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Digital Infra Red Thermometer - suggestions.


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Hello,

Am looking to purchase a digital infra red thermometer.

I will be grateful if anyone can suggest a decent one that they are currently using and happy with.

Thank you in advance.

Richard.

 

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5 minutes ago, classiclife said:

Hello,

Am looking to purchase a digital infra red thermometer.

I will be grateful if anyone can suggest a decent one that they are currently using and happy with.

Thank you in advance.

Richard.

 

Hi Richard . I purchased one from Aldi think it was about £15 , it was very useful in measuring temp of rear drums which were binding , safer than burning my fingers 😱😱

Paul 

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If you are after reasonably accurate readings then you need to compensate for emissivity .  The colour and surface condition affect the reading.

Ideally smooth surface and  matte black is what you are after.   

If you can paint the surface matte black then the reading will be reasonable. Otherwise it will be a good indicator for the right direction things are going.

 

Roger

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Thanks for the replies folks - much appreciated.

I reckon the one you have flagged, Tony, will do the job nicely 😊 and as you say Roger, that's exactly the overall picture I am looking for. 

Regards.

Richard. 

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3 hours ago, classiclife said:

Thanks for the replies folks - much appreciated.

I reckon the one you have flagged, Tony, will do the job nicely 😊 and as you say Roger, that's exactly the overall picture I am looking for. 

Regards.

Richard. 

Hello Richard

                        I have one like that and it seems ok but as Roger says surface alters readings but was good enough to set up the temperature sensors for my EFI

Roger

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18 minutes ago, rogerguzzi said:

I have one like that and it seems ok but as Roger says surface alters readings but was good enough to set up the temperature sensors for my EFI

That makes it more than good enough for me then, Roger.

Thanks for confirming.

Regards.

Richard.

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Don't be misled by that tiny red laser aiming dot!    The further away, the wider the  field, and you may be measuring the temp of the whole engine at once.   Contact or near is best.

I suspect they are all made in a factory somewhere in China, so the cheapest you can get.  Poppyman's or Aldi probably fine.

John

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I had an IR one from Maplins which was pretty cheap but did the job nicely, when it gave up I bought one of those simple ones from eBay and it has been very good as well - even if it self-destructs in a couple of years you’ve not lost a huge investment!

.....Andy 

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I have a couple of them - the last one I bought looks very similar to the one Tony posted up (Well, its yellow!). Works fine, but as John says you have to be aware of the size of the detecting zone. I seem to recall mine has a way of compensating for the emissivity of the object - but its a faff to use so don't bother.

They are used a lot it in the work place (I am a controls engineer) - which often makes me laugh because they are pointed at walls and ceilings that are often white or at least pale in colour. And anyway dealing with people, one can be hot and one cold in the same place 🤪

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Buy one with adjustable emissivity. You will be able to "calibrate" it to match reality if you bear in mind all the knowledge above. Ten quid, 20 max.

If you still want to avoid accurate touch thermometers to display actual I recommend a thermal camera.

Fluke makes some good high-resolution cameras. Very nice if you can borrow one from work.

They are available with low resolution for 100 quid plus. Ability to take a low-resolution photo with thermals superimposed is worth the 90 quid+

A lot of fun with the thermal cameras. Not so with the "laser" ones. PS. Unless you have cats.

Cheers,

Iain.

 

 

 

Edited by Spitfire6
PS
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