The FLIR rep that you communicated with was careful to leave it up to you to decide. The FLIR rep that I communicated with knows I wanted a real answer and no BS. If you get some proper training, you will understand why the FLIR ONE is not recommended for professional home inspections. I will let you attend my class for free if it will help. If not, I wish you all the best.
I’ll keep that in mind John, I really appreciate the offer, I do believe that FLIR is making this confusing, I’m still going back and forth with a rep. and if you can PM me your reps name and email I’d like to sort this out.
I think FLIR needs to sort out this issue for themselves quite frankly.
Anyway I do see the FLIR ONE as having some utility even given it’s limitations,
I’ve been upfront about exploring this device for limited use.
Anyway, at least it’s gotten me thinking about IR and to do what degree I might want to utilize the technology, with training of course.
I sent you a personal message Tom.
Update - I am going to return the FLIR ONE after experimenting with the resolution with the MSX off, I agree that FLIR should not be marketing this as suitable for the work environment and have communicated that to them.
Will mostly likely continue my my exploration of adding IR to my services…
What pray tell made you come to that conclusion?
Good for you Tom. Wish you the best
Just a thought… The Flir one has a thermal degrees reading that no one appears to have shown. This feature alone would justify my purchasing it to aid in determining temperatures of circuits overheating, register readings and potential moisture issues. More importantly it could help determine and justify the presence of thermal anomalies that the human eye can not perceive. As to the quality of an iPhone camera, I have been using one since 2012 for all my inspection work with no issues. For $250 it’s a no brainier…
Your web site shows you have no infrared training to speak of. The thing about using a thermal imager is the things you CANNOT see are what kills you. Even the FLIR sales manager says the FLIR ONE is not recommended for professional home inspections.
But to some, their logic says … “if it is cheap then it must be right. Get in and get out as fast and cheap as possible”. No pride, no training and no work ethics needed. I can understand why you do not mention your infrared services on your website. Anything you say would just add to your liability. Your “no brainer” approach does not impress a building thermographer. Have a nice day.
Hey everyone, I bought the Fluke Vt 02 two months ago, Christmas special was $250. Played around with it, fun toy. It could be of help on an inspection, IMO. It was able to detect a puddle of water on tile/slab floor (I specifically tried it). Possibly the low humidity caused enough of a cooling evaporative effect.
Sold it to a friend two weeks later. The resolution was quite low.
It’s incredible how prices keep dropping. Cell phone cameras have amazing picture quality today. I remember when Kodak came out with the first digital camera.
The discussion reminds me of audiophiles and high priced stereo equipment, with all the parallels between price and sound quality. One person noted that the die hard debators were of an age where normally the hearing ability gets attenuated.
Give it a few years and that cell phone addition could be 120x resolution, and three figures.
Keep in mind that the reason prices drop is often because the Research & Development is done and paid for in the commercial products. Commercial products cost many times more, and are often years ahead in performance. While digital cameras have come down, the high end professional models are still in the tens of thousands of dollars (a Hasselblad digital back is still $15K or more, then you still need body and lens…). Same with InfraRed Thermography, while consumer products are appearing, the professional models still cost significantly more and do significantly more. Consumer products are not and will never be the same as professional or commercial products, and there is good reason for that (if they brought all the features down - then who would pay the R&D?)
I had a blind date with an audiophile in Thailand back in the 80"s.
Boy was I in for a surprise when we got back to his/her place and started fooling around with the equipment!!!
It was an aural experience I’ll never forget.
Yikes… :shock:
Yikes is right… I think??
John I appreciate what you do with IR training and services. I do not represent myself as a IR certified inspector. I do however see the benefits of the training courses you offer. I would use the Flir one as another tool to help substantiate what my instincts are suggesting is a potential problem. I’m an audiophile as well and would not give up my Nachamichi or McIntosh rig for a set of ear pods… I may however never get that 1959 Gibson Les Paul I dream about but the '84 reissue with Tim Shaw pickups is a good compromise.
