We’re used to pulling out our phones, snapping a picture, and letting the camera figure out the settings. So how hard could it be to point an infrared camera at a breaker panel and see what’s running hot? As I learned on this episode, getting the picture is the easy part. Knowing what temperature it actually represents takes some expertise.
On episode 825 of This Week in Radio Tech, we’re joined by Dan Gunter, an Alabama contract broadcast engineer who takes care of several radio stations and is also a certified thermographer. Dan explains how air temperature, humidity, and the surface you’re measuring can all affect a reading. That last part involves emissivity, which is how readily a surface gives off infrared energy. A shiny metal surface, for example, can reflect heat from something nearby and make the image easy to misread.
Dan walks us through which readings you can trust, which ones need an adjustment, and what to expect from different materials around a broadcast plant. Join us for TWiRT 825 and hear how Dan uses infrared thermography to spot trouble before it takes a station off the air.
Show Notes:
Using a thermal camera with your phone. FLIR’s guide walks through its iPhone and Android app, including how to take a thermal image, use spot temperature readings, and adjust emissivity.
Why shiny metal can fool a thermal camera. This illustrated explainer shows how surfaces at the same temperature can look different in a thermal image, and how a shiny surface can reflect heat from somewhere else in the room.
How to get certified in infrared thermography. The Infrared Training Center outlines its Level I courses, what the training and exam cover, and an option focused on electrical inspections.
Guest:
Dan Gunter - Owner of Alabama Broadcast Services, LLC
Host:
Kirk Harnack, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, OMG, & Akamai Broadcasting
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