Thermography

[david2677]

Good day,
Would any one have knowledge on the availabilty of infrared camera,s in the South African market. My intreast is on the camera,s with respect to electrical scanning of pannels and or switch gear units. My finding was a Duracam 320 professional infrared camera

[AndyD]

I only have hands on experience with a couple of the Fluke range so I can't comment on the Duracam. Can you give a link to the particular camera you're looking at and how much were you quoted?

[ians]

All depends on how much you are willing to spend on the camera and don't forget the training, level 1, is a minimum (cost around R15- 20 000) unless you do what I did and waste hours watching seminars on the web and reading forums.

Cameras range from around R40 000 to in the 100 000s.

I have a Ti 20 which works for me in most cases, but if I could afford a R100 000 the Ti32 goes for, that would be my choice.

A thermal imager is an awesome tool, makes life so easy for fault finding especially when balancing loads, finding overloaded circuit and many more. My favourite is checking rows of light fittings, it always the last fitting in the circuit which the ballasts pops, I check the lights note the fittings with slightly higher temps then monitor them, when I get a call out that the breaker has tripped I only open the higher temp fittings find the faulty ballast and replace it.

I have used my camera to save my daughter from additional surgery, the cut where they operated became infected, got her back to hospital before it got too bad and the doc was relieved because he didn't have to operate again, throat infections when she was too young to tell us what was wrong, and many more.

Buy the best cameras you can afford, you wont regret it. Flir and fluke cameras are both good cameras, you wont make a mistake buying either, even the bottom of the range units will work for indoor electrical panels and switchgear, it is only when you go outside and start monitoring overhead lines and transformers that you will need higher end cameras, but I would then do my research properly because you will need to spend more than R100 000 on a camera.

There are lot of thermographers out there and it is a closed market, in other words getting in is the difficult part but if you have the right connections, go for it.

My camera is part of my tool box, so the service is included for all my customers, which saves them having to get outside people coming in who are not familiar with the installation. The bonus for my customers is that they don't pay for a visit then get an electrician to fix according to the report, then pay for another visit. Hopefully the electrician can read the report correctly and fix the problem.

[Dave A]

I found the specs on the Duracam 320 here.

The specs look decent enough. The casing seems old fashioned frankly. And when last did anyone use a view finder in a hand held
(Might even be a hazard when scanning an electrical installation, frankly, when awareness of your distance from the conducters is so critical).

[david2677]

Thank you for the info,
Andy D any idea what product code was on the FLUKE you used. I have no price and seek a low price efficent tool.
Ians the Ti 20 where is it available, from you discription its more than perfect for me.
Not that i,d get one ASAP but will have to work towards it