# Seek Thermal



## Throwjunkie

Just got the new Seek thermal imager last week. for those who don't know about the device its a device that plugs into the charging port of your cell phone and displays thermal Images on your screen. I wasn't thinking the unit would be that great but after getting it and trying it out I'm extremely pleased with it. Images are very clear not as good as some of the Flir gear I used in the Marine corp. but its DAMN good I bought the XR version meaning extended range. it also has a focusable Lense to sharpen the images your seeing. Do a search for SEEK thermal, I bought my direct from seek and got it in a weeks time. they are for Android and Apple and use a free app from the play store to run the device.


Joe


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## CDP930

I've had mine for a few months now. Super cool. Wasn't aware of the extended range version. If you have watched any of the promo vids can you say how much better the range is?


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## blah9

Yeah that is a really cool device. My friend has one and he let me take it home to play with it one night. My favorite thing I did with it was using the hair dryer to draw on the carpet and other objects. It's a lot of fun. I didn't use it for anything useful when I had access to it though haha.


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## Eskimojo

I have the Seek Thermal XR in the mail (expected this week). 
Hopefully I can find some useful application for it other than just the suggested uses on the thermal webpage. 
None of the other low priced thermals has the range I need living in a subzero area of the world. 
I will update with pictures and usability as soon as possible.


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## Throwjunkie

you can see the difference in some of the video, Tho id say its dependent on the users ability to focus the device. I plan on using my device for hunting and scouting will be nice to see what's moving about under my tree stand in total darkness. I often have deer moving rite by me in the dark while hunting. will also be great during turkey season to help me with setting up on roost sites so I don't get so close they can see me setting up. I have a 3D printer so Ill be making a goggle system to mount the phone into so it keeps stray light down to a min. the goggle can be made from cardboard there are many plans on these on the net search virtual android goggle. I'll be heading to my property this weekend coming to see how far this thing can see I have deer entering an 1100 yard open field down in a corner I plan to stalk towards the area till I see the signature and then to the point I can make out what it is I'm seeing.


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## PhotonWrangler

I have the Seek thermal imager also. I have the original one for Android. It's been fascinating to see heat distribution in equipment racks. I can tell at a glance where we need to make adjustments to air conditioning flows.

The microbolometer for the Seek is higher resolution than the Flir One. Flir compensates for this by overlaying an edge-detected image from a conventional camera, which makes the image appear to be more distinct, but at the expense of actual thermal resolution. This is what drove me to the Seek device (well, that and the fact that the Seek is significantly less expensive and compatible with more devices, even some tablets). They don't advertise it as tablet compatible, but you can sideload the apk onto an Android tablet and it will work, providing the tablet is running a current version of the OS that supports USB OTG.


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## Throwjunkie

Photon that's exactly why I chose the seek over the Flir also. and yes it sure does work with some Tablets I'm contemplating switching my OS version on my Samsung galaxy 4 Tab. Seek has said they are working on other OS versions to try and get more compatibility with such devices, so I may just wait to see what's offered in the future. I'm honestly in no hurry to get it to my tablet since it works on my galaxy note 3 phone already, but larger screen would be smoking nice. I have used it around the house to check my windows and such, But my purpose for it is hunting. 

Joe


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## PhotonWrangler

It works well on my Asus Memopad 7, although the connector faces the wrong way, so I bought a 6" OTG extension cable and I then attach the camera to the back of the pad with a small piece of velcro. It is much nicer to have a larger screen. I think if you go much beyond a 7" tablet though, you won't see more resolution, just larger pixels.

An OTG extension cable differs form a regular USB extension in that all 5 pins are wired through - +5v, GND, TX, RX and sense. The sense pin is critical for OTG to work properly. Without it, the host won't detect the camera.

You can also use a longer OTG extension cable to snake the camera into inaccessible spots.


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## Throwjunkie

I ended up making a slide on bracket and holder for my seek so it can attack to the back of my cell phone because I keep my phone in a otter box the device wont fit into the port I also choose a 6" extension to make the connection then later bought a 12" so I could slide the bracket up higher on the rear of the phone. If they release a OS version I can run on my tablet ill make a bracket and holder for it as well I do have a small 7" tablet I jail broke and installed android on gonna dig that out and try it on that tablet. Ill post some pics in a few min of the bracket for my phone. I'm printing out the Goggle to make it VR as I type this.


Joe


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## Throwjunkie




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## PhotonWrangler

Nice job, throwjunkie. I gouged out a little chunk from the bottom of my case to allow the camera to plug in. Your solution looks very good for an Otterbox.


