IR / Thermal reader diy.

I've been reading about IR and Thermal cameras, videos, diy's. They are talking about using digtal cameras, movie cameras etc for photography it seems. That's not what I'm looking for. They use the terms of IR and thermal interchangeably and I get confussed as to what exactly they are refereing to.

So hopefully you will be able to set me straight. MY question is, is it possable to make a handheld devise that reades heat from an object and displays it on a screen in shades of white to black? I saw one device on a TV show where cops were looking for a gun that had been tossed in the tall weeds. The unit found the gun due to the body heat transfered from the person that tossed it.

I've also heard something about these units being called FLIR.

The second question is what's the max distance these will operate at. I need a unit that will read a good heat signature 15 to 30 feet.

In closing I'd like to say that the last time I had anything to do with electronics was in Jr High and it was with vaccum tubes. You are light years ahead of me. Thanks in advance for your information. Short Cut.

The cops use a camera in a helicopter that detects heat from a far distance. Are you rich and can afford to buy one that is hardly ever sold?

It will take many years of frustrations to make one. Don't use vacuum tubes.

Uncle $crooge, I already have the helicopter unit. Could you expand on why it would take many years of frustration to make the hand held unit?

You want a range that is as far as a TV remote control goes. But The IR beam from a TV remote is thousands or millions of times stronger than the heat from a person.

Actually, you can buy a very sensitive video camera and just put a filter in front of it. Then you will see heat if the camera passes IR.
Years ago, Sony had a video camera that showed heat. It looked through bathing suits very well. Then they added an IR blocking filter to it.

Thanks Uncle, now we are on to something. Can you point me in the direction of one of those Sonies or a newer model. Next I need to know about the filters you put in front of it. The heat signature I'm looking for will be from machinery not people, so there will be an abundance of heat.

Electrical inspectors took IR photos of the breaker panel of a new building to see any "hot spots" caused by loose wires.
You could use a camera like theirs to see hot spots on your machinery.

Ask your local electrical utility company.

You can freely buy, now at very reasonable cost, IR thermometers - for remotely reading temperatures. I first say one used at a coal fired power station, and like you, they used it for finding hot spots.

Thanks I'll give it a search. Do you happen to know the distance one has to be get a reading?

I checked out the IR Thermometer. Not what I'm looking for. I just what to see if there's a heat leak, like around the doors and windows that registers white on a screen. Are theres components not available? An IR "camera" or "sensor" or what ever it's called and a display, a small "tv screen". Seems that if home securiety has something in this kind of stuff it's not that far a leap to what I'm looking for. Thanks again for the info. I'm able to narrow the search.

Heat sensing cameras run about 15 thousand US dollars or so for calibrated units, even the low resolution ones. Prices for renting would need to be called out to multiple sources in your area.

You can buy IR non-contact thermometers which will sense 1 inch square sections at between 9 and 12 inches with 1% accuracy, for roughly 50 US dollars. IR and thermals are the same thing. though IR tends to refer to NEAR IR (just above what is visable) as appozed to 'thermal' devices which actually sense far IR, which is the more useful kind.

Learning to use the devices properly (camera or simple gun type) is another story.

You would be surprised what you can learn from a point source like a non-contact IR thermometer. You just have to train yourself to understand the reading in context. Cameras show programable red and blue pixels for a 320x200 (roughly) area in question. Non contact IR sensors with laser sites cost 50 US dollars. Thermals cameras cost 5-15k You determine what you're looking for and for the price you're willing to pay.

Home security systems are 'near' IR and not useful for determining true heat leaks in a house.

Thanks I'll look into those a little further.