[amsat-bb] FW: X-Ray vision for the AMSAT DIY'er

[Norm n3ykf]

Rented a FLir T420 a few months back to do a DIY energy audit.
Horrified. Why produce it and then waste it? (air
conditioning=$$$$$$$$$$$)

Before and after pics. WOW!

Better to rent a real tool than buy a toy. The T420 is a 30k device.

I'll tell you the pool pump story one of these days.

On Tue, Apr 26, 2016 at 10:56 AM, Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:
> Our experience with IR cameras brought me to this discovery:
>
>
>
> I needed to see through a wall to see the studs in a 100 year old plaster
> and lath wall.  It was easy.
>
>
>
> Just put a radiant space heater on the other side to heat the wall.  Then
> after an hour or so, use an IR camera to view the wall.  You can see the
> studs and anything else that is inconsistent inside the wall.
>
>
>
> Then I happened to glance with the IR camera at the wall where I had the
> 1500 W electric heater plugged in, and I could CLEARLY see the wiring in
> 3D.  By moving the camera around I could see the hot wire in 3D  and not
> only see where it was, but how deep or, along which wall in the pocket it
> was located.
>
>
>
> I then went on an exploration mission in my basement to see hotspots in my
> entire electrical system.  It was an amazing color display liken to XMAS.
>
>
>
> Then I noticed a large, unusually bright spot from the basement looking up
> at the kitchen floor.  I was concerned, since it should have been a part of
> open floor and there should not be any heat source there unless it was an
> electrical problem beneath the floor.  I ran upstairs only to find a cat,
> sleeping on a thick rug, on a ceramic tile, on a ¾” underlayment, on top of
> an OAK floor, on top of ¾” tongue and groove subfloor.
>
> That’s seeing a cat through 3” of solid wood, ceramic and a rug.  Just
> laying there burning up cat food.
>
>
>
> I think these cameras are under $500 and even have APPS on cell phones that
> can do it?
>
>
>
> You wont be able to see though metal, but through anything else, maybe so.
> In fact, to perfectly mark the hazy images where I wanted to drill the hole
> to the stud, I used a small 1” square of aluminum foil.  It has low
> emissivity and always appears DARK against anything else that is warm
> behind it.  But also, notice that the aluminum foil is not only low-E, but
> it is also IR REFLECTIVE.  So it can look very hot (98.6F) if you happen to
> be standing where the aluminum can reflect your body heat.
>
>
>
> Bob, WB4APR
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