Fluke makes a lot of high-end test and measurement tools. This week, they alerted us to their new Fluke Ti9 Thermal Imager, an entry-level instrument designed to meet the needs of electricians, electrical technicians, and HVAC technicians. It compares favorably with the Milwaukee M12 Thermal Imager. Fluke’s new Thermal Imager is compact and simple to use. Simply point and pull the trigger to capture full-color images that reveal hotspots and temperature gradients, indicating damaged equipment or faulty insulation points.
Fluke Ti9 Thermal Imager Features
The Fluke Ti9 Thermal Imager has a 160 x 120 resolution LCD screen and is IP54 rated, so the Ti9 resists dust and water and withstands a drop test of 2 meters. The Imager has an intuitive, three-button menu and is easy to use. You can pretty much work through the system with your thumb. There is also an adjustable hand strap, allowing it to work with either right- or left-handed technicians. The system operates effectively from -4 degrees F to over 482 degrees F (-20 degrees C to 250+ degrees C) with an accuracy of 5%.
The Fluke Ti9 Thermal Imager features four available color palettes for use with thermal imaging, including Ironbow, Blue-Red, High Contrast, and Grey. It has smooth auto-scaling and manual scaling of level and span. All images are stored on an SD memory card. A 2 GB card will store over 1200 fully radiometric (.is2) IR photos or 3000 basic (.bmp) IR images.
Fluke Ti9 Thermal Imager Specs
- LCD display: Backlit 3.6 in, 640×480 resolution
- Field of view: 23° x 17°
- Spatial resolution (IFOV): 2.5 mRad
- Minimum focus distance: 15 cm (6 in)
- Image refresh: 9 Hz (images/second)
- Detector: 160 X 120 focal plane array, uncooled microbolometer
- Infrared lens: 20 mm F = 0.8 lens
- Thermal sensitivity (NETD): ≤ 0.2 °C at 30 °C (200 mK)
- Infrared spectral band: 7.5 μm to 14 μm
No analysis software is required for the non-radiometric (.bmp) files, and the included SmartView software allows you to export files in JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG, TIFF, WMF, EXIF, and EMF formats. We like the 3.6″ display and the fact that, even though the sensor is just 160×120, the display is full VGA and the monitor has good color depth and brightness control over the LED backlight.
Final Thoughts
The kit includes SmartView full analysis and reporting software, and the Fluke Ti9 Thermal Imager has a rechargeable battery pack that takes 2 hours to recharge and lasts around 3-4 hours (continuous use). An included AC adapter can recharge the battery while the unit is in operation. The Ti9’s IP54 rating took a 2-meter drop and still kept on working. Fluke warranties this imager for a full 2 years (which coincidentally, is the calibration cycle).
The Fluke Ti9 Thermal Imager retails for $2495.