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## Throwjunkie

TY I should have left it be as it came off the printer but it was quite glossy. I roughed it with some fine sandpaper to knock off the gloss. I may end up shooting some ultra flat duracoat on it.


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## Eskimojo

Finally got to it. 
My iOS version is here. 
First impression of the XR version is great. 
Focus is good although the 20 degree lens is a bit narrow. 
The new and improved Thermal+ with pan and zoom works brilliantly. 
Without much effort the pictures (almost) line up. 
Long range detection (people walking on sea ice) also good.


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## Throwjunkie

awesome is the thermal+ a different version or something for only iOS

Here is a teaser of the goggle im working on just need to design and print the lense holders


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## Eskimojo

As of version 1.8.6 for Android the same is possible. 
Makes a big difference with pan and zoom to line up the images. I double click on the real image, set it and double click again. 
The first Seek has a 36 degree fov and the xr has only 20. 
But the adjustable focus makes it all worth it. 
Very detailed pictures. 
I tried to upload pictures but system won't allow me - at least from the phone. :what:


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## Throwjunkie

Go to photobucket and set up a free account you can then DL your pick to there and use them to host your pictures here


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## Eskimojo

I'll try that. 😄


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## Throwjunkie

ok I updated my seek so I can get the extra features and now its even better then before. I'm not sure why it didn't auto update I have that set to on, but no matter I have it now. I'm waiting on the lenses for the Goggle set and ill be playing around with that I hope this works it will be nice to have it attached while on stand waiting for daylight as well as night critter hunting. I have a DIY night vision set up on my 223 vermin riffle. was very simple to build and works extremely well.


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## Eskimojo

Nice I'd like to see that. 
I just attached a cable to mine - I stay in the car and reach the Seek out the window so do my searches. 
My only rifle is a 6.5x55 mm old hand build from 1942.


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## Throwjunkie

here you go brother this is where I got the idea built the same set up for my riffle he has 5-6 videos on different set ups and some links in the description area to forums in the UK where this all got started. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wnNFR99xGI


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## Eskimojo

Just authored a long and eloquent response and the system told me I wasn't logged in Hahaha.


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## Throwjunkie

lol I hate that sometimes you can back button it and copy then log in a paste, but sometimes it doesn't work.


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## PhotonWrangler

I think it's one of Murphy's Laws - the longer reply, the more likely it will vanish into the ether with a single click. That's happened to me many times.

The development of inexpensive microbolometers is really democratizing thermal imaging, making it accessible to the masses. I've always wanted to have a thermal imager but could never justify the cost of it until now. I figure it will eventually pay for itself by showing me where I need to add insulation to the house. The rest of the possible uses are icing on the cake.


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## Throwjunkie

That's a good way to look at it. I personally wanted my own the first evening I strapped one on in the Corp. I do work for Flir and see some of the products that were in use in the military and some to come. What's available to me now as a civy doesn't hold a candle to what we used, but its damn good and will get the job done That is if you have DEEEEEP pockets. Then along came Seek thermal For me portability was a huge factor yeah I could have saved up and just sunk some cash into a good handheld or even a riffle mounted device, but I'm not hunting long distance. I needed to be able to pick up the signature of my intended target then move in for the take down. The Seek thermal fills every bill its light weight fits in a shirt pocket costs very little considering what your getting and can reach out to 1-200 Yards easily couple that with good imagery and its perfect for any OTG outdoorsman. Now I did shoot my house with it and take care of some drafty windows as well so that keeps the wife happy, happy wife happy life. I would venture to say if you have large utility bills due to drafts and such this is a money saver for sure once the repairs are made. gotta love a product that saves money and fun to boot.

Joe


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## jasonck08

Just got mine today, been wanting one for a while. I have the XR one... They advertised it as something like up to a 2x zoom. But im not sure how to adjust that? I can only seem to adjust the focus, not sure if I am missing something obvious. Only played with it for about 30 minutes so far. Not read any of the documentation yet. 

I did find out something kind of interesting. I took it out in my backyard and my stucco registered a temperature of up to about 140F. My neighbors house is might lighter in color and is facing the sun in the same direction and only registered about 115F. That is quite a big difference! Paint is causing the outside temperature of my stucco to be 25F hotter than a lighter paint color! On the flip side, I do have a large butterfly bush blocking part of the sun on the house. The stucco behind that bush read just 70F. Yes, a full 70F cooler! Insane how much cooler some shade can make your house!


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## Eskimojo

I would say it's not a zoom but a focus that can change the sensors focus point. 
And therefore it can "see" much further.


