Good and cheap IR scope?

[ampsarus]

Please recommend to me a good AND cheap IR device.

I'm familiar with FLIR and Fluke, are there any IR scopes or cameras in the sub-US $600 that isn't just a glorified heat gun with an LCD screen?
Thanks in advance for any opinions!

 

[v_green57]

"good AND cheap"

Pick one. You will not get the other.

At a minimum, you need 320x240 ACTUAL (not software interpolated) sensor resolution. Anything less is only a toy.

I have a FLIR E8XT:

Support for FLIR E8-XT - Discontinued | Teledyne FLIR

Get support for FLIR E8-XT. Find contact information, downloads, and other resources.

www.flir.com

that I am pretty happy with. Also a now-discontinued T360, which cost me $12,500 when it was new.

Use them mostly for leak detection of various kinds.

The attached image taken with the E8 shows a barrier terminal strip I had temporarily installed for a couple days as a "poor man's" panel combiner until I could secure the proper components. I knew it was the wrong thing to do, and IR imaging pretty much confirmed it. If your imaging can't deliver this level of detail, you won't learn much, if anything.

There are, as is the case for everything electronic, cheap Chinese knockoffs. No idea on those. I stick with what I know works.

 

[ampsarus]

Awesome kit!

 

[v_green57]

Yep, I like my FLIRs.

Another image - showing what happens when a cheap Costco GC-2 FLA battery fails internally with a partial short between grids.

Ouch. Charge power being converted directly to heat...

 

[ampsarus]

If Apple could integrate the quality of those $12k image sensing solutions into the $3500 Vision Pro, I would buy one. Dream dream dream.

 

[dstar]

Infiray makes high quality thermal gear at a reasonable price. Look into their offerings. Some things are tuned for close inspection, others for distance. I use a T3 search scanning for wildlife. This was just from a night or two ago.

 

[Rider]

This guy reviews a couple of cameras. I went with the TOPDON for the features and really didn't need the high-res detail some offered.

 

[solarsimon]

Flir One Pro - very pleased. Ther themal & visible overlay has a parallax offset issue but it down's trouble me. I think you can null it somewhere in a setting.

 

[fafrd]

Flir One Pro - very pleased. Ther themal & visible overlay has a parallax offset issue but it down's trouble me. I think you can null it somewhere in a setting.

View attachment 158923

The FLIR One Pro is $300, which is about the most I’d want to spend.

The gun-type TOPDON TC004 is $40 more and, aside from an integrated screen, is there anything it can do that the FLIR One Pro cannot?

My needs are very basic - I’m using a gun-type IR thermometer to check for hotspots in my battery wiring, and any 2D color rendering will be a massive upgrade.

I have an iPhone and FLIR is the originator of the technology, so I’m thinking the One Pro is the way to go unless anyone has a much less costly solution to achieve what I am aiming for…

 

[42OhmsPA]

The FLIR One Pro is $300, which is about the most I’d want to spend.

The gun-type TOPDON TC004 is $40 more and, aside from an integrated screen, is there anything it can do that the FLIR One Pro cannot?

My needs are very basic - I’m using a gun-type IR thermometer to check for hotspots in my battery wiring, and any 2D color rendering will be a massive upgrade.

I have an iPhone and FLIR is the originator of the technology, so I’m thinking the One Pro is the way to go unless anyone has a much less costly solution to achieve what I am aiming for…

I use the FLIR one pro at work... It's nice but I don't think it's worth the money.

I've had the Android version of this in my cart for way to long...
Looks like a good price for the IOS version.
Thermal Camera for iOS (iPhone & iPad), TOPDON TC002 Thermal Imager, Thermal Imaging Camera,256 x 192 IR High Resolution, -4°F~1022°F Temperature Range,40mk Thermal Sensitivity,Support Video Recording https://a.co/d/29iG8J6

Edit - I see a $70 coupon making it 230.

 

[fafrd]

I use the FLIR one pro at work... It's nice but I don't think it's worth the money.

