Thermal Camera – VoltLog

The Ultimate Handheld Thermal Camera Kaiweets KTI-W02 | Voltlog #489

Are you in the market for a budget-friendly thermal camera that doesn’t compromise on quality? Look no further than the Kaiweets KTI-W02. This compact yet powerful device offers impressive features that cater to a wide range of applications, from home inspections to automotive diagnostics and electrical troubleshooting.

Unboxing the Kaiweets KTI-W02 is a delightful experience, with its premium packaging and inclusion of a hard EVA carry case. The camera itself boasts a sleek design, with ridges around the display and camera lens for added protection. Despite its compact size, it packs a punch with a 256×192 pixel thermal sensor, a temperature measurement range of -20°C to +550°C, and a lightning-fast 1-second boot time.

One of the standout features of the Kaiweets KTI-W02 is its impressive battery life of up to 16 hours, coupled with a rapid 2.5-hour recharge time. This makes it an ideal companion for extended field operations or prolonged inspections. Additionally, the camera’s IP54 rating ensures dust and water resistance, while its 2-meter drop rating provides peace of mind against accidental drops.

In terms of performance, the Kaiweets KTI-W02 delivers crisp and detailed thermal images, thanks to its 25Hz frame rate. The camera offers multiple display modes, including thermal-only, visual-only, fusion, and picture-in-picture, allowing you to customize the view according to your needs. While the fusion mode could use some improvement in aligning the thermal and visual images, it still provides a useful perspective.

The camera’s menu system is user-friendly and intuitive, allowing you to adjust settings such as temperature range, emissivity, color palettes, and region of interest measurement. However, it’s worth noting that the camera lacks video recording capabilities and is limited to a single center-point measurement on the screen.

High Current Cigarette Lighter Connector Test | Voltlog #473

In the quest for reliable power accessories, Voltlog embarked on a comprehensive testing journey to evaluate the performance of various cigarette lighter connectors. These unassuming components play a pivotal role in powering our on-the-go devices, but cheap options from online marketplaces often fall short of their advertised current ratings, posing potential safety risks.

The lineup consisted of five connectors, ranging from budget-friendly AliExpress offerings to reputable brands from distributors like Digikey. Through a series of rigorous tests, each connector was subjected to its claimed current rating, with temperatures meticulously monitored using a thermal camera.

The results were eye-opening. Connectors rated for 10A and 15A from AliExpress quickly succumbed to the heat, emitting foul odors and melting within minutes. Even the Digikey connector, boasting a 20A rating and a datasheet, struggled to maintain safe temperatures, with internal components soldering themselves together due to the excessive heat.

Surprisingly, an unassuming AliExpress connector, rated for 20A, emerged as the unexpected winner. Its robust construction and thick middle pin seemed to dissipate heat more effectively, outperforming its pricier counterparts. However, the true lesson learned was that for continuous usage at high currents, a heavy-duty female socket with ample heatsinking capabilities is essential.

Voltlog discovered sockets designed specifically for this purpose, featuring ceramic bases, double metal shells, and extended lengths to maximize heat dissipation. This comprehensive testing underscores the importance of scrutinizing advertised specifications and prioritizing safety when it comes to electrical components, especially those handling high currents.

Voltlog’s dedication to uncovering the truth behind these unassuming accessories is a valuable contribution to the DIY electronics community.

Infiray T2S Plus My New Favorite Smartphone Thermal Camera | Voltlog #447

Thermal imaging has become increasingly accessible, thanks to companies like Infiray disrupting the market with high-quality, affordable solutions. In this Voltlog, we explore the Infiray T2S Plus Thermal Camera, a versatile and feature-packed device compatible with iOS devices via a Lightning connector.

Unlike its predecessor, the T2S Plus reviewed in Voltlog #442, this model boasts an adjustable 8mm lens and a convenient handle mount, making it a compact, single-hand usage package. The mount’s sturdy build quality, ergonomic design, and multiple tripod mounting points add to its appeal. Upon connecting the camera to an iPhone, it prompts the installation of the required app, streamlining the setup process.

The live feed immediately impresses with its high resolution and refresh rate, delivering fluid, detailed thermal images that almost resemble visible light. The user-friendly app offers various color palettes, video and image capture modes, and temperature measurement tools like point, rectangle, and line markers.

Adjustable settings like emissivity, distance, and temperature units further enhance the camera’s accuracy. While the app’s simplicity is appreciated, more advanced users may desire additional options like image flipping or mirroring for better cable management and positioning flexibility. In practical tests, the T2S Plus excels in electrical panel and HVAC inspections, allowing precise focus adjustment and temperature measurements within defined areas.

