FLIR ONE $250 Camera for Engine Diagnosis

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
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brill
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FLIR ONE $250 Camera for Engine Diagnosis

Postby brill » Fri Jan 29, 2016 10:44 am

Just wanted to post a couple of pics taken after I finished the rebuild of the Johnson 30-HP engine from my 1980 Sport 13.

[The images seen below and water marked with the FLIR logo in the upper left corner were taken with what was later identified to be a FLIR Systems model FLIR ONE thermal camera that] plugs into my Android phone. [The FLIR ONE] was only $250, as compared to thousands for a real [FLIR Systems-brand] camera. You can clearly see the heat signatures while running, and I see [the FLIR ONE thermal imaging camera] as a good tool for diagnosing cooling or ignition problems.

I have also tried [using the FLIR ONE] to check the hull with mixed results. In theory a wet area will show up as a cooler thermal area.

flir_20151018T103021.jpg
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flir_20151018T103012.jpg
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The [FLIR System FLIR ONE] is an attachment which plugs into a port on either an Android or Apple phone. [A specialized appplication] on [certain Android and iPhone smartphones] captures the image. [The FLIR ONE] is not a stand alone device. Essentially it turns your smartphone into a [thermal] camera. [The FLIR ONE] is manufactured by FLIR Systems, [and there is a FLIR water mark on all] the images.

I initially purchased [the FLIR ONE] to help spot drafts in my house so that I could target where to improve insulation, and I found other uses.

[Note: this thread has been edited and some articles were consolidated or deleted in order clarify the discussion.--jimh]

jimh
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Re:FLIR ONE $250 Camera for Engine Diagnosis

Postby jimh » Fri Jan 29, 2016 10:47 am

Thanks for posting those interesting heat-sensor images. I notice the fuel pump is much cooler than the surrounding engine components, probably due to the cooling effect of the fuel passing through it.

jhomeister
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Re: FLIR ONE $250 Camera for Engine Diagnosis

Postby jhomeister » Sat Jan 30, 2016 7:23 am

These are neat images that may help with the diagnosis of certain problems as you suggest, although $250 is still a chunk of change.

jimh
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Re: FLIR ONE $250 Camera for Engine Diagnosis

Postby jimh » Sat Jan 30, 2016 9:39 pm

Thanks for mentioning your heat sensor or thermal camera; it looks like quite an interesting device and the cost is quite modest for what the camera can do. The current order fulfillment status indicates the FLIR Systems FLIR ONE camera is on back order and buyers may have to tolerate a 30 to 45 day wait for delivery.

porthole
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Re: Using FLIR ONE for Night Navigation

Postby porthole » Sun Jan 31, 2016 11:19 am

Pretty neat [and] affordable adapter from FLIR Systems. I'd like to try one at night out on the water. I have used a roof-mounted remote-control Raytheon FLIR, which is really nice--if you can afford it--for finding stuff in the dark. It wasn't that long ago we were buying $25,000 thermal-imaging cameras that had fuzzy black and white images.
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Duane
2016 World Cat 230DC
1999 Outrage 21, Yamaha SW Series II 200
1997 Outrage 18, Yamaha 125
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jimh
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Re: FLIR ONE $250 Camera for Night Navigation

Postby jimh » Sun Jan 31, 2016 11:27 am

PORTHOLE--Your suggestion of using the FLIR ONE camera to help in night navigation is a very interesting idea. I would be interested in seeing images from the FLIR ONE taken from a small boat at night.

