Infrared cam

[case-sensitive]

Hello,

I just modified my webcam like this

Infra Red Webcam

but it would still need an infrared light source (2.5 lux sensitivity) . Is there anything else, like a CCTV module I could hook up to my PC? Try to to some infrared pictures of my house, to check for heat losses,

Cheers,

Case

 

[Mike_2545]

An Infrared camera is not a thermal camera.

 

[case-sensitive]

but doesn't a thermal camera go for infrared radiation?

 

[dknguyen]

Infrared is the label for a very wide frequency range of EM radiation. The highest frequency of this range is just below the visible colour red. Near-IR is the red just outside our visible spectrum and cameras inherently capture this unless filtered out. But thermal radiation (heat vision) is a much lower frequency. Both are infrared.
https://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/infrared.html

 

[case-sensitive]

a CCTV cam would not do the trick either I suppose? Its more sensitive, but still too short wavelengths? But what about this night vision cams, they would sense heat?

 

[dknguyen]

Unfortunately no. If you had a thermal camera, you would know it. Thermal radiation is very low energy which makes it realy hard to detect. THermal cameras are at least $1000. Can't really cook one up- think CCD camera, but with thermopiles/thermocouples.

 

[case-sensitive]

I see. Thought I can beat FLIR. Don't have 5000$ in my back pocket just now.
I just had these discovery channel pics in mind, deer is in grey, background black, this would have been good enough. Wooden house, uninsulated, single glazed, suppose when the heater is running the outside wall would be glowing in IR....

 

[dknguyen]

For the deer...night vision.

 

[case-sensitive]

I see.
HowStuffWorks "How Night Vision Works"

so its not going to work for the small buck :-(

 

[Mr RB]

I see. Thought I can beat FLIR. Don't have 5000$ in my back pocket just now.
I just had these discovery channel pics in mind, deer is in grey, background black, this would have been good enough. Wooden house, uninsulated, single glazed, suppose when the heater is running the outside wall would be glowing in IR....

Glue a peltier cooler to a camera and put it in an insulated and airtight housing to keep moisture out. Instant FLIR. If you get condensation on your glass window heat the window with a couple of resistors glued to it. You don't have to get the camera that cold to get a decent heat vision unit.

There's some instructables/blogs etc out there...

 

[case-sensitive]

if the sensor in my camera is not able to receive the wavelength of thermal IR, will it make a difference?