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@CppGuy@infosec.space

Post #1553162

2026-03-21 12:57 UTC

@futurebird @sunpig You can probably buy a low-end IR camera, rather than renting one. They're not cheap, but they cost less than, say, a mid-range smartphone. When we moved house, I bought an earlier version of this: https://www.idealo.co.uk/compare/4862822/flir-one-gen-3-for-android-435-0005-03.html Predictably, I wanted to use it to find hot spots on the outside of the house and cold spots on the inside to help focus our insulation efforts. Interpreting images is harder than I imagined, because the amount of IR radiated by an object depends on the nature of the surface and not only on its temperature. You'll be familiar with black-body radiation and the effect of an object's colour on the amount of heat it radiates, but there are other factors that I haven't fully got to grips with. If you just point the camera at your house and look for the yellowest part of the picture, it'll mislead you. The camera I bought is not compatible with a modern phone. I'm tempted to buy a new one, because they're fun to play with. For instance, it would be interesting to see how much heat is generated, and how it's dissipated, when I charge the car overnight.

Replies (3)

  • @futurebird@sauropods.win 2026-03-21 13:51

    @CppGuy @sunpig I might check ebay. It seems like the kind of thing that might have a good price there...

    Open ##1553163

  • @jawnsy@mastodon.social 2026-03-21 15:56

    @CppGuy @futurebird @sunpig I was wondering about this because it seems like a handy gadget to have around all the time

    Open ##1553165

  • @sunpig@mastodon.scot 2026-03-21 16:31

    @CppGuy @futurebird Very tempting! The rental was just €40 for the weekend. I know I can get one of the Flir modules that straps to my phone for about €150-200... But realistically it would lie around unused most of the time. It's a bit more than I like to spend for "buy it on a whim, just for fun." 🙂

    Open ##1553166