Ideal Industries Heatseeker Thermal Imager

[hausdok]

Kenmore, WA - November 11, 2010

Ideal Industries, makers of the popular SureTestâ„¢ series of electrical circuit testing equipment used by many inspectors, has a new thermal imaging camera.

The Ideal 61-844 HeatSeekerâ„¢ isn't as sexy looking an imager as the Fluke and Flir heavyweights on the market and it's manual focus; but I've been able to find it on sale with a price as low as just under $3300.

The Heatseekerâ„¢ has blended picture technology - the feature called "In-Fusion" by Fluke and "Picture-in-Picture" by FLIR - at a price about a grand less than the least expensive Fluke or Flir imagers with that feature standard. The unit can take up to 1,000 digital photos and has voice notation capability so that the inspector can describe exactly what he or she is seeing, in order to further clarify the photo.

It just might be a minor contender.

Check out the Heatseekerâ„¢ video.

Check out the Heatseekerâ„¢brochure

Check out the Heatseekerâ„¢ Instruction Manual

Ideal 61-844 Specifications:

• Measurement Range: 14° F to 660° F

• Accuracy: +/-2% or 4° F

• Laser: Class II

• Battery Life: 6 hours

Click to Enlarge

Includes:

• Thermal Imager

• USB Cable

• Camera Handle

• Carrying Case

• Power Supply

• ThermalVision PC Software

Features:

• Easy-to-use maintenance monitoring tool

• Auto hot/cold tracker

• Image blending of thermal and digital

• Hottest/coldest temperatures displayed instantly on live screen

• Built-in LED illuminator

• High and low temperature alarms

• Troubleshoot potential problems quickly

• Mark images with text and voice annotation

• Tripod mountable

[David Meiland]

Is that a 160x120 unit?

[Tom Raymond]

Extech and Flir both have lower res cameras in the latest Sears tool catalog for right around $2k, IIRC.

[hausdok]

Extech and Flir both have lower res cameras in the latest Sears tool catalog for right around $2k, IIRC.

Hi,

Yes, that's true. Right now, one can get a Flir bottom-of-the-line thermal imager for just a tad over $1300 but their picture-in-picture technology, which so many thermophiles here maintain is essential for a good home inspection report, is not available for less than $4495 msrp from Fluke or $4995 msrp from Flir.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[hausdok]

Is that a 160x120 unit?

Hi David, I really don't know. I've edited the post and added some additional information plus links to the brochure and to the instruction manual.

[hausdok]

Hi All,

I was outbid for one of these on Ebay this morning. The winning bid was $1375. I tried to make a last bid to outbid this person during the last 30 seconds of the sale but I fumbled the keys and it cost me 5 seconds and I lost by about 3 seconds.

It had been used only once. I know, it doesn't have very high resolution but if I could have brought one of this quality in under the Extech cheapo price I would have been pretty happy.

The first one I buy I intend to use to learn with and to see how it benefits my business. If it turns out to be a fit, I'll then resell it or look at relegating the Yugo camera for stuff like energy audits (I'm thinking of taking a building analysis course) and only break out the Lexus camera for the more important stuff.

Guess the next time I dink around with Ebay I'd better take something to ease the RA in my hands first so I won't dink up the input again.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Chad Fabry]

Guess the next time I dink around with Ebay I'd better take something to ease the RA in my hands first so I won't dink up the input again.

http://www.bidsniper.com/ put in the most you want to spend and it bids a second or two before the auction end.

[InspectorD]

Guess the next time I dink around with Ebay I'd better take something to ease the RA in my hands first so I won't dink up the input again.

http://www.bidsniper.com/ put in the most you want to spend and it bids a second or two before the auction end.

Look in to "bid sniping" programs. They will automatically slam a bid in at the last second based on the limits you have setup. It's probably what beat you. [:-weepn]

[InspectorD]

Looks like a pretty nice unit for the price. It does a lot more than my $5500 FLIR B-CAM SD.[:-weepn]

I watched the movie and I liked the capabilities that this unit has. The image fusion is a nice touch. Currently, I have to do that part outside the camera with third party software like SnagIt Pro Editor. Voice annotation is useful as well, saves a lot of note taking and fumbling around on-site. I'll have to keep an eye out for one of these on eBay.

Dana Bostick

Certified Level 1 Thermographer.

[hausdok]

Hi,

I've since talked with some folks that have used this camera and they termed it, in a word, horrible. One guy says that professional Thermographers refer to it as a "blob" camera.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike