Jeff Liebermann wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Oct 2012 15:00:45 -0700, BeeJ wrote:

Looking at FLIR handhelds to do a bunch of tasks including identifying
hot components / traces. I also plan to use it for monitoring room air
leaks and wall insulation.

FLIR imagers are really cool, but also expensive. If all you want to
do is look for leaks, try one of these from Black and Decker:
http://www.blackanddecker.com/power-tools/TLD100.aspx
I have two of them (the 2nd one bought after I misplaced the first).
Point the device at an inside wall to set a reference level. Then,
run it along window frames, door joints, wall outlets, etc to check
for temperature differences. It has a red/green/blue LED that lights
up the test area, indicating whether the test area is hotter, same, or
colder than the reference temperature.

Unfortunately, it's kinda useless for finding hot spots on PCB's. For
that, I use various liquid crystal sheets. Just lay it over the PCB
and watch the colors change:

http://www.edmundoptics.com/testing-...ards/temperatu
re-sensitive-liquid-crystal-sheets/1642
For identifying the exact component, I use a thermistor probe.

1) are there any features of a particular FLIR model that is
advantageous?

2) is there a place to get a better price break? New! One unit.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558


Laying around I have some Neil Brown, USA sub-mm fast response thermistors.
Next time I'm in that situation I will try one along with non-contact IR
thermometer