I've had the Android version of this in my cart for way to long...
Looks like a good price for the IOS version.
Thermal Camera for iOS (iPhone & iPad), TOPDON TC002 Thermal Imager, Thermal Imaging Camera,256 x 192 IR High Resolution, -4°F~1022°F Temperature Range,40mk Thermal Sensitivity,Support Video Recording https://a.co/d/29iG8J6

Edit - I see a $70 coupon making it 230.

I guess it is the FLIR One Pro LT that was $300: https://www.amazon.com/FLIR-ONE-Thermal-Imaging-Camera/dp/B07DM8DG1B/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=24EP3HF8BSU1D&keywords=flir&qid=1691363742&sprefix=flir,aps,172&sr=8-3

That’s the same price as the TOPDON TC002 without discount.

Would you stick with a FLIR for $70 more? If nothing else, I suspect any warranty offered by FLUR would be significantly more valuable than any warranty offered by TOPDON…

Looking at that video, it also seems the imagers that have an accessory macro-lens or focusable lens may be better for close-up work…

For example, this one with a macro lens is discounted to $300: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BHY4PN7R/ref=syn_sd_onsite_mobileweb_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pd_rd_plhdr=t

 

[42OhmsPA]

I guess it is the FLIR One Pro LT that was $300: https://www.amazon.com/FLIR-ONE-Thermal-Imaging-Camera/dp/B07DM8DG1B/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=24EP3HF8BSU1D&keywords=flir&qid=1691363742&sprefix=flir,aps,172&sr=8-3

That’s the same price as the TOPDON TC002 without discount.

Would you stick with a FLIR for $70 more? If nothing else, I suspect any warranty offered by FLUR would be significantly more valuable than any warranty offered by TOPDON…

Looking at that video, it also seems the imagers that have an accessory macro-lens or focusable lens may be better for close-up work…

For example, this one with a macro lens is discounted to $300: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BHY4PN7R/ref=syn_sd_onsite_mobileweb_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pd_rd_plhdr=t

Since it's amazon I'd start with the TOPDON and return it if it's junk.
I wasn't blown away by the FLIR, that's the main reason I'd try something else.

 

[fafrd]

Since it's amazon I'd start with the TOPDON and return it if it's junk.
I wasn't blown away by the FLIR, that's the main reason I'd try something else.

Interesting, thanks.

My use-case is primarily to analyze my 8S2P battery for any higher-temperature terminal connections. Ability to get close with a macro-lens seems like it would be a plus, but I’m not sure how critical it is.

I’m sure my wife and kids are going to want to screw around looking for wildlife at night, so a removable macro lens seems like the most flexible option.

In terms of the app, I think basic imaging is enough.

-no need to flip the imsge
-no need for temperature readings
-no need for hotpoint / coldpoint ID

Was was it about the FLIR than underwhelmed you?

 

[fafrd]

Since it's amazon I'd start with the TOPDON and return it if it's junk.
I wasn't blown away by the FLIR, that's the main reason I'd try something else.

And if trying something from Amazon that can be returned if it is junk, hard to beat the price of this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BHY4PN7R/ref=syn_sd_onsite_mobileweb_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pd_rd_plhdr=t

The sensor is only 24 x 32 while the LCD is 240 x 320, so I’m concerned that may be too low-resolution to be useful.

The InfiRay camera with macro lens costs 3 times more but the IR sensor is 256 x 192, so 8 x 8 pixels for every one of the $100 option…

I guess I could start with the $270 TOPDON which has the same IR resolution and return it for the InfiRay if I decide having a macro lens is worth $70…

 

[fafrd]

Looks like the InfiRay P2 Pro w/ Macro Lens is a very recent addition to the market. Here’s a review: https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/reviews/infiray-p2-pro-review

 

[RCinFLA]

I bought a UNI-T UTi690B thermal imager for about $250. Spec-wise, it is identical to the UTi260B (thermal resolution 256x192 @ 25 Hz frame rate).

You can add an inexpensive small macro focusing lens for electronic PCB close ups.

Pretty happy with its performance.

Number one thing new IR camera users have to learn is how to distinguish and avoid IR reflections.

There is a video showing how aluminum IR barrier is fabulous for insulation. They show a garage door outside at 100 degs F and backside of garage door with IR film at 80 degs. Only issue is they don't know how to use IR camera and the 80 degs was the reflected IR internal room temp from aluminum IR film, not the temperature of the IR aluminum film which was much hotter.