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## Throwjunkie

yes agree with eskimojo. there is also aspect ratio gives a short zoom effect. The difference in heat your seeing is probably due to the darker color absorbing and holding the heat longer. light colors reflect dark absorb so seems rite to me. had a blast at my property with it over the weekend was picking up deer across my field with no trouble set off into the woods and was easily able to detect roosted turkeys with target temp set at 100 deg F Its safe to say this little device will be a great hunting tool for me as I spotted deer in the field could see them on thermal and was able to circle around through the woods never detected normally Id be walking in that field spooking them out as I was going hunting in the morning. this will definitely put more game on the table I assure you.


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## Eskimojo

TJ remember to update the app.
Seem there are bug fixes and performance improvements.


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## Throwjunkie

heading to the property tonight to play with the Thermal some more. Going to spend the weekend scouting the Turkeys for the upcoming season in April. Still waiting on the lenses for my Goggle gotta love china shipping lol


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## Eskimojo

Oh yes China shipping is the thing to wait for. (But then again most is free so I guess that's worth waiting for)
Where we live what we can get is expensive (can't get much) so we buy a lot online. 
Folks here are quite impressed with the Seek and I just ordered 2 for others. 
Still haven't gotten around to link to my pictures. (Yet)


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## Eskimojo

The local fire chief and a local carpenter saw my camera and now ordered for themselves.


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## Throwjunkie

lol had a blast with the seek thermal last weekend spotted Deer, Turkeys and 2 fox at my property. This device has been helpful in my Scouting for the upcoming Turkey season and I have gotten much use from it around the house and work was able to see a lack of heat transfer into a heatsink for a control module that kept burning out.


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## Eskimojo

Oh could be cool to detect foxes. I sometimes do wildlife control around an USAF base. 
With the Seek, spotting would be so much easier. 
At work we have a bathroom that's always cold and management never listened to complains until I took pictures that gave them a visual of the problem. Now it'll be fixed.


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## Throwjunkie

Yep fox stand out well on the device. Here is something I found out Friday. I service the equipment at FLIR here in Maryland, turns out the Seek thermal device is actually made by FLIR. I talked at length with one of the Head guys there about the device as well as FLIR branded devices. we exchanged Information because it turns out he and I have much in common. I turned him onto some Information on a Night vision system I made for my riffle and in turn he offered me the use of his discount to buy FLIR branded products. Since I've had my eye on a riffle scope for some time now that's actually gonna be a reality for me. I have been in that facility many times and never asked questions about the stuff they do there due to it being mostly Military fitment that goes on there. Turned out to be an awesome work day for me.


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## Eskimojo

Wow that's great  And interesting information..
For me the Seek was the only choice (between Seek, FLIR ONE and Thermal App) both in regards of price and temperature detection range. 
I've always dreamt of the FLIR Scout, but it's too pricy for me. Or I don't need it enough. Think I'd rather spend the 3 grand on something else. Hahaha. 
I've ordered 3 more Seeks by the way. 
Had a problem with a heated floor and the contractor that came to fix it told me I'd be able to see if the change of valves had any effect the next day. 
I told him I'd be able to see it right away and got the Seek. It was obvious that his circumvention worked. 
He asked me to get him a Seek right there. 
Ordered 2 extra so sell. 
I'm over seas now and have to make a few tweeks to get them here. That's why others ask me to get them. 
By the way I noticed my lense (directly from Seek) is quite firm to turn. Feels very sturdy. 
The 2 others I got from Amazon were a little loose to the turn. 
Looking forward to see how the next ones feel.


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## SemiMan

Can someone quote on the ability to focus and get good resolution at short distances, say 4-6" and getting resolution of say 1/16 - 1/8". I need a bunch of thermal imagers for a project and if I can get away with something like this that would be great. 

I noticed a third party company was selling a lens they claim is better than the XR when added to the standard camera.

Semiman


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## Eskimojo

I can test it and see if the results are acceptable. 
Please reveal more info on that third party company. Sounds interesting.


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## drummer132132

SemiMan said:


> Can someone quote on the ability to focus and get good resolution at short distances, say 4-6" and getting resolution of say 1/16 - 1/8". I need a bunch of thermal imagers for a project and if I can get away with something like this that would be great.
> 
> I noticed a third party company was selling a lens they claim is better than the XR when added to the standard camera.
> 
> Semiman



Have a name of the company or item for the lens? Been thinking of picking up a Seek Thermal for house stuff but also outdoors. The XR is perfect for outdoor/distance but the regular version is better for indoor but if there is a detachable lens for the regular version one can kill 2 birds with 1 stone.


