Dropped $150 on a thermal camera for my phone, found a hot capacitor in seconds

It paid for itself on the first repair, a TV power board that had me stumped for an hour. Anyone have a cheaper tool that works just as well for finding heat spots?

3 comments

3 Comments

walker.jana1mo ago

What brand did you get?

the_riley3d ago

Wait, has nobody mentioned that the brand you pick can totally change how you hold the phone? I found that out the hard way. Those clip-on lens systems are great for image quality, but you have to think about the case you're using and how the lens mounts to the phone. Some brands just use a little magnet ring that you stick on, and if your phone case is thick or has a weird lip, the thing can just fall off when you grab for it. Your mileage may vary, but I swear the mounting method is way more important for real-world use than the glass quality in a lot of cases. I'd rather have a slightly blurry shot than a perfectly clear one of the ground because my lens popped off while I was trying to get a photo.

the_tessa1mo ago

A hundred and fifty bucks for a phone camera? That's a serious chunk of change for a single tool. I would have just kept poking at that board with my multimeter forever.