 

[42OhmsPA]

Interesting, thanks.

My use-case is primarily to analyze my 8S2P battery for any higher-temperature terminal connections. Ability to get close with a macro-lens seems like it would be a plus, but I’m not sure how critical it is.

I’m sure my wife and kids are going to want to screw around looking for wildlife at night, so a removable macro lens seems like the most flexible option.

In terms of the app, I think basic imaging is enough.

-no need to flip the imsge
-no need for temperature readings
-no need for hotpoint / coldpoint ID

Was was it about the FLIR than underwhelmed you?

I didn't think the app was that great, I came from using an older handheld FLIR that was great for making reports with the desktop software... My biggest gripes are the lighting port connector doesn't thread out very long making it easy to disconnect with some cases: it is very slow to load sometimes, you have to unplug kill app and start over; it seemed 'chincy', I'd be afraid to drop it from 6' or more.

 

[fafrd]

I bought a UNI-T UTi690B thermal imager for about $250. Spec-wise, it is identical to the UTi260B (thermal resolution 256x192 @ 25 Hz frame rate).

You can add an inexpensive small macro focusing lens for electronic PCB close ups.

Pretty happy with its performance.

Number one thing new IR camera users have to learn is how to distinguish and avoid IR reflections.

There is a video showing how aluminum IR barrier is fabulous for insulation. They show a garage door outside at 100 degs F and backside of garage door with IR film at 80 degs. Only issue is they don't know how to use IR camera and the 80 degs was the reflected IR internal room temp from aluminum IR film, not the temperature of the IR aluminum film which was much hotter.

Thanks, but I think I’m more interest in Smartphone accessory than gun-type.

Are the add-on macro lenses universal or specific to an individual brand / model?

 

[fafrd]

I didn't think the app was that great, I came from using an older handheld FLIR that was great for making reports with the desktop software... My biggest gripes are the lighting port connector doesn't thread out very long making it easy to disconnect with some cases: it is very slow to load sometimes, you have to unplug kill app and start over; it seemed 'chincy', I'd be afraid to drop it from 6' or more.

Got it, thanks.

Reports, etc aren’t a high priority for me - if I can use it to find any hotspots on my battery and my kids can occasionally use it to see the cats in the dark, I’m good to go…

 

[Brett V]

I have a Seek Compact Pro that works very well. It gets power from the phone instead of a built in battery like the Flir One.

 

[Brett V]

An image of a T_Tocas circuit breaker

 

[BarracudaBob]

I just borrowed the TOPDON TC004 he didn't want to spend to much money on it so for $217.23

 

[BarracudaBob]

I am glad that I borrowed this. Now I see it is now a requirement to have one of these in high current situations.

#4 on a 3K inverter. Only Positive is hot.


After with #2 with a feral


I untwisted the wire to see how deep it went into the strands

The connection was tight so exactly sure why it was so resistive. I went from 4 AWG to 2 with a feral and cranked it down tight.

The resolution of the first image was greater due to more ir light available. The 2nd one was early in the morning where everything was much cooler. Still had a hot tub and a mini split connected to inverter so it was working all night.

 

[BarracudaBob]

Hot cup of Joe with a hot chick

 

[v_green57]

IR cameras, as well as being exceedingly useful, are just too much damn fun...

Sent the following to some friends a few days ago:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Up in Utah for the week with two of the dogs.

Newest dog Dora has been here several times this year, but this is her first Winter trip.

She thinks snow is cool, when it's falling. Never collected enough on the ground to play in. Maybe next time.

One thing I noticed when sitting at the table is that she liked to lay down on the floor in front of the furnace intake register. Was scratching my head about that one. That register is where the air goes IN to the furnace, not OUT. There are lot of comfier places to flop down - dog beds, couch, etc., but she really liked this spot.

Answer came a couple days ago when I was walking around in my socks and went to get something out of the fridge.

The main duct out of the furnace is under the floor right there and splits two directions. As can be seen on the IR images, the floor is a nice, toasty 98 degrees. Felt good on my stockinged feet.

Dora is no dummy. She figured that out too.