Dropped $60 on a thermal camera attachment, now I see all the ghosts

Picked up one of those phone thermal camera dongles last month to chase a hot spot on a server PSU. It found a failing cap on a graphics card that had no visible bulge, saved me from a fried board later that week. Anyone else use thermals for the weird little wins or did I just find my favorite toy?

2 comments

2 Comments

jason_knight5d ago

My buddy Rick in Reno used one to find a cold draft under his neighbor's floor, turned out they had a busted pipe leaking water into the crawlspace, saved the whole foundation before it collapsed.

jesse_smith105d ago

Man that story sounds a little dramatic. A thermal camera finding a cold draft is one thing, but saving the whole foundation before it collapsed? That's a stretch. Most of those cheap handheld ones just show you a blue spot on a wall, not some hidden disaster movie moment. Plus if the pipe was already leaking that bad, the water damage would've been pretty obvious way before any camera came out. Not saying they're useless, but that buddy Rick story sounds like someone trying to justify a pricey gadget purchase.