise and the image freezes for 0.5 s during calibration. When starting the device, automatic calibra- tions are performed in the first seconds regardless of the calibration mode.
In M mode you can choose the time when the image briefly freezes, which is especially convenient when using the device as a clip-on for shooting to ensure that the image freeze does not occur at the moment you want to take the shot. Perform a manual calibration when you observe deterioration of image quality such as graininess or banding. S Mode is triggered by the user like M mode but does not use the internal shutter for completely silent operation.
Important: Close the lens cap during calibration (S Mode).

WiFi

• Activate/deactivate the WiFi connection.
• A WiFi symbol is displayed in the top center of the screen when WiFi is activated. For fur-ther information about the APP and how to connect the LUCHS to your mobile device, visit: https://liemke.shop/medien

Shot Alignment

The LUCHS is adjusted from the factory so that you have the same line of sight with the device attached as a clip-on that you have with your riflescope. This means that gen-erally the point of impact of your rifle with the LUCHS attached is very close to the point of impact with just the riflescope. However, because attaching an additional device to the riflescope can alter the vibrations of the rifle and scope during the shot, there may be a change in point of impact with a clip-on attached. This potential change in point of impact can be corrected in the Shot Alignment submenu.

Aligning the LUCHS to your rifle

• Make sure that the scope is sighted in properly by shooting a group at your sight-in distance without the LUCHS attached.

• Attach the LUCHS to an adapter following the adapter manufacturer’s instructions and mount it to the scope.

• Enter the Shot Alignment submenu.
  There are three alignment profiles so you can use the LUCHS for three separate rifles with the respective alignment profiles.

• Toggle through the G1, G2, G3 profiles using the UP and DOWN buttons.

• Select the profile you want to use by clicking the MENU button.
  Important : Make sure the windage/elevation are both set to zero before shooting. If a lot of adjustment is dialed in, you might miss your target completely.

• Shoot a group at your sight-in distance through the LUCHS.

• Measure the deviation from the point of aim to the point of impact (center of the group).
  In the Shot Alignment submenu, you can adjust the point of impact for elevation and windage and set the minimum riflescope magnification by following the directions on the screen

• Toggle through vertical adjustment/horizontal adjustment/icon display setting by clicking the Menu button.
  One adjustment step equals 2.76 cm/100 m (LUCHS-1) and 1.93 cm/100 m (LUCHS-2). The amount of adjustment from center will be displayed on the screen. The „+“ sign indicates a correction of the point of impact up and to the right, the „–“ sign indicates a correction of the point of impact down and to the left.
  In this submenu you can also adjust the icon display setting for the minimum magnifica-tion of your riflescope. You can choose between 2.5x, 3.0x and 4.0x (LUCHS-1) or resp. 3.0x, 4.0x and 5.0x (LUCHS-2). This setting allows the menu items to be displayed so they are all visible but at the edge of the field of view for typical riflescopes of those magni-fications. These magnification values are only guidelines, choose the setting that best matches your riflescope’s field of view at your preferred magnification.

• Long press the MENU button to save and return.
  Important : Make sure to remember which profile is used for which rifle. The selected profile is displayed in the bottom left of the default screen at all times.
  Important : After the alignment procedure, confirm your result by shooting a group of at least three shots.

Advanced Settings

1. Color Mode active/inactive
   Color Modes can be selectively deactivated in this submenu.

2. Choose a color mode by toggling with the UP and DOWN buttons and check/uncheck it by clicking the MENU button.

3. Long press the MENU button to save your settings and return to the menu. Deactivated color modes will not show up in the Color Mode submenu in the main or when toggling through them with a button so you only have to cycle through the color modes that you find useful.

4. Language
   

5. Choose between English or German menu language.
   

6. Defective Pixel Repair

7. If during use there are pixels that are permanently bright (“hot pixels”) and that do not disappear after using the calibration function, you can correct these pixels by performing the Defective Pixel repair function.
   Attention : Close the lens cap before performing this operation.

8. Confirm (Y) by clicking the MENU button.

9. A countdown will appear and then a green tick mark to confirm successful Pixel Repair.

10. Restore Factory Settings

11. Confirm (Y) by clicking the MENU button to reset the device to the default settings. Attention: The G1-G3 Shot Alignment profiles will be deleted. Note the adjustment set-tings before restoring to factory settings if you might want to use them again.

12. Device Info

13. Displays the serial number of the device and information about the firmware version installed.

TAKING PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

• Click the DOWN button for taking a Photo.
  • A symbol will appear briefly on the screen indicationg the successful recording of the image.
• Long press the DOWN button for starting video recording.
  • A recording symbol with recording time appears on the screen while the device is recording.
• Long press the DOWN button again to stop recording.
  • Photo taking is disabled during video recording.

Note: In Basic Mode, photo and video recording is disabled. In Custom Mode, photo and video functions may be enabled or disabled based on the settings in the Input Mode Custom menu.
Note: Photos and videos can only be taken 20 seconds after starting the device.

