FLIR infrared thermal cameras | Remodeling must-have!

Today we’re going to compare the FLIR ONE Gen 3 and the FLIR ONE Pro infrared thermal cameras. NOT SPONSORED.
Amazon affiliate links:

@Flir
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:45 How to use
1:47 How it works
3:55 Resolution
4:46 Spectral range
5:32 Thermal sensitivity
6:58 Home remodel
8:20 Conclusion

The FLIR cameras connect to iPhones with an adjustable male lightning port that can be moved up or down to account for the thickness of phone cases. The cameras run on a battery that lasts about 40 minutes and takes an hour to fully charge. Every package comes with a usb type c charging cable and a padded carrying pouch. To use the FLIR thermal camera, plug it into your charging port and tighten the dial. Install the FLIR ONE app on your phone and then open it. Hit the power button at the bottom of the thermal camera and wait a few seconds for it to connect and calibrate.

FLIR is an acronym for forward looking infrared camera. Teledyne Technologies, who owns FLIR, sells devices for surveillance, border and maritime patrol, search and rescue, etc. Regular daylight cameras and the human eye both capture visible light energy, 380-760 nm. Visible light bounces off objects and hits a detector like a digital camera sensor, a piece of film or our retina. These detectors turn light into an image. On the other hand, thermal imaging cameras detect infrared energy or heat, 760 nm to 1 mm. All objects, whether cold or hot, emit infrared energy. Detectors like the FLIR cameras turn this energy into images. Both the Gen 3 and the Pro devices have 2 cameras - one for visible light and another for infrared. The images are overlaid with MSX or Multi-spectral Dynamic Imaging Technology. This enhances thermal images and makes them more recognizable.

The Gen 3 camera can measure temperatures from -20C to 120C or -4 to 248F. The Pro camera can measure -20C to 400C or -4F to 752F. That’s 3 times higher! Images on the Gen 3 camera are 80x60 pixels, while the Pro version is 160x120 pixels, 4 times better. Higher resolutions means that each image contains more information, and more accurate measurements. These resolutions seem very low compared to monitors and phones which have 4k resolution. The reason is that thermal detectors need to sense energy that has much larger wavelengths than visible light, so each sensor element has to be significantly larger.

Related to resolution is spectral range which is the range of wavelengths that the sensor in the camera detects. Both cameras are long wave with a spectral range of 8-14 micrometers. But their pixel size is different. The Gen 3 has a pixel size 17 um while the Pro has a pixel size of 12um so it can fit more pixels in an image.

Thermal sensitivity or Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference (NETD) describes the smallest temperature difference you can see with the camera. The lower the number, the better the thermal sensitivity of the infrared system. The Gen 3 camera has a thermal sensitivity of 150mK, while the Pro is 70 mK.

If you use the thermal camera in front of a reflective surface like a mirror, you will see objects in front of it, rather than measure the temperature of the mirror itself. This is because of the emissivity of mirrors, which is a measure of how well an object radiates heat. An emissivity value of 0 is a perfect mirror that reflects all heat. An emissivity value of 1 is a blackbody that perfectly absorbs all heat.

Both cameras have a fixed focus of 15cm to infinity, so they are always in focus. You do not need to manually adjust them. However, they have a relatively slow refresh rate of 8.7 Hz, which can make the video seem laggy and stuttering. This is a government and trade regulation, it’s not something FLIR can control. I love that FLIR is making professional technology available to the masses. These are going to be very useful during my home remodel because it’s going to help me find trouble spots.
--------------------
---------------------
Disclaimer: This video was created for educational/informational purposes and qualifies as Fair Use. If you are the creator or own the footage featured in this video and have reservations please notify me via Youtube comments or email and I will accommodate you
#thermalimaging #flir #robotics #homerenovation #diy

[BelindaCarr]

For those asking.. this is NOT SPONSORED. I'm just very impressed with these products.

[nifinnicesse]

I have bought one to investigate a cold section on a wall in my house. It works great.
I also recently discovered that it is an extremely useful tool when my kids' hamsters are on the run in the house... 😁

[sleze]

I also got a Gen 3 for my remodel. When the spray foam guys did their work, I found a spot they missed very easily.

[GarrettDevitt]

These are really useful for finding pipes in walls and on cold nights you can see cold air coming in through gaps. I found huge drafts in my extension all around the skirting boards and around the downlighters. I've sealed the skirting board gaps with clear tec7 and changed the downlighters to the sealed bathroom led type. It's made a huge difference to the room.

