Keysight U5855A TrueIR thermal imager

[TheSteve]

Does the case design include the recesses for the T and S contacts?

[Kilrah]

@kilrah what software your using?

Solidworks

Does the case design include the recesses for the T and S contacts?

No but I can add them

[Kilrah]

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2281725/

Added the other 2 contacts. Not tested.

[chili_red]

TYVM for posting that file, have it printing out at this moment.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7Bh8pIKcQE7d3p4ZFlQWnZraDA/view?usp=sharing

[Kilrah]

OK I think that's a done deal, I've updated the Thingiverse page with all details.

I haven't glued my case because I'll have to redo it once I receive my new 18650s, those are half dead old ones I had laying around.

[onesixright]

Looks awesome Kilrah! 

Maybe you mentioned it, but I got two questions.

1. Whats the circuit (inside the battery box) your using?

2. Do I get it right that the original battery has a thermistor inside, and that it is now disabled via the resistor?

Thanks!

[Kilrah]

1) Mentioned on Thingiverse page
2) Yep

[TheSteve]

Looks great. I wouldn't both gluing it, I'd use some kapton tape which is stupid strong and very thin.

[nfmax]

These units come with a 30-day warranty from Keysight. As they are massively below the usual price, and could easily fail in ways I could not hope to repair, I made a request to KS for a repair contract quote (effectively an extended warranty). After an exchange of emails and a few phone calls, I have been quoted about £210 for a three year contract. This doesn't seem at all bad for what is effectively a £2000 instrument, and it's great that Keysight are prepared to stand behind their products. Now, do I go for it or not? Hmmm...

[eeviking]

Buy two and keep one as a spare? 

I got one for 600$ (+VAT) including a new battery and shipping to EU, still waiting for it to arrive.

[Fraser]

@Kilrah

Thanks for putting in the effort and for sharing the battery case. A most excellent job and your work has encouraged me to do the same for a couple of other pieces of equipment that I have without their original batteries.

My OEM battery is currently stuck with DHL as their is some confusion over VAT that I am trying to sort out. Hopefully I will have my battery soon.

 

Fraser

[onesixright]

@Fraser did you order with Keysight?

My camera arrived in the wrong country    And after some emails ....

...As there was no VAT payment on the order the order is simply shipped to a European Port of Import and from there it is up to the customer to arrange the Customs clearance and delivery to end customer location....

Right, let that be almost a 1000 KM from where I live 

Well, maybe after all, I might finally receive it, I ordered it only the 14th of last month 

Patience is a virtue!

[Kilrah]

Strange that you're having VAT issues... for me it was surprisingly painless, in my case keysight happened to be one of the rare suppliers to sort that out on their side and prepay the VAT. After I got the deal I received the final bill on ebay with 30-something bucks extra that included both shipping and VAT and that was the end of it, unlike the typical case of the transporter handling customs clearance and billing that to the recipient (with an added $20 processing fee...)

That was also described in the conditions page the auction directed to.

It might be becasue there's a Keysight office in the country, I received some status emails from them so while I got the package directly it must have gone through them at least administratively.

[Fraser]

@Kilrah,

My consignment is just a battery and it looks like DHL have missed the fact no VAT is chargeable to me on this consignment. It will get sorted out tomorrow hopefully.

My camera arrived with all fees prepaid and no hassles at all.

Fraser

[jpb]

These units come with a 30-day warranty from Keysight. As they are massively below the usual price, and could easily fail in ways I could not hope to repair, I made a request to KS for a repair contract quote (effectively an extended warranty). After an exchange of emails and a few phone calls, I have been quoted about £210 for a three year contract. This doesn't seem at all bad for what is effectively a £2000 instrument, and it's great that Keysight are prepared to stand behind their products. Now, do I go for it or not? Hmmm...

This is a tricky one - does the £210 include VAT? I'm wondering whether or not to try and extend the warranty. If there is VAT on top then this is almost 50% of the camera cost. I previously bought a signal generator from the Agillent/Keysight store for £1500 and didn't take any warranty out and it has been fine.

I suppose if something goes wrong then you can probably still sell it for parts/repair for around £100 or so. The calculation then becomes lose(pay) a definite £250 (£210+VAT ?) now or risk losing a net £400. If the chance of it going wrong in 3 years is less than 50% then you're better off (on average) taking the risk.

