Bought an IR-Laser Thermometer today. Interesting but not Surprising Results
 

$70 at Pep Boys. Good for readings about 6-10 feet away.

100F in the shade today in Burbank, CA today.

Surface temp of the hood of my Silver Camry 125.

Inside temp of my light colored seats 145

Surface temp of the hood of our Black Company Prius 155.

Inside temp of the black colored seats of the Prius 173.

I can just picture Hugh going around and randomly measuring the temperature on stuff........:)

IR temp guns are affected by the color and reflectivity of the surface you are shooting.

Shoot a piece of stainless steel tubing and it'll give you one reading, hit it with flat back spray paint and shoot it again and it'll give you a much hotter reading.

I have a fluke 68-IS at work that's intrinsically safe and can adjust for reflectivity (caint remember the zact term).
I also have a cheapo pep boys IR gun at home that's pretty much just as good close up.

^^^
"Emisstivity "

I like using mine to check oil temps off the oil filter, tire temps after a session or calipers/rotors when hot.

Also good to get a reference for verifying actual temps to dash gauges display.


KT

Its good for us, I can check temps of 3OK lights near fire sprinkler heads on sound stages, also look at Special Effects pulleys and see if one is hot compared to the others. For us, its relative, I don't need to know the exact temperature; just that one thing is hot relative to another.

close!

in addition to what sammy said, you have to watch out for the angle you use it at


let's see those pics of hugh going around and shooting his IR at stuff

Which is, I think, better than Hugh shooting his stuff with IR

I'll think about it. Most of what I see on filming I can't post.

He's going to have fun with it till he tries comparing how hot various ladies are and Mrs Hugh catches him.

I've got one, I use it for all sorts of stuff, engine surfaces, furnace ducts, electric stove top, cat's ears, roof temps, light bulbs. They're a lot of fun, and informative!
I can just see Hugh at work on a movie set with his!

I use mine in the kitchen a lot. Tells the temp of cooking oil good enough to know when to dump the food in. Today's random findings:
Average interior ceiling = 95º
Outside stucco = 117
Wood beams in covered patio = 101
Concrete walkway = 117
Black paint on car = 147
Where I'm sitting right now is 82º and the plasma screen is 105 near the top, 99 in the middle.

It ranks up there with night vision goggles, for me. Seems cool and fun, but I've been able to live without. However, the IR laser thermos are so cheap now, and NVGs are not . . .

Hey Hugh, try shooting it at a police helicopter and see what happens!


Legal disclaimer:
do not do that.
No one do that.
I was joking.
It was in green font.
I want to talk to my lawyer,
Hey that hurts.
Do they have to be that tight?

Yep.
Fluke says the model I have is discontinued but here's the description:

Fluke 68:

Laser guided sighting system for easy targeting with 1 % accuracy
12-point data logging
Advanced optics to measure smaller targets at greater distances
Adjustable emissivity for more accurate temperature measurements
Selectable MAX, MIN, DIF and AVG functions that display values instantly with Hi/Lo Alarm
Expanded measurement range up to 760 ºC (1400 ºF)
Optional probe accessory available for dual contact and non-contact temperature measurements

Kinda embarrassed to admit I don't use all those features. OK most of those features.

Filming pron, huh? ;)

LOL. Funny mental image.

Can we borrow it for the next autoX/track day?

What else are cool toys for?

Our cat enjoys mine!

Years ago, I was running a technical training center. One of our classrooms got really hot, and I complained to the building managers about it. They hemmed and hawed about it. But it was a real problem. On a few occasions, they came down with the laser, and pointed it at the vent, and declared all well (while 30 networked servers and 10 routers/switches hum at floor level).

On a hot day, I asked them to come down. It was sweltering. When the building manager walked in, you could tell he knew it was damn hot. He lifted up his laser gun to point it at the vent. This is a guy I was on good relations with for the most part, but I was hot, and I was pissed, and I said, "I don't give a BIG F what your damn gadget says. Fix the BIG F ac!"

Message received.