Remarkably, it can also handle up-close PCB inspections, clearly displaying 0402-sized components and 0.3mm traces, although not as optimized as the dedicated macro lens model. Priced at just $30 more than the T2S Plus, the adjustable lens and included mount make the T2S Plus iOS version a compelling choice for its versatility and value.

Infiray’s high-resolution, high-refresh-rate thermal sensors outperform similarly priced FLIR models, disrupting the market and driving innovation.

Infiray P2 PRO Good Yet Affordable Thermal Camera | Voltlog #442

Thermal imaging has become an indispensable tool for electronics enthusiasts and professionals alike, allowing for detailed inspection and analysis of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and electronic components. In this review, we take a closer look at the Infiray P2 PRO, a compact and affordable thermal camera that promises to deliver impressive performance for PCB inspection tasks.

Designed specifically for PCB work, the Infiray P2 PRO stands out with its high-resolution 256×192 pixel sensor and a blistering 25Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth and detailed thermal imaging. With a temperature range spanning from -20°C to a scorching 550°C, this camera is well-equipped to handle even the most demanding applications.

One of the key highlights of the P2 PRO is its optional macro lens, which allows for incredibly close-up inspections of PCBs and individual components. With a working distance of approximately 30mm, you can easily identify hotspots and thermal anomalies on silicon dies, IC packages, and even tiny 0402 resistors – a capability unmatched by many competing products in this price range.

The camera’s compact size and included USB-C extension cable make it highly versatile, allowing you to easily maneuver it into tight spaces and enclosures for thorough inspections. The intuitive Android app offers a wealth of features, including multiple color palettes, emissivity and ambient temperature adjustments, and advanced measurement tools like spot, line, and area measurements.

While the P2 PRO doesn’t offer image merging capabilities found in higher-end thermal cameras, it does provide a picture-in-picture mode for general orientation. Additionally, the ability to record video and audio simultaneously proves invaluable for documenting your findings and observations. Compared to alternatives like the UNI-T UTI260B, which lacks a dedicated macro lens out of the box, the Infiray P2 PRO shines in its out-of-the-box readiness for PCB inspection tasks.

Its combination of high resolution, macro capabilities, and user-friendly software make it a compelling choice for hobbyists, repair technicians, and electronics professionals on a budget.

UNI-T UTi260B Best Thermal Camera For The Money? – Voltlog #358

Welcome to a new Voltlog, in this video we’re going to be taking a look at the UNI-T UTI260B professional thermal camera. As you may know I used to own a FLIR ONE iOS thermal camera that I was using with my phone, it was working okay, it had a thermal resolution of x and a picture resolution of because it had the two cameras and it was doing the overlay thing. Well one day I dropped that camera which caused a fault in the lightning connector and unfortunately FLIR does not sell replacements.

So I started searching for a new camera, I was thinking of getting another FLIR one but then I discovered this UNI-T camera which I believe is a fairly new model and not a lot of people know about it. But let me tell you the specs, thermal camera resolution 256*192px, visible spectrum resolution 640x480px it can mix the two images similar to how FLIR does it, 2.8” TFT LCD, 5000mAh battery which gives a battery life o at least 6hours, temperature range -15C-550C, rugged design with IP65 protection, micro-sd card for data storage, up to 4 points of temperature measurement. This is a massive upgrade for me, over the FLIR ONE I used to have.

Voltlog #246 – What if we install a heatsink on the TPS61088 boost module?

In the previous video where I took a closer look at the TPS61088, I did some measurements of the output noise but I also ran the module up to the maximum specified output power of 12V 2A. It was to be expected that the losses would turn into heat and just the small size of the board would not be enough to dissipate all that heat safely so the boost chip reached a toasty 150 degrees Celsius and inevitably went into thermal protection.

There were two questions that people mainly left in the comments of that video. First people were curious if this module would behave differently if a heatsink was installed and also some people thought about using this module in a fixed configuration, because if you remember there is a chip on this module that will switch the output voltage based on quick charge spec, depending on what the load is requesting through that protocol but people might just want a simple fixed output. To this I would add a third question of my own, what is the real efficiency figure of this module, at the maximum output.

Voltlog #245 – TPS61088 Boost Module Test (with QC3.0)

The real limitation for this small module to output the claimed 24W for longer periods of time is temperature. There is not enough thermal dissipation happening with this small pcb. Having a bigger pcb with more copper layers would help and it would probably allow this module to output continuously and prevent the TI controller chip from going into thermal overload. Even so I was impressed that running it into thermal protection several times did not do any damage the chip recovered on it’s own each time and no magic smoke escaped during these tests.

So all of this considered, this is probably one of the best dc-dc boost converter modules I got from China so far and I would recommend getting one of these if the specs meet your needs.