On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 10:11:18 -0500, "daestrom"
wrote:


Now if I could just find a company in this small town that had one (ANY
sort of IR camera), and could come out and do a walkaround for me. It'd be
worth a C-note to me to be able to target my limited repair funds at the
worst leaks.


Another cheap alternative, *IF* you have a 35mm film camera (not digital) is
to buy some infrared film and take pictures. Have to wait until they're
back from developing, but not too bad. Google '35mm infrared film'.

Film doesn't go anywhere nearly low enough to capture ambient IR. It's response is
better than CCDs but nowhere near low enough to capture ambient radiation in the 8 to
14 micron range. Even if the chemistry were possible, the film isn't for the obvious
reason - it would instantly be fogged by the thermal radiation emitted by itself and
everything around it.

Here's an article that covers the technical aspects of IR photography.

http://msp.rmit.edu.au/Article_03/02e.html

A photo that every IR buff has to take at some point in his "career" is that of a hot
clothes iron. If the iron is turned as hot as it will go (modern irons crippled with
lawyeritis might not even go that hot) looks like an eerie glowing object that has to
be radioactive. It isn't visible to IR film until it is at almost full heat.

John
--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com -- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
Democracy is three wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for supper.