The performance of your HVAC system can be difficult to monitor with the naked eye. Traditional tools are also complicated for Do It Yourself lovers. That’s why a simple, compact device is needed to help monitor your building or home and help identify necessary repairs that need to be made.
Seek Thermal products enable you to see the different aspects of a system from energy loss to electrical shorts, missing insulation, air leaks, or even a failing motor. The Seek line has a series of products including the CompactPRO which we’ll be looking at today, the Compact XR, and the Seek Compact.
The Seek CompactPRO can be used in almost every commercial setting that needs the taking of thermal readings in a building or construction site. The CompactPro can be used for spotting overheating motors, identifying unbalanced loads on electrical circuits, finding lose connections and many more.
Users have also found great usage as a hunting companion when picking out targets in challenging backgrounds although this is not its main use.
Features on the Seek CompactPRO
Seek Thermal CompactPRO is a thermal imaging camera that attaches directly to your smartphone. It gives you thermal images directly on your iOS or Android smartphone.
This unit is a direct successor of the Compact XR. It boasts high-resolution thermal sensor, fastframe, auto-calibration, wide temperature range, emissivity settings, a wide field of view, and a long distance range.
Great Thermal Resolution
For such a compact product, the Seek Thermal Compact PRO features 320 x 240 thermal sensor. It has 76,800 pixels which can capture temperatures. It offers high thermal sensitivity and maximum clarity images. Its thermal sensor has a 15Hz refresh rate which is reasonably fast.
Videos and images captured on the Compact PRO can be stored directly on your smartphone. It allows quick and simple posting of pictures. With the new Seek Mobile APP, you can also take radiometric JPEG images.
Users get to choose between 4:3 and 16:9 formats according to your phone or tablet format and size. This helps in displaying of high-clarity temperature data.
Adjustable Focus Lens
Most advanced cameras come with a focus-free lens, but the Compact PRO allows you to focus the lens so that you can choose the right imaging area. With an adjustable focus lens, you can take thermal images from as close as 6 inches or as far as 1800 ft away.
Adjustable Radiometric and Emissivity Controls
This device gives the user more control over the imaging process. Surfaces emit thermal radiation in different ways. With the CompactPRO you can adjust emissivity settings to account for these differences.
Emissivity affects the amount of energy that objects emit which in turn influences a thermal camera’s temperature calculation. A temperature reading that reflects correctly regarding the energy it emits has an emissivity of 1.
The CompactPRO allows you to match an object with its emissivity for a more precise temperature reading.
You can highlight the focus of this camera by adjusting the level and span. This is in terms of adjusting minimum and maximum temperature change. This way, you can eliminate and reduce unwarranted distractions. It gives you better precision than if you were just using a low-end infrared camera.
Image and Video Recording
Seek Thermal CompactPRO does not really have a learning curve when it comes to taking pictures. You will need to set the focus correctly using the rotary knob. This allows capturing of images efficiently since you’ll be able to spot the margins of the object you intend to obtain.
You’ll notice the high resolution as it lets you see tiny details much better. It displays pictures with smooth edges and less distortion as opposed to devices with a lower resolution. It has a wide selection of color palettes for every purpose.
The quality of videos is also admirable. It has a 15Hz frame rate. You can record videos according to the orientation of your phone. Whether it’s in landscape or portrait, the app turns with the way you rotate your phone.
Lightweight and Subtle
One of the major attractions of the Seek CompactPRO is the small size. It is a perfect pick for beginners who are not looking to invest in a full-size camera as they begin the trade. It can fit in your pocket where it will be ready for use at a moment’s notice.
Professionals will also love it when handling small projects that don’t need a heavy thermal camera.
Seek Thermal Compact Pro uses the battery power on your smartphone. It could be a drawback if the device drains the power as soon as you plug it in, but CompactPRO has been engineered to use the least energy possible. It even meets Apple’s strict standards on low energy consumption.
This device is only 0.5 ounces. It comes with a shock and waterproof protective case that allows the user to take it wherever you’d like no matter the ground and the weather.
Wide Field of View
Although the CompactPRO is a small unit, it has a substantial field of view at 32 degrees vertical and 24 degrees horizontal. It is pretty good as it fits most demanding applications in the professional world. It provides you with a vast viewing area where you don’t need to keep on zooming in on the image. You’ll also do not need to move the camera constantly. This helps you spot potential dangers in seconds.
Wide Temperature Range
The CompactPRO has temperature measurement range from -40° F to 626° F. It gets you into different environments from taking measurements in subzero temperatures to inspecting machines over 600° F.
It combines a wide temperature range with high sensitivity, standing at 0.07 C. It is no wonder many professionals and savvy homeowners see it as an equal to other high-end cameras!
Enhanced Seek Thermal App
Seek has a free Seek Thermal App available for download in Google and iTunes stores. It has an intuitive design which adds essential features for the professional user. It maximizes your phone’s power so that you can get the most out of this software.
Here are some features to expect from the Seek Thermal App:
Seven User modes
It helps you to control High/Low Temperature, Spot temperature, Above Threshold, Below Threshold, Equal Threshold, Level and Span, and Thermal + Visible.
Different Color Palettes
Users will have an easy method of examining data by the visual capabilities of the CompactPRO.
Thermal Level and Span
This feature allows users to select and lock a temperature range when you want it to display every thermal detail of a scene or object. Now you can capture the details that matter.
The Seek Compact vs. Seek Compact XR vs. Seek Compact PRO
Comparing Resolutions:
Seek Compact
Seek is pushing the limits in the world of thermal imagery. Three of its models have