Another smartphone thermal imager from i3

[Kilrah]

Dead pixels, there is a procedure to redo a dead pixel calibration, drop a short mail to i3 and they will send it to you.

[Fraser]

Yes you can recreate the dead pixel map to capture the new dead pixels, but if I had just received a new camera I would not like to see lots of dead pixels. a new camera should not have dead pixels visible. It does not bode well for the cameras future. If it has suffered transit damage, as opposed to microbolometer manufacturing pixel failures, there could be more issues that will continue to appear in the future. it all depends on whether you want to take the risk.

Frase

[wraper]

BTW what is this black bar? Seems like some kind of data corruption and not like dead pixels at all. Also abnormal amount of noise under that bar. Also seems like dark and bright spots are moving.
Have you tried it with different host device?

[wraper]

As of the dirt on the sensor, you could easily introduce it during the disassembly. As I had repaired mobile phones in the past, at the times when display and glass wasn't glued together, I know how often this happens. I can say almost always. And after that, skill and multiple attempts are needed to assemble everything back without a single piece of dust introduced. Or DSLRs, all you need to get the dirt on the image sensor, is to remove the lens for a brief moment.

[frenky]

Dead pixel calibration: https://www.dropbox.com/s/p1591rrcfn27lr2/Thermal%20Expert_User%20Dead%20Update_Eng.pdf?dl=0

[BOGET]

Thank for you guys answer,
maybe just I haven't update the last firmware,
or just my smartphone's problem of compatibility, etc. (I hope...)
Next time, I will run on the Windows program and not the Android's app.
After I buy the cable, I'll test them again.

P.S.
I append the black hot mode photos, the dots is more obvious.

[Fraser]

@ Frenky,

Hmmmm, that is a subsidiary Dead Pixel map stored on the host and not in the camera itself. The app then uses the file to deal with the dead pixels in that file. Yes it works but it is not as good as Dead Pixel processing on the camera itself IMHO. Then again I am not that familiar with how the dead pixel map is used in these phone cameras. Maybe the APP just reads a dead pixel map file out of the camera and uses that unless a new map is present in the APP itself ?

I personally would not be happy to receive a thermal camera that has 'new' dead pixels displayed upon receipt. You can get the odd dead pixel appear over a VERY long period of use. At least that is my experience. Having lots of new ones on a new camera suggests trouble. As Wrapper states, there appears to be a dead band in the image as well. Whilst this could be the host or application causing such a band it would be rare to see dead pixels caused by such.

Fraser

[BOGET]

Dead pixel calibration: https://www.dropbox.com/s/p1591rrcfn27lr2/Thermal%20Expert_User%20Dead%20Update_Eng.pdf?dl=0

Wowoo, thanks frenky then God, he exactly solve my problem,
This problem is I didn't calibrate dead pixel from the app.

At here, sorry for let you guys confused.

[BOGET]

   

But the dead pixel is actually exist.

On the sensor plane, the stain is still there...

[Fraser]

Have you seen the title of the i3 document ?

It made me chuckle 

It is written to address Dead users !

Fraser 

[BOGET]

Have you seen the title of the i3 document ?

It made me chuckle 

It is written to address Dead users !

Fraser 

No, I didn't see that before, could you post it?

[Fraser]

It is the document you already read to do the dead pixel recapture 

Fraser

[Kilrah]

I had a "dead bar" once, solved by closing the app/unplugging cam and replugging.

[Bill W]

Dust on the sensor window will appear out of focus as low response circular areas.  Dust that falls off can also appear as increased response areas.
It is possible that some of these consumer cameras will have intermittent dead pixels as they are probably only calibrated automatically and do not have human intervention.
With the bolometer structure you will get 'slow' and 'flashing' pixels as well as simple 'dead' ones and some may get past an automated routine.

Bill

www.fire-tics.co.uk

[Jeroen13]

I just ordered the Q1 plus, but I was wondering which cheap android phones works with the camera. Because I have a windows phone.
Don't what the requirements are for the Q1.

[rob9]

Did someone do a (n unintentional) droptest with a q1?

I was thinking of getting a thermal camera. Being able to just put it in my backpack and carry it around or mount it on the car sounds appealing to me.
I am unsure though if the camera can take the corresponding punches without damage.
 
Seek thermal compacts seem to be fragile in that direction or maybe there are just more of them around.

and
  at around 29:30

greetings
robert

[rob9]

Did someone do a (n unintentional) droptest with a q1?

I was thinking of getting a thermal camera. Being able to just put it in my backpack and carry it around or mount it on the car sounds appealing to me.
I am unsure though if the camera can take the corresponding punches without damage.

Scratch the car thing, protecting the camera from damage by stonechips might cost even more than the camera itself
Regarding the protection from Drops and regular outdoor use: I think the q1 is small enough so that some extra cushioning on the edges wouldn´t make it too bulky.



But another thing: Can the android app for the q1 trigger a tasker event? e.g. tell tasker to alert me (maybe even send me a thermal image/video feed) if something hotter than x°C or something that is in a specified temperature range comes into a perimeter?


thx
robert

[Fraser]

I am considering buying a 'Thermal Expert Q1 Plus' with its F1.0 13mm lens.

What I cannot establish from the i3 website is the minimum computing power needed in an Android phone. I use Motorola Moto G1 and G2 phones with my F1G2. If I have to buy more phones with greater computing power, I may just pass on owning a TE Q1.

Does anyone have any experience of running the TE Q1 on anything less powerful than the Samsung 5 onwards ? I know the frame rate may be restricted by less powerful phones but is it still usable ?

Thanks in advance

Fraser

[frenky]

I only have LG G3 and Samsung Note 3. With both it works great.

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

[Kilrah]

Runs fine on my old Galaxy S4, a bit less smooth than on a latest gen device but still very usable.

[Fraser]

Thanks chaps.

I just was not sure whether the Camera software and camera would even run on slower phones. On their web site i3 do warn that the latest generations of phone are most suited to their product.

I am still 'on the fence' regarding buying a TE camera as I already have too many. It is a very interesting product though. If I do buy one, it will be the Q1-Plus as the 6.3mm lens F number and very obvious barrel distortion steer me away from the standard Q1.

It is interesting to note that in 1997 the following countries had viable microbolometer manufacturing capabilities.....

USA
Canada
France
UK
Australia
Japan
South Korea.

So back in 1997 the S.Koreans were working on developing decent microbolometer technology. The Thermal Expert appears to be proof that their development program has been ongoing and a success.

Why am I considering the TE-Q1 ?

Well this camera has been hard to find fault with. It is compact, reliable and it produces some of the most pleasant looking thermal images that I have seen on the EEVBlog. Sure a very expensive high end thermal camera may produce the same, or better images, but this camera retails at a pretty impressive $500 (Q1).

I cannot help thinking that those clever people at i3 worked very hard to produce software algorithms that get the very best imagery out of that nice large microbolometer and decent lens. FLIR could, no doubt, do the same but their lower end products are restricted by the will and controls of the marketing department.

I was surprised that the TE-Q1 does not contain an FFC Flag and, if I an honest, that does concern me a little. An FFC flag has been an essential element in many (most) microbolometer based cameras for many years. I do know that TECless and FFC Flagless designs have been around for a while, but the old fashioned part of me expects such absence to cause image issues. The TE-Q1 seems to cope well without a FFC Flag though.


Fraser

[Kilrah]

Hehe

You're making a good choice to go with the 13mm lens, I have both and the image quality is significantly better with the 13mm. The 6.5mm vignettes quite a bit, is less sharp and gives a more noisy image (lower aperture I guess), distorsion comes standard with wider angle lenses, no surprise there. I still find it useful to have a wide lens for some things.

Their algorithms are good indeed, it's interesting to see that with thermovision_joeC (tried the first time this morning, hadn't noticed support had been added - had to build a USB cable again, couldn't find the one I'd already made anymore ) the image is "jumpy" - for some reason it seems the whole image jumps by a °C or 2 back and forth  between frames giving a flashy unstable image. Either it's a bug or I3 have much better algorithms since neither their phone app nor windows app do that, they're stable as a rock.

You'll typically do an FFC with the supplied lens cap on after power up (and ideally waiting a minute or 2 for thermal stabilization like with other imagers, but not really important if you're not looking for temp readings), then you can basically forget about it at least for minutes. Even without the FFC the image is cleaner than say the Keysight, see below. On both shots the Keysight has just done an FFC, on one the Q1 has had no FFC since power up, on the other the FFC has just been done.

As you can see without an FFC the Q1 is already better - and that's at a significantly narrower span too! What you lose is some temp range, but IMO that's for the better since its thermal resolution seems that much higher thanks to it, and I guess you have enough other choices for high temps

Little video to finish:

https://youtu.be/cUkKr1DuhUg

Oh, and a little stitched thermal panorama

Sorry in advance for your wallet

P.S. I'd love to see what a V1 puts out...

[PlainName]

whether the Camera software and camera would even run on slower phones

I have a MotoG 2nd gen (with the dual sims) and it's underpowered. Gets about 4fps, where the i7 PC runs at full pelt. I sometimes have problems, typically with the hot spot indicator not locating over the actual hotspot, which I put down to a buggy app perhaps not allowing for the aspect ratio of my device, but it sorted itself out eventually.

My newer, faster phone I can try because, stunningly, it doesn't do OTG. But in summary of your question, I think a slow phone will be OK albeit perhaps a little more buggy than a fast one.

[Fraser]

@dunkemhigh,

Many thanks.

Fraser

[Fraser]

I have to say the ordering process for the Thermal Expert camera is, IMHO, a mess. I emailed the company for prices. I got them by return.... excellent.

I hit the buy button and it provides a multiple choice item selection and quotation form. No 'add to basket' or checkout process visible.
I completed the quotation form and have heard nothing more since.

I have now emailed the company again asking how Zi go about placing an order with them.

It is fortunate that I am patient. Such poor ordering system in a world where we have become used to slick 'add to cart' and simple 'checkout' is not a good image for a high tech company.

What buying experiences with i3 have others had ? How did you actually place your order ? I am currently assuming I add up the price of the parts, add postage and then send a payment via PayPal along with a note of what I am ordering and my address. Very 'old school' if that is the case.

I am considering adding the USB to PC lead and the tripod bracket but will await details of the cost first.

Fraser