I get the impression that the lens of the FLIR ONE is probably a fixed focal length and not a zoom lens, so I suspect the field of view will at a very normal lens setting and not much of a telephoto lens. Since FLIR Systems also sells thermal imaging systems for boats with pan and tilt mounts and telephoto lenses, I suspect the FLIR ONE is not going to undercut the market for those much more expensive products to any great degree. But, again, to see what sort of image a FLIR ONE can produce would be interesting.

porthole
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Re: Using FLIR ONE to find crab pot buoys

Postby porthole » Sun Jan 31, 2016 11:48 am

I think [the FLIR ONE] might be worth [the $250 cost] if [the FLIR ONE enables the helmsman to] see antifreeze jugs marking pots that are drifting into the channel on a moonless night.
Thanks,
Duane
2016 World Cat 230DC
1999 Outrage 21, Yamaha SW Series II 200
1997 Outrage 18, Yamaha 125
1983 15 SS, Honda 50
1980 42 Post
1983 34 Luhrs 340 SF

jimh
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Re: FLIR ONE $250 Camera for Engine Diagnosis

Postby jimh » Sun Jan 31, 2016 1:01 pm

Here is a hyperlink to a more thorough review of the FLIR Systems model FLIR ONE thermal camera, with many images provided as illustrations in the review:

http://thenextweb.com/gadgets/2015/08/1 ... ness/#gref

porthole
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Re: FLIR ONE $250 Camera for Engine Diagnosis

Postby porthole » Sun Jan 31, 2016 1:27 pm

Interesting on how the [FLIR ONE] takes two images, a normal photo and an infrared thermal image and combines them for the detail we see. I was wondering why these $250 [devices] produce a much friendlier image than what our thermal imaging cameras do.
Thanks,
Duane
2016 World Cat 230DC
1999 Outrage 21, Yamaha SW Series II 200
1997 Outrage 18, Yamaha 125
1983 15 SS, Honda 50
1980 42 Post
1983 34 Luhrs 340 SF

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Don McIntyre - MI
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FLIR ONE vs Seek Thermal

Postby Don McIntyre - MI » Sun Jan 31, 2016 6:32 pm

I purchased same type (plug in to smart phone vs standalone) from Seek Thermal (http://www.thermal.com/. I believe they were the first to market a device that would harness the power of a smartphone. Now it's kind of a race between FLIR and Thermal. In the next evolutionary step, FLIR came out with a plug in device + app, while Thermal came out with a handheld. Interesting technology. Both in the same price ballpark.

We've been remodeling my folks cottage on Lake Huron. One of the problems has been cold drafts on the north side of the structure, ever since it was built in the early 70's (prior to the now pretty standard procedure of wrapping homes). We decided to remove the knotty pine paneling, on the north wall of the master bedroom, remove the 40+ year old standard batt insulation, replacing it with closed cell spray foam. Below are some images showing bare wall, both clear:

bare normal.JPG
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and thermal. You can observe the line where the first floor roof meets the vertical wall very easily:

bare thermal.JPG
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I'll have to create a second message showing the sprayed results, due to image file size....
Last edited by Don McIntyre - MI on Mon Feb 01, 2016 5:10 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Don McIntyre - MI
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Re: FLIR ONE $250 Camera for Engine Diagnosis

Postby Don McIntyre - MI » Sun Jan 31, 2016 6:35 pm

And below are the images after spraying the cavity with closed cell foam:

sprayed normal.JPG
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and

sprayed thermal.JPG
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For those interested in the L/L read accuracy, here's a G/Earth shot. About 40' off:

aerial.JPG
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crabby
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Re: FLIR ONE $250 Camera for Engine Diagnosis

Postby crabby » Wed Feb 03, 2016 1:15 pm

Regarding the use of a FLIR One for navigation, I believe it would be awkward at best considering that (for Android at least) it is simply plugged into the USB port typically on the bottom of the phone. I've tried using mine while tethered to the phone via a USB cable but was unable to get it to function in that manner.

jimh
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Re: FLIR ONE $250 Camera for Engine Diagnosis

Postby jimh » Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:09 pm

Here is another comparison of the FLIR ONE and the SEEK thermal cameras:

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Battle-o ... ct_id78033

jimh
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Re: FLIR ONE $250 Camera for Engine Diagnosis

Postby jimh » Sat Feb 13, 2016 9:52 am

Re using a thermal camera as an aid for boat navigation after dark, see

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=447

for news about another FLIR product intended just for that application.