Add-on thermal imaging camera for cell phone

[Cat Herdr]

This is meant to attach to the port on some models of I-phones and android phones. Both models have the same sensor at 206 X 156 resolution. The $250 model has a 36 degree field of view with a 1000 foot range. The $300 model has a 20 degree field of view with an 1800 foot range.

SEEK Compact Thermal Image Camera

Has anybody used one of these? If so, is it any good for scouting hogs at night? My thinking is that trying to view hogs 300 to 600 yards away on the screen on my android phone would not give me an image I could use very well. If the target was a lot closer - well maybe it would be useful. I would feel like a dork pointing my cell phone at a suspect patch of land in the dark, in any event. The "Think Geek" folks say it is useful for finding the coldest bottle of beer in the fridge, but I have been pretty successful in doing that for 50 years with out a device like this.

 

[boatdriver1790]

I use one. It works pretty good for what it is. If I'm hunting in a stand I put it in a case that I have made using an old go pro clamp. Here's a video of some deer walking in at 50-60 yds.

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[URL=http://s872.photobucket.com/user/dreadnotmusic/media/6388CBFB-4C19-43A5-ADC6-93FEC0234622_zpsvfbkcrxy.jpg.html] [/URL]

And here's a dead hog at about 40 yds.
[URL=http://s872.photobucket.com/user/dreadnotmusic/media/83741232-B2AB-4477-84C5-A650A809795C_zpsfymn9ga6.jpg.html] [/URL]

 

[Brian Shaffer]

While this little units can be beneficial, the exceptionally low resolution (80x60) makes them difficult to use well in busier or cluttered environments or at significant distances. Where these units excel is in very short distance work, such as home inspections.

 

[Oso Grande]

Boatdriver, what was the distance and air temp in your deer video clip? I've barely been able to see a grown adult standing 20 feet away from me that I knew was there on a standard TX warm night....

While usable in some conditions, like Brian said, they're really for closer inspection work.
I use my SEEK for circuit board inspections and the like.

 

[FrankT]

I think they would be useful in tracking and maybe seeing how empty your feeder is.

 

[boatdriver1790]

The deer in those clips came into frame at 60 yds. The closest one was about 45 yds. Temps were probably around 75-80 that time of night.

Here's one of my daughter and a cat in the back yard at about 30 yds. I don't have the yellow illumination feature on in this clip.

 

[AKay]

This is meant to attach to the port on some models of I-phones and android phones. Both models have the same sensor at 206 X 156 resolution. The $250 model has a 36 degree field of view with a 1000 foot range. The $300 model has a 20 degree field of view with an 1800 foot range.

SEEK Compact Thermal Image Camera

Has anybody used one of these? If so, is it any good for scouting hogs at night? My thinking is that trying to view hogs 300 to 600 yards away on the screen on my android phone would not give me an image I could use very well. If the target was a lot closer - well maybe it would be useful. I would feel like a dork pointing my cell phone at a suspect patch of land in the dark, in any event. The "Think Geek" folks say it is useful for finding the coldest bottle of beer in the fridge, but I have been pretty successful in doing that for 50 years with out a device like this.

Biggest problem is the light the screen would put off. It will light you up. Not very stealthy.

 

[boatdriver1790]

Biggest problem is the light the screen would put off. It will light you up. Not very stealthy.

That is a concern. When I clamp it to the window in my stand, I make sure the screen isn't shining on my face. I went down to the ground and looked up and it wasn't visible at all. Of course, if you're carrying it through a field and holding it up in front of your face you'll light right up.

 

[Cat Herdr]

Thank you all for the feed back. I suspected the light from the display screen would be an issue.

 

[theblakester]

If u turn the brightness down all the way on the phone and with a good moon, I wouldn't think it would be noticeable.

I was kind of thinkin along the lines of frank in regards to tracking and finding a dead animal.