INTERNAL STORAGE

The LUCHS has 32 GB of built-in memory and can be connected to a computer as a mass storage device. Connect the device to your computer with the supplied USB-C cable. The device will show up as a mass storage media and allow access to the stored photo and video files. For data transfer to Mac computers, you also need the “LUCHS Transfer Tool”, which you can download free of charge from the App Store.

WIFI CONNECTION

• To establish a Wifi connection with your smartphone or tablet, activate Wifi in the menu. The Wifi symbol is shown in the top center of the screen when Wifi is activated.
  Note : Wifi can only be started 30 seconds after starting the device. The LUCHS will show up on the list of Wifi networks on your mobile device as “LUCHS_ XXXXXX”. The default password for connecting with the LUCHS Wifi is “12345678”.

• See www.liemke.com/APP for information about the Liemke APP.

MAINTENANCE

Maintenance should be carried out at least twice a year and consist of the following actions:

• Wipe the external surfaces of metal and plastic parts free of dust and dirt with a cotton cloth.
• Clean the contacts of the unit with isopropanol if necessary.
• Check the glass surfaces of the eyepiece and the lens. If necessary, remove dust and sand from the lenses (preferably using a non-contact method).

TROUBLESHOOTING

This overview lists all the problems that can occur when using the unit.

• Carry out all recommended checks as described in the table.
• If an error occurs that is not listed in the table or if you cannot rectify an error yourself, please contact Liemke Service. You can find the contact details here:
  https://liemke.shop/de/Reparatur-und-Service/

Malfunction

The thermal imager cannot be switched on. In the starting process, the LUCHS switches off again after the start logo has been dis- played.

| Possible reason| Correction
---|---|---
Batteries are too weak.| Load the internal battery for half an hour before switching on again. After an initial loading the device can be powered on when loading e.g. with a power bank.
The device cannot be pow- ered by an external power source.| The external power source is not strong enough.| Use an external power source with a min. charging current of 5 V / 2 A.
 | The USB cable is dam- aged.| Replace the USB cable.
The battery is very slow to charge.| Using a power supply unit with insufficient power.| Use a USB power supply unit with at least 10 W.
 | The device is not switched off.| Switch the device off (OFF) so that charging works reliably.
 | The battery is deeply discharged.| Charging takes a significantly longer time for deeply discharged batteries. Please be patient.
The image is  blurred, with thin vertical lines or shadows.| Calibration needed.| Calibrate the image.
After calibration, there is a| Calibration mode| Perform another calibration with closed
“ghost image” overlayed over the scene.| S was chosen and the lens cap was not

closed during calibrat-

| lens cap.
 | iong.|
Malfunction

Low image quality/reduced detection range.

| Possible reason| Correction
---|---|---
These problems can occur under adverse weather conditions (high humidity, snowfall, rain, fog, etc.).

During long periods of constant weather without sunshine, and especially in rainy conditions, the observed objects cool down to approximately the same temperature, so that the temperature contrast is considerably reduced and the image quality suffers as a result. This characteristic is due to physical reasons and does not represent a defect in the thermal imager.

Taking photos or videos does not work.| 20 seconds time after startup has not passed.| Wait 20 seconds after starting the device before taking photos or videos.
Wifi cannot be activated in the menu.| 30 seconds after start- up has not passed.| Wait 30 seconds after starting the device before activating Wifi.
Point of impact is not con-| Thread adapter is| Make sure that thread adapter and the
stant.| not tightened or the

clamping force of the

| clamping adapter are firmly

attached and tightened without play in

 | adapter is not properly adjusted.| any direction.
 | The parallax adjust- menton the riflescope is set to close range.| Set the parallax adjustment to 100 m.
Minimum mounting distance not observed.| Make sure the distance between the bottom of the LUCHS and the barrel is at least 10 mm.

LIEMKE · LUCHS-1 / LUCHS-2 · Operating manual
Revision: 08 / 2022
Please note the legal terms of purchase and use for thermal imaging optics in your country or federal state. Changes in design, technical implementation, scope of delivery and prices reserved.

For the latest version of this operating manual visit:
https://liemke.com/medien

Blaser Group GmbH Ziegelstadel 1 D-88316 Isny +49 (0) 7562 6189472
office@liemke.com
www.liemke.com

Contact technical service

Blaser Group Wetzlar GmbH & Co. KG Liemke Service Wilhelm-Loh-Straße 1 D-35578 Wetzlar
+49 (0) 6441 56691 700
service.bgw@blaser-group.com

References

• Group Publishing
• liemke.com/CE_Luchs_1
• Liemke Thermal Optics - Thermal Imaging Monoculars & Attachments for Hunting / liemke.com
• Bedienungsanleitungen
• Reparatur & Service
• Bedienungsanleitungen

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