Your approach to thermography is “care free” and “casual”, like picking out some ear pods. Then you claim not to be presenting yourself as a certified IR inspector, but feel confident to give advise based on your “no brainer” way of looking at things. But in your world, what does it matter if your wrong? FLIR says your wrong, but who cares, be happy.
I notice you present yourself as a certified mold inspector. If I came along and said that using a cheap little home testing kit works just as good as the methods and tools that a certified mold inspector uses… what would you think of my advise? Who needs training, right? Who needs proper tools? Be happy. What could go wrong if I miss something? As long as I tell people I am not a certified mold inspector, I can advise people like you do about IR?
What could go wrong when using a home testing kit for mold, and you don’t know what your doing?
http://www.prorestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Bennet-House-sized-300x225.jpg
The same mold issue can go horribly wrong if you miss moisture problems because of a inferior IR camera. If you tell the judge your not a certified IR inspector, but you did use an IR camera on the job… do you think that will save you? You might want to re-think that position. What were you doing using a tool that you confess that you do not know how to use?
Oh yes… be happy.
FLIR ONE returned and I ordered a FLIR i7, it’s above resnet standards, not a high end camera but should be good for my purposes.
Oh no!
Sorry, i7 is not good enough.
Much better choice for a home inspection entry level camera.
John, if you are relying on your infared camera to find moisture and prevent mold, that is a fundamental problem in and of itself. You may be highly trained with the tool, but clearly, you haven’t had any water or applied structural drying training. Folks should not ever rely on an infared camera to effectively find moisture no matter how good the technology is.
Since you already claim to be smarter than me, please teach me. I would love to hear what you have to say.
And you saw that where? Me saying I was smarter than someone? not something you will ever see or hear me say. You clearly love the technology. And it is a great tool. You and those devoted to the technology are the ones who jump ugly on others who want to apply it, but don’t hold the beliefs in it and credentials that you do. It can be very beneficial in a home inspection, can add value and can set a person apart in what they are inspecting and presenting. You don’t need to be a level 2 or 3 or 10 for that matter to do so. You have to simply understand what you are doing and the technology and how to apply it. I just happen to feel and know that paying $7000 to $14,000 for a camera to go along with $3000, to $5000 for training will not pay for itself in my market and probably in most. Who is willing to invest $10,000 to $20,000 into something they might break even on? I see you and others as simply trying to create a niche market within a group of people (home inspectors), which is fine if they want in. The camera companies have recognized this as well as prices have surely come down on the technology over the years. There is a saturation point though hence, the Flir One for everyday guy. I am not going to over-pay for training and equipment that won’t yield the outcome in the manner that I am seeking. I will however, pay for tools (but not over pay) that will help me become better at what I do, enhance my services within my price points and set me apart from my competition. I was lucky enough to be exposed to hands on training early on while in a different industry, prior to any real formal or shall I say, affordable opportunities to train with the gear. I simply understand it and how to apply it because of that good fortune. That simple. And I can speak the language if need be. If guys choose to pay for the training and equipment, I applaud them. It is what they want to do. But to me, It is like driving a $100,000 vehicle, when a $30,000 vehicle will work just as well. And if you know how to drive both…what does it really come down to? So stop being so emotional about it. I get that it is a passion for you. But it is just one limited aspect of things. And the amount of folks who can sell this as a stand alone service is probably limited as well. Again, selling a radon test to folks is tough enough and that is potentially health related. But I want to use the tool each day and apply the technology to my inspection and reporting. I have simply chosen an approach that allows this and actually helps me gain more customers in the process. So, I may not be charging for it, but it is drawing business in. These are my feelings, but keep in mind, I am also the only inspector in my area (and possibly my state), offering this aspect of service in an inspection. So rip away, but maybe you should wonder what in the heck those guys are doing. All the best!