Anybody using FLIR

[Mobilewrench]

I got pretty interested in a caterpillar branded cell phone a couple of years ago. Mainly because it was fairly water proof and shock resistant. But it also had a laser tape measure AND an FLIR camera. I couldn't do it because I think it was only available on AT&T. And their coverage is pretty spotty here.

But I still wistfully think about it every time I have to find the temperature gun on my truck and try to target point anything looking for a hot spot.

It just seems to me that taking a picture of an entire exhaust manifold and being able to identify hot and cold spots may be more accurate than trying to hit the exact same spot with a temp gun.

 

[Camshawn]

I used FLIR cameras at work on elec equipment. It is very easy to spot anomalies when you can see a large part of the whole. The FLIR camera can see very small difference. A bit of black elect tape on the targets give a consistent temperature reading regardless of the surface composition. Cam

 

[JD955SC]

I do use a Flir camera and standalone cameras have gotten a lot cheaper nowadays. As in $500 and under.

Don’t waste your time with the plug into the cellphone cameras. You need the durability of the standalone unit. And they all save pictures.

 

[pumkinhead]

I bought a cat phone when they first came out(i believe it is a s61) I've since upgraded phones but still keep it on my truck for the flir, it works well and has a larger screen than most standalone units and for the price it was easier to justify than a standalone unit at the time

 

[treemuncher]

I've had a Blackview BV9800 Pro cell phone for several years now. I use it on the Verizon network although Verizon says it won't work on their system. It does if you set up the SIM card on another phone and then transfer that to the Blackview. It's shock proof, drop proof from 6', water proof, dust proof AND it has a FLIR camera built in. It has massive memory, a 40 Meg standard camera, long battery life and most everything I want in a phone. It is heavy and built like a tank.

I use the FLIR on occasion whether it's checking equipment or taking the temp of a failing freezer. It will allow multiple temp readings on a single screen shot and it measures to the 1/10th of a degree. If I walk across the floor, it will show my foot prints for a minute or longer depending on materials and temperature drain.

I've been satisfied with it although the phone can be quirky and require occasional restarts. But what electronic device doesn't? For about $400, I think it's a good deal and parts are readily available for it if I break a screen or need a battery.

 

[nowing75]

I have the tg267 flir. I dont use it as much as i thought but for the money its nice to have.

 

[ozarkag]

We use a snap on unit. Not often but worth the price when we need it.

 

[Mobilewrench]

Not to resurrect an old thread, but I bought a stand-alone off of Amazon for about $500. I thought it was just going to be a neat gadget.

I am shocked at how often this tool comes out of the truck. I knew that I would use it to find cylinder misfires. I had no idea that it would help me find refrigerant leaks and failing reciever /dryers. I don't know if it is just me and my schedule, but I hate A/C problems. I have more than enough to do just keeping the stable of machines that I work on running. A/C problems get back burnered in the triage.

The absolute coolest thing is pointing the camera at a fuse/breaker/relay box and knowing instantly what circuit is having a problem.

Best $500 dollars I ever spent.

 

[pumkinhead]

also super handy for hydraulic issues, bypassing oil creates heat so you can quickly spot open/leaking reliefs, bypassing cylinders and any thing else you can think of.

 

[1693TA]

also super handy for hydraulic issues, bypassing oil creates heat so you can quickly spot open/leaking reliefs, bypassing cylinders and any thing else you can think of.

This actually has my interest. I currently use a quite sensitive non contact thermometer and it works well but could be improved upon.

 

[pumkinhead]

its really nice to "see the heat", an infrared heat gun works very well but its really nice to point at a control valve and see the heat difference between components

 

[1693TA]

FLIR doesn't misrepresent either. Non contact thermometers are known to have inaccuracies due to differing emissivity of the surface(s) being recorded or evaluated.

 

[Camshawn]

A piece of black electricians tape on the surface gives the same emissivity to the objects being measured.