Ames (US Harbor Freight) TI

[metrologist]

I have a thermal imaging weed growing but am ignorant of class of products here. Surely, I want the Goldilocks' solution.

Typical home hobbyist uses like T-shoot PCBs, appliances, home leaks, fun, and general learning. I do not want a cell phone dongle.

I saw the Ames model for $200 at HF in the US. 32x32 sensor seems pitiful, but it also looks like it might do some of the stuff I need.

But money is only a small object. I can spend more, but not too much. I'm not spending a grand, so maybe up to 500 if there is a decent jump in features or, I like performance, resolution, depth (dynamic range) type metrics... i.e., I care less about things like multiple temp cursors on the screen. hi, lo, center is probably just fine, and commercial productivity concerns are not important to me. Video record might be nice. I would like to see the live image on my PC too.

Maybe the UniT260B? The ebay sellers either have low feedback (~1100) or are gouging.

If I buy the Ames on my way home, I won't buy any other one later and will have to suffer with what I get.

[Bill W]

32x32 ............ to be honest forget it.

Look for eBay decent secondhand items.  There's currently a FLIR E4, an Argus2 and a fair number of Bullard that are way better basic imagers, 320x240 30Hz.

Assumes the E4 can be 'upgraded' and you are happy to do that - otherwise it is only 80x60

[basecase]

The Ames is pretty scuffed if you actually wanted to troubleshoot PCBs. Please see attached images for the same PCB being imaged by the Ames compared to HTI Xintai HT-19 (320 x 240). I got some 20 mm dia ZnSe lenses for it to do PCB repair, and I'm fine with the performance. The fact that it's portable makes it easy enough for me to bring it to work everyday and just use it whenever a thermal image might help.

[bdunham7]

I have a 80x60 9Hz Multicomp Pro that I got very cheaply (<$100) and although I'm happy to have it, it is at the bottom end of the useful range.  It focuses fairly close so I can scan near the PCB or item of interest and the temperatures do seem accurate.  And even with the 9Hz refresh rate, it seems to react promptly and doesn't seem laggy.  But going down in resolution from 80x60 would be intolerable, IMO.  At least it would make any sort of work with SMD nearly impossible.