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Products => Test Equipment => Topic started by: JFA on November 17, 2014, 08:24:15 pm

Title: IR imagers: what do you use them for, what did you discover with them?
Post by: JFA on November 17, 2014, 08:24:15 pm
I always wanted to get a thermal imager.
Eventually, I got one (well, a few). Hacked E4.

It was an amazing discovery, new eyes on the world, a new vision.

What are the uses you have for this amazing toy? What new stuff did you discover? 


My main discovery, most unexpected:   hydraulics system debugging.

You can see all the restrictions, oil flow generates heat everywhere there is a pressure drop. 

At work we used my Special Ed. E4 and spotted a hidden internally pinched hose
that was mysteriously screwing up with our new prototype.  We also inspected everything else
and found out many mis-sized, overheating components (not only valves, but elbows, connectors, etc.

We resized many components, saved money and increased performance.

Even the hydraulics "specialists" were impressed.
Title: Re: IR imagers: what do you use them for, what did you discover with them?
Post by: dr.diesel on November 17, 2014, 08:37:23 pm
My wife bought me one for X-Mas last year.   :-+  Probably the most useful was finding all of the air/insulation leaks in my house and shop.
Title: Re: IR imagers: what do you use them for, what did you discover with them?
Post by: briselec on November 17, 2014, 08:51:20 pm
Used one recently when buying a house to check for termites in the walls.
Title: Re: IR imagers: what do you use them for, what did you discover with them?
Post by: Bud on November 17, 2014, 11:33:24 pm
To find my black cat in the house at night with the lights turned off
 ;D
Title: Re: IR imagers: what do you use them for, what did you discover with them?
Post by: ixfd64 on November 18, 2014, 12:19:33 am
I currently don't have a thermal camera, but I would love to take pictures of everyday objects with one. Being able to see into the invisible wourld would be just amazing.
Title: Re: IR imagers: what do you use them for, what did you discover with them?
Post by: bronson on November 18, 2014, 04:48:35 am
Getting tire inflation right, very important when racing autos.  Also looking for exhaust leaks.

Looking for roof leaks and missing insulation.

Finding overstressed components and traces on my PCBs (really want to get me a ZnSE closeup lens so I can actually see the mistake, not just a bloom in the area of the mistake...)

The standard stuff.
Title: Re: IR imagers: what do you use them for, what did you discover with them?
Post by: Bud on November 19, 2014, 03:34:21 am
Attached are shots of a sick person having fever and next day after intensive therapy.

Interestingly, in both cases the hottest spots are the corners of the eyes.
Title: Re: IR imagers: what do you use them for, what did you discover with them?
Post by: Retep on November 20, 2014, 06:34:09 pm
 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtmOHVdXE_8#ws)
Thermal Fart (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md-cv2hyc8w#)
Title: Re: IR imagers: what do you use them for, what did you discover with them?
Post by: simmiv on November 27, 2014, 11:07:49 am
I can find the battens in my ceiling :-+

Title: Re: IR imagers: what do you use them for, what did you discover with them?
Post by: simmiv on November 27, 2014, 11:11:59 am
Even found a powerboard where the power surge resistor was overheating :)