FLIR G306 Optical Gas Imaging Camera
FLIR G306 is an innovative Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) camera used to visualize
sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆), ammonia (NH₃), ethylene (C₂H₄), and other industrial
gas leaks in a wide range of environments.[web:47][web:52]
SF₆ is a powerful greenhouse gas with a global warming potential more than
23,000 times greater than CO₂, commonly used as an insulator and arc‑quenching
medium in gas‑insulated switchgear and circuit breakers.[web:47][web:52]
With the portable, non‑contact G306 you can scan substations and industrial
plants quickly from a safe distance without interrupting operations.[web:47][web:52]
Key features
- Specialized for SF₆, NH₃ and C₂H₄ – detects sulfur hexafluoride, ammonia,
ethylene and similar gases used in electric utilities and process industry, helping to
reduce environmental impact and improve safety.[web:47][web:49][web:52]
- Safe, non‑contact inspections – allows fast scanning of gas‑insulated
substations, breakers, and complex piping systems from a distance, without shutting
down equipment or entering hazardous areas.[web:47][web:52]
- High sensitivity cooled detector – QWIP cooled focal plane array with
thermal sensitivity < 15 mK at 30 °C enables visualization of very small,
low‑contrast gas plumes.[web:47][web:48]
- Rotatable 4″ touchscreen and OLED viewfinder – rotating LCD touchscreen
and tiltable OLED viewfinder provide comfortable operation in tight spaces and at
different viewing angles.[web:47]
- High Sensitivity Mode (HSM) – advanced image processing and noise
reduction filters enhance gas plume visibility, especially in challenging background
conditions.[web:47][web:48]
- Flexible optics – interchangeable lenses (24°, 14.5°, 6°) let users
choose wide coverage for scanning or narrow FOV for long‑range inspections.[web:47]
- Comprehensive measurement tools – up to 10 spots, 5 boxes with
max/min/average, and 1 line profile with full measurement corrections for accurate
temperature analysis.[web:47]
- Connected workflow with FLIR Ignite – built‑in Wi‑Fi and cloud
integration allow direct upload, organization, storage and sharing of images and
videos from the field.[web:47]
Typical applications
- SF₆ leak detection in gas‑insulated substations and switchgear.[web:47][web:52]
- Inspection of circuit breakers and high‑voltage apparatus.[web:47][web:52]
- Ammonia (NH₃) leak surveys in refrigeration and chemical plants.[web:46][web:50]
- Ethylene (C₂H₄) leak detection in petrochemical facilities.[web:45][web:46]
- General fugitive emissions surveys for specialized gases.[web:47][web:51]
Main benefits
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by rapidly locating SF₆ leaks.[web:47][web:52]
- Increase personnel safety through non‑contact, long‑distance inspections.[web:47]
- Minimize outages by scanning energized equipment without shutdown.[web:47][web:52]
- Document findings with radiometric images, video and GPS‑tagged data.[web:47]
- Streamline reporting and asset management via FLIR Ignite cloud.[web:47]
Technical specifications (summary)
Detector and optics
| IR resolution |
320 × 240 pixels (cooled QWIP focal plane array).[web:47][web:48] |
| Thermal sensitivity / NETD |
< 15 mK at 30 °C (86 °F).[web:47][web:48] |
| Detector type |
Focal plane array, cooled QWIP with Stirling micro‑cooler (FLIR MC‑3).[web:47] |
| Spectral range |
10.3 to 10.7 µm, optimized for SF₆ and related gases.[web:47][web:52] |
| Gas sensitivity |
SF₆ detection sensitivity < 0.3 ppm·m at ΔT = 10 °C, distance 1 m.[web:47] |
| Available lenses |
24° × 18° (≈23 mm), 14.5° × 10.8° (≈38 mm), 6° × 4.5° (≈92 mm).[web:47] |
| F‑number |
F/1.59.[web:47] |
| Focus |
Autofocus and manual focus.[web:47][web:48] |
| Digital enhancement |
High Sensitivity Mode (HSM) and noise reduction filters.[web:47] |
Image presentation
| Display |
4″ (≈10 cm) 640 × 480 rotatable color LCD touchscreen.[web:47] |
| Viewfinder |
Built‑in tiltable OLED, 800 × 480 pixels.[web:47] |
| Image modes |
IR image, visual image, High Sensitivity Mode (HSM).[web:47] |
| Color palettes |
Arctic, White hot, Black hot, Iron, Lava, Rainbow, Rainbow HC.[web:47] |
| Digital zoom |
1 to 8× continuous digital zoom.[web:47] |
| Laser pointer |
Class 2 laser pointer for target marking.[web:47] |
Measurement & analysis
| Temperature range |
−40 °C to 500 °C (−40 °F to 932 °F).[web:47] |
| Accuracy |
±1 °C (±1.8 °F) from 0 to 100 °C, or ±2% of reading above 100 °C.[web:47] |
| Spots / boxes / line |
Up to 10 spots, 5 boxes (max/min/average) and 1 horizontal/vertical line.[web:47] |
| Measurement corrections |
Emissivity, reflected temperature, distance, transmission, humidity and external optics.[web:47] |
| Annotations |
Voice (up to 60 s via Bluetooth), text notes and image sketch on IR images.[web:47] |
Communication, storage & video
| Storage media |
Removable SD card; images saved as standard JPEG with embedded measurement data.[web:47] |
| Interfaces |
USB 2.0, Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth (headset), HDMI / DVI outputs.[web:47] |
| Cloud services |
FLIR Ignite cloud for secure upload, organization and sharing (via Wi‑Fi).[web:47] |
| Radiometric IR video |
Recording in RTRR (.csq) format; radiometric streaming over UVC.[web:47] |
| Non‑radiometric video |
H.264 IR or visual video to memory card; streaming via RTSP / Wi‑Fi or UVC.[web:47] |
| GPS & compass |
Built‑in GPS for geotagging stills and first video frame; electronic compass.[web:47] |
| Inspection route |
FLIR Inspection Route enabled in camera; MultiREC for automatic multi‑file recording.[web:47] |
Environmental & physical
| Operating temperature |
−20 °C to 50 °C (−4 °F to 122 F).[web:47] |
| Storage temperature |
−30 °C to 60 °C (−22 °F to 140 °F).[web:47] |
| Ingress protection |
IP54 encapsulation (IEC 60529).[web:47] |
| Shock / vibration |
25 g shock, 2 g vibration (IEC 60068‑2‑27 / 60068‑2‑6).[web:47] |
| Dimensions |
≈ 251.6 × 164.5 × 170.9 mm (9.9 × 6.48 × 6.73 in).[web:47] |
| Weight |
≈ 3 kg (6.18 lb).[web:47] |
| Mounting |
UNC ¼”‑20 tripod interface.[web:47] |
| Battery |
Rechargeable Li‑ion 7.4 V; > 2.5 h typical operating time, ≈ 2.5 h to 95% charge.[web:47] |
For complete and latest information, always refer to the official FLIR G306 product page and datasheet.[web:47][web:52]
