Today I will be reviewing the newest entry in Flir’s portfolio of infrared imaging devices, the Flir TG165. Like all of the recent releases by Flir, this has been designed with visual appeal in mind as well as its technical prowess. This particular product fits the gap between full thermal imager and a pocket IR Thermometer. Without further ado, let’s break this thing open.

Opening the Box

Again, the first impression you get when you receive the package is the “Apple-esque” effort put into the packaging and display of the product.  Some will call this fluff that only adds to the price of an item (I find myself in this camp), but it does give you a sense of workmanship and the perception that this is a high value, high quality instrument. Inside the box you will find only the essentials, the camera itself, Quick Start Guide, an international charger, usb cable, and a lanyard. This is not a product that has a lot of accessories or bells and whistles; it is a pretty straightforward device that comes with all it will ever need.

Turning it On

If you are familiar with other Flir products you will notice right away that this thermometer loads insanely fast, usually in 2-3 seconds. Part of the reason for this is that it is not a full thermal imager and as such, it does not have as much data to load upon boot up. The menu is simple to navigate but if unsure of what options do what, the 2 page quick start guide walks you through each menu and what they do. There is not much to adjust in the setting but here are the things you are able to adjust.

• Emissivity: The default is .95 and there are three other quick settings for .80, .60 and .30. There is also an adjustable setting that allows you to change the emissivity in .01 increments.
• Laser Pointer: You can toggle this on or off
• Temperature Units: Can be selected as F or C
• Cross Hair: This option turns on or off the cross hair in the center
• Auto Power OFF: This option allows you to set the auto power off. 5 options are available for OFF, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 and 10 minutes.
• Date/Time Setting: Allows you to set the time and date. 12 or 24 hr option is available

Why buy the Flir TG165?

I want to start this section off with a disclaimer of sorts. It is really more a tempering of expectation. This unit is labeled as an Imaging IR Thermometer so it is good to understand what that really means. This is not a thermal imaging camera and as such it does not have the detail and sensitivity you may be looking for. The Flir TG165 is an IR Thermometer gun that is on steroids is the best way to describe it. The extra cost between this and a regular temperature gun is the visual representation of what you are seeing. An ordinary IR Thermometer is capable of taking a single measurement based on where you are pointing the device. The TG165 also technically gives you the temperature display of a single measurement but also allows you to see a spectrum of color on screen in relation to this point. It can be toggled between color and grayscale but color will probably be the most preferred option. The screen will display a range of colors that reflect the relative temperatures in relation to the scale. The scale is based on the hottest and coolest temperatures it is currently seeing on the display. Those two temperatures will be represented by their prospective colors, Dark Blue / Purple for coldest and White for the hottest. The order of temperature is as follows from coldest to hottest.

Dark Purple >> Blue >> Green >> Yellow > > Red >> Pink >> White.

As you can see in the picture to the right, the ability to see temperature reflected in a color spectrum allows you to quickly scan an electrical box or a motor housing and find anything running hotter than it should. With a normal temp gun you would have to take multiple readings for each fuse or section of motor. This is more akin to finding a needle in a haystack at times where the Flir TG165 would let you see the whole haystack in one swoop. This is why you purchase an item like this over the old method of IR Temperature Guns. Of course if this isn’t enough for you there is always the Flir E4 to keep you occupied and open the doors to the world of Thermal Imaging.

Operating the TG165

This is a very simple product to pick up and learn how to operate. As I discussed earlier, there is not a lot of options to fiddle with and most people will stick with the base emissivity of .95. After that you decide how you want the temperature measured and if you want the cross hairs and the lasers turned on. The screen will display the time of day and the Emissivity selected on the bottom bar of the screen. The top bar will keep the current measured temperature and the battery life as well as an icon for the laser and the SD card if they are both being used. After that, it is really just as simple as pointing the thermometer where you need to measure and clicking the trigger to capture the image if needed. Transferring the images to a computer is very simple. Turn off the unit and connect the thermometer to the computer via the supplied usb cable.

Wrap Up

All in all, this is a very competitive unit in a very competitive market. Flir does offer a 10yr warranty on the IR Detector if the product is registered within 60 days of purchase which does help set it apart from other instruments. You can rest assured that this will be a part of your arsenal for many years and makes the overall cost much more manageable. While these types of devices are light on features, the time savings and information you will be gathering from using the TG165 makes it a very attractive purchase to replace any existing IR Thermometer guns. What are your thoughts on these Imaging IR Thermometers? Do they provide enough use for you to make the jump or are you still apprehensive? Let us know what you think in the comments!