preparing for the thermal imaging leap

[kurt]

Now I don't feel so stupid for spending a lot of dough on my 320x240 camera.

[Old Sailor]

Now I don't feel so stupid for spending a lot of dough on my 320x240 camera.

Not stupid at all when investing $ in ones business. I have upgraded my camera 3 times and I need to do it again. After finally learning something about the IR business I paid for my last camera in one month of commercial work

[inspector57]

Does anyone have experience with this Flir C2?http://www.flir.com/instruments/content/?id=66732&pi_ad_id=64834025545&gclid=CLnZy8PyxMQCFYaTfgodhpEAsQ

[Marc]

Does anyone have experience with this Flir C2?http://www.flir.com/instruments/content/?id=66732&pi_ad_id=64834025545&gclid=CLnZy8PyxMQCFYaTfgodhpEAsQ

An IR resolution of 80 X 60 is awfully low but I just paid $300 each for two new camera's so why not try it?

If anyone has one, do let me know what kind of memory stick is that. Only an SDHC will fit my MacBook.

Marc

[Scottpat]

Does anyone have experience with this Flir C2?http://www.flir.com/instruments/content/?id=66732&pi_ad_id=64834025545&gclid=CLnZy8PyxMQCFYaTfgodhpEAsQ

An IR resolution of 80 X 60 is awfully low but I just paid $300 each for two new camera's so why not try it?

If anyone has one, do let me know what kind of memory stick is that. Only an SDHC will fit my MacBook.

Marc

I'm pretty sure it has internal storage and not an SD card, you need to connect it with a USB cord to the computer. Although the imagery is low, the MSX feature really makes a difference.

[kurt]

I suspect it would be fine for a lot of HI work.

The resolution demands for this thing that we do are possibly a little overblown. I say possibly, because I know if I say so definitively, I would get hooted down by a chorus of hi rez advocates. A primary argument for IR is other folks have IR so I better get IR because other guys have IR. This would get one into the game for less than a smartphone nowadays.

My main IR use is figuring out aspects of hydronic heating (steam traps!), insulation/energy (mainly to show people what I already know, there's nothing in there), and shower pans (yes, it does leak, see?). I don't use it for a lot of the stuff I thought I would use it for.

After that, building & science knowledge is more informative than IR imho. [:-paperba

[kurt]

I checked it out some more. Internal storage. It's got some nice features.

Not insignificantly, it's got a 45deg wide angle lens. Wide angle is highly desirable. Bernhardt made this observation years ago and I've found it to be prescient and absolutely true.

I could see this thing being extremely handy and useful for the price point.

[Scott Wood]

And you could also use a spot radiometer as well...

I will have to agree, an IR imager in my back pocket would be useful if I didn't have my imager available. Though I'm trained to use it and interrupt the images I provide.

I cannot see someone who is unwilling to get a decent imager because its too expensive, paying for the needed training to correctly interpret the images for reporting. If you feel all home inspectors will now use a FLIRone, we are in trouble if this becomes the standard of the industry.

Please, lets also understand its possible use in showing "issues" onsite to sorta-kinda showing our clients, but never for a published report with its thermal images. The low resolution will not provide the clarity necessary for a report (most of the time), nor will it help support you as a thermographer with its low resolution.

Though that "see through walls" promo may still get you some marketing

[John Kogel]

Interesting. I take a high rez non-MSX pic, load it into my report software, the software reduces the pic to a thumbnail and the pic now looks like a red smudge with a few yellow or blue specs. Not always but fairly often, the clarity is lost by the downsizing. Even moreso if you print a paper copy.

Is moreso not a word? It should be.

[Scott Wood]

John, Who's software are you using?

[John Kogel]

John, Who's software are you using?

It's mine. []

Oh who markets it? That was Palm-tech. If the client prints himself a paper copy from the pdf, Palm-tech picture quality is poor sometimes.

I use HI Pro, which I bought in 2007 and has cost me nothing since. and when I inspect with my affiliates, now it's Horizon.

They all have their pros and plenty of cons. []

[rwardadams]

How are you pricing for using infrared imaging on home inspections - included in fee or charging an hourly rate on top of the inspection fee?

[Trent Tarter]

I've been looking at the Testo 870, it has 160 x 120 resolution. Testo has some cool software that claims to increase resolution and sharpen images to 320x 240. Found the camera and software package for $1695. Check out the link and YouTube video.

http://www.trutechtools.com/Testo870-1?gdftrk=gdfV26224_a_7c2772_a_7c10009_a_7c3055&gclid=CPjcnPPy8sYCFcERHwodoRIIVQ

[Scott Wood]

The Testo merge function (super resolution) can provide some awesome images. It is always better to have higher resolution, especially if you cannot fit the scheduling into the proper environmental conditions.

Can't upload the image from the Test T890 at super resolution (1280 x 960) due to its size 4.9mb, but believe you me, its one sharp image, making interpretation quite easy.

[mark parlee]

Just Sold my FLIR T420 and got a Fluke Tix520 in my hands. Pretty nice camera but I think the Ti560 is probably a little better.

Here are a couple of pictures. This one also has the super resolution option available

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[mark parlee]

Sending Back The Tix520 and upgrading to the Tix560

[mark parlee]

Had the Tix560 for a year now. 18.5k with wide angle. Just updated the calibration. Great camera but I am selling and again upgrading. Will sell for 12k.

Contact info is available at www.thebuildingconsultant.com