I understand what you say about £2k instrument but in my own case, if it failed I wouldn't go out and replace it for £2k. If I replaced it at all I'd wait around for another bargain opportunity or for the prices to fall generally as they do with technology on the whole.

[nfmax]

That's ex-VAT

[Fraser]

As a tech who repairs thermal cameras I can say that decent quality cameras such as the Keysight (NEC AVIO) are very reliable. You would be really unlucky to suffer a failure. Damage due to dropping is the most common cause of failure and not normaly covered by a warranty.

In terms of camera design and what can fail, the microbolometer is a precision and relatively fragile sensor. It can suffer pixel failures in normal use but this is corrected via a full calibration. Dropping a camera is never a good idea but the microbolometer is capable of being damaged by severe impact. The video processing circuits are normally modern VVLSI high performance and reliable surface mount technology and not normally highly stressed. The Display technology is standard LCD with associated high reliability. The power supply is standard modern dc-dc converter and LDO based. The power supply is a point if failure in any modern electronics, and the thermal camera is not immune to power supply related failures due to heat stress or just operational fatigue. Thankfully power supply circuits tend to be one of the more easily repaired areas of a camera.

Where any extended warranty is offered or desitpred, it us very important to check exactly what us covered and any requirement for annual inspections. Many extended warranties will not cover fair wear and tear. Such includes all case parts, microbolometer pixel failures, battery failure and failures of I/O connectors due to abuse. If annual inspection is stated, the product is checked for faults and any calibration that is needed completed to correct failed pixels or NUC drift due to ageing.

Modern thermal cameras are not that complicated when compared to other modern electronics. It is the sensor module and firmware that is sophisticated.

Fraser

[Fraser]

For anyone wanting a decent quality PSU for their U5855A, I have a recommendation.

I sourced a DVE brand power 'brick' from Germany. It is fitted with the required 2.5mm plug for the camera and is rated higher than the one from DVE supplied with the camera when new. The model number is DVE DSA-42D-12-1-120350, 12V centre positive 3.5A.

Mine arrived quickly and are brand new. It comes with a European IEC lead.

The auction is here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DVE-Switching-Adapter-DSA-42D-12-1-120350-12V-3-5A-Netzteil-LEVEL3-Efficience-/252844220693?hash=item3adeb0a115:g:Nh0AAOSwealY46gm

Fraser

[HighVoltage]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DVE-Switching-Adapter-DSA-42D-12-1-120350-12V-3-5A-Netzteil-LEVEL3-Efficience-/252844220693?hash=item3adeb0a115:g:Nh0AAOSwealY46gm

Fraser

Thanks but too bad the listing is already gone

[Fraser]

Oh I thought he still had two in stock when I posted this. They must have sold.

Fraser

[onesixright]

Any change you can power/charge the camera via USB?

[Kilrah]

No.

[eeviking]

Oh I thought he still had two in stock when I posted this. They must have sold.

Fraser

I got one of those to But I think I ordered it before Fraser posted the link.

Still waiting on the camera. Expected delivery date from the invoice is tomorrow.
Did you guys get any tracking info and who do keysight use for shipping in EU?

BTW. What size/brand SD card does it come with originally?

[onesixright]

Oh I thought he still had two in stock when I posted this. They must have sold.

Fraser

Still waiting on the camera. Expected delivery date from the invoice is tomorrow.
Did you guys get any tracking info and who do keysight use for shipping in EU?

Im still waiting....

They used FedEx from he US to Europe (for me). And now they will use DHL (its somewhere in the Netherlands, Schiphol atm)...

I asked then for a Tracking code, the guys from Keysight eBay are very quick and nice to respond (so just ask them)!

[eeviking]

Im still waiting....

They used FedEx from he US to Europe (for me). And now they will use DHL (its somewhere in the Netherlands, Schiphol atm)...

I asked then for a Tracking code, the guys from Keysight eBay are very quick and nice to respond (so just ask them)!

Thanks for the advise. Got almost instant tracking info from keysight. 

2pcs from Malaysia arrived in Amsterdam yesterday, one is on the way to Denmark. So someone else in EU is getting one soon 

Keysight import them to EU via NL as I only payed 21% VAT. If imported directly to DK VAT would be 25%