Thermal Imaging Camera HT 301

Have a Flir One that attaches to an iPhone. Although I'm not sure what you mean by 'performance reporting or specification'? Are you looking to check internal temperatures or something?

We've used it for find-the-short or find-the-faulty-component on PCBs but not specification checking as such.

Theo

I will use it for inspection and testing purposes.

Is this just a quick yes/no type check of something or are you intend to use the results as part of some formal acceptance testing? For the latter you you really need to understand what you are buying and how to get meaningful repeatable results. Probably you would also need to establish by other means (attached temperature probes) that the results from the thermal camera match other means of measurement.

Will you have the known good working golden sample with which to compare any subsequent equipment that you may be inspecting or testing?

What are you going to be testing- something large or something a bit smaller like an electrical circuit board?

Bear in mind that some of the cheaper IR cameras have limited resolution so if wanting to use for comparative measurements (with you golden reference) you may have to rig up a jig so that you are looking at exactly the same thing on the same imager pixel alignment each time.

IMO they are great if you are viewing the image and you can see that one part of the image has a hot or cold spot or that items that should be the same temperature are different. Probably OK for measurement of temperature where the object occupies a fairly large number of detector pixels. Also good for seeing in the dark etc.

For critical formal testing of equipment careful consideration should be given to how these cameras need to be set up and how repeatable results can be obtained.

I see the use of a calibrated thermal imaging camera as giving an immediate overview and identifier of potential problems with a system. Once a problem is detected, then a detailed examination can take place. The results can also include thermal records and support other findings.

Maybe it would be good to measure the temp of a bath for diabetics? Brian

Which can equally be done with a £1 thermometer.

We have one in the office we use to check PCBs to make sure we've got the heatsinking right.

Andy