[SallySallySallySally]

For those wondering, the slow 9 fps of these FLIR cameras is because anything faster is export-controlled by the U.S. Department of Commerce through ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) and AECA (Arms Export Control Act.) Since FLIR wants to sell these both domestically and abroad, setting them at 9 fps or less allows them to be exported without a license. FLIR was fined $30 million a few years ago for violating these laws.

[charlesurrea]

I work in electronics and finding a short on a board can be tedious and time consuming.
I had considered the accessory camera system until I realized just how much I would really be using it.
That's why I went with the Cat S60 and then upgraded to the S62 Pro.
This has been a great help in both my work and home.
I found insufficiencies in my insulation very quick (1st day) .
I can see when a bearing in a mechanical system is starting to go out and so many other things.

[branni]

You are clearly intelligent and an excellent speaker. Thanks

[mkst]

Use a blower door at the same time and it "amplifies" any air leaks making them easier to detect (as long as the temperature outside is substantially different from the inside).

[atcguy]

I almost wonder if the hot-spot in the ceiling of your master bedroom is caused by bee activity. Not to be an alarmist--it's just that I've seen similar FLIR pictures of such activity. Please use extra caution while crawling around in your attic crawl space.

[spektrograf]

Just awesome! I've been waiting for someone to do a thorough comparative review like this on these two tiers of the FLIR line. Thank you!!! So well done and helpful! 👍🙌

[netsplit]

I have a CAT S61 with an older FLIR thermal camera built in. Don't use it every day, but do use it a lot. Used it in the mountains to check my breaks to see if they were getting too hot. Used it to check the insulation. It's really good at seeing where issues are. Good for checking some remotes to see if they have dead batteries. Used it to decide storing a lipo4 battery in my car during the summer was a very bad idea. Last winter during the cold snap was amazing at figuring out where the pipes froze. Use it cooking. Would love a higher resolution version, but the S61 is still running really good

Edit: Also depending on the temperature difference, between rooms or the outdoors it can work as a pretty nice stud finder.

[jdm]

Great Review! I use the top of the line Flir at work, Electrical Codes require a thermal inspection of all electrical Panels and Switch Gear. Glad to know Flir has a consumer version I can buy and use at home.

[jameshutchins]

I worked in the power industry for 40 years and fell in love with thermography training I received. I highly recommend checking switches and breakers with this tool. It will let you know about potential failure long before you would find it otherwise.
It can even be helpful for tuning old cars via the exhaust.

[TheShornak]

That's a cool feature to be able to adjust the height of the plug in port as I have had to remove my Otterbox Case from my phone to use certain thumb drives and things like that.

[bbamboo]

Thanks, this is useful information. I've been using thermal imaging since 1985, but they were way out of reach and not as capable as these units. We used them to identify electrical overloads, loose connections, roof leaks and wet insulation. I love how easy it is to take camera output and use it in reports. Good work.

[tylercousins]

Awesome video. Yes please do more reviews. You’re very good, thorough, and honest.

[Incandescentiron]

With the expense of new construction, remodeling tips would be great. I ran across a blog, someone dissatisfied with the low pitch roof on their house, asking how to replace the roof with a different pitch. An architect responded how expensive this would be and advised simpler changes to compliment what is already there, sound advice before the owner wasted too much time and money. Your channel is like this, consistently practical and invaluable for everyone.

[Aluxsz]

I love the fact you take the time out to explain everything like the mirror part this will be helpful remodeling my home Thanks

[nifinnicesse]

You can get some very useful imaging of insulation from the outside too, especially when the temperature outdoors gets a bit cooler.
One particularly useful experiment I did with mine was a "poor man's version" of a blower test: you cut a foam board to fit in an entrance door frame, cut 1 or 2 holes to fit box fans (to push the air inside) that you affix with tape, then take a few images (from the outside) of windows or anywhere the air may leak, start the fans, take the same images and compare.
In my house I had a mix of new and old windows, and that test was part of what convinced me to change the old ones.

[STV-HH]

I really appreciate your review of both the devices, especially the side by side footage.

As an electrician doing mostly old work remodeling, I’ve been considering this investment for a couple years. This past week I suddenly wanting to do something that’s been intended for years, and while beginning the layout on my downstairs rec room ceiling I thought I had a good layout. But as I narrowed the areas I plan to cut holes for recessed lighting, I found ductwork in key areas.
Finding a suitable tool I thought would be easy. But several of the reviewers maintained jargon that was unnecessary and not something I cared to have to deal with. Your video defined adequately many of the terms (and reassured me they weren’t going to impact my work requirements to know what they meant) and gave relative information regarding what I actually intend to gain by making the purchase.

Thx. I haven’t decided what to purchase, but I’m fairly certain about reasons why the costlier devise might be a good expense addition l. And vice versa. ❤