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## Eskimojo

The one thing that makes the "regular version" better is the 36 degrees field of view where the XR version has only 20 degrees.
On the other hand the XR does a pretty good job and to me the focus part makes all the difference.

1 http://i61.tinypic.com/15n0oxy.jpg
2 http://i60.tinypic.com/mcyyz4.jpg
3 http://i60.tinypic.com/b7kt44.jpg
4 http://i61.tinypic.com/311qpkx.jpg

The XR is not only better on long distances but also on short - The regular version has a better field of view but with a fixed focus. I don't know at what distance it's tuned in on.

On the above pictures you can see
1) A dark warehouse, white is hot they just got some boxes out of the freezer.
2) Floor heating valve from 3 feet
3) Same thing from around 7 inches Notice the paint chips are visible.
4) Again but from 4 inches. The resolution is great on the Seek and the focus lens is working great

If there is a third party lens to apply to the regular version - and it work as good as the XR it may be an option (price?) because then you could get a 36 degree FOV.
But it have to be a pretty neat lens with easy attachment before I'd go for it.


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## Throwjunkie

Eskimojo: My lense is pretty firm as well and my unit is direct from Seek also. I was unable to find the XR in android on amazon so I went directly through seek IMO its better that way for warranty purposes anyhow. The XR version is said to have a macro feature, though I haven't used it on mine, the info says its better for close up images due to the focusable lense. I have my company looking at the Seek device as a tool for techs. I have been using mine quite a bit to show heat transfer into electronic boards even used it to find a bad resistor on a circuit board that was opening up when it heated up breaking the circuit when it would cool down the circuit would close and the unit would work till the resistor heated up again. was puzzling 4 techs trying to find out what was going on lol


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## Eskimojo

Funny you say that about buying directly from Seek. 
I've seen others making there opposite deduction from the same argument. That Amazon had a better return policy. 
If you look in the bottom of the Seek retail box you can see instructions to always return the unit directly to Seek if you experience any problems. 
But I'm not sure how they will react if I shipped from Europe. 
Amazon on the other hand does accept the return no matter where I am (I must pay the shipping myself).
As you can see in my other post the macro function is quite good. 
(I had to log on through a computer to upload picture )
20 degrees FOV is quite a difference compared to 36 degrees but the ability to focus makes it all worth it. 
I use my Seek at many different distances and I don't think I'd be happy with a fixed focus. 
I'm looking forward to see (feel) the next 3 cameras and compare firmness Hahaha.


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## drummer132132

So I'm torn between getting a Seek Thermal or waiting to see how good the new Flir One is with its updated design and resolution. To wait or not to wait, any recommendations?


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## Eskimojo

Well resolution is amazing on the Seek. Just see the pictures in my previous post. 
I have been thinking of the new flir as well but it doesn't seem it offers any better temperature range than the present one and if that's the case I really can't go with it. Seek ranges from -40 and way up whereas flir only goes from freezing to boiling. 
Naturally it offers some very preventable photos and state of the art software for the computer (I might even want one) but if I had to choose one or the other my choice stays with Seek. Unless they really step it up in the new flir.


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## SemiMan

The spatial resolution looks good but the thermal resolution/contrast looks poor.

Posted by really crappy Tapatalk app that is questionable wrt respect of personal data.


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## drummer132132

It's funny the new flir gives me the impression that it would be perfect for house related projects while the seek thermal XR seems fantastic for outdoors/distance etc.


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## Eskimojo

Well the Seek is 206*156 and the flir is only 80*60 so the Seek does have better thermal resolution. 
Regarding the focus flir one is fixed and the Seek xr is adjustable. 
The second camera on the flir is the one thing that I'd say makes a difference.


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## drummer132132

Eskimojo said:


> Well the Seek is 206*156 and the flir is only 80*60 so the Seek does have better thermal resolution.
> Regarding the focus flir one is fixed and the Seek xr is adjustable.
> The second camera on the flir is the one thing that I'd say makes a difference.



The new flir one is supposed to have 4xresolution in comparison to the old version. I agree with you the second camera or MSX technology does make a big difference on detail when in a lighted environment but a dark area it would solely rely on its thermal sensor and therefore be behind the seek. I might splurge and get the new flir one for home use, where fixed focus would potentially be more helpful, but out hiking or outdoors in general the seek thermal XR I'd rather have so maybe both? Decisions! Ugh [emoji52]


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## Eskimojo

Hahahaha I'm with you on that one. I feel greedy wanting both. 
Even more so if it gets 19000 pixels.


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## Eskimojo

Finally got around to write a review on Amazon. I was supposed to be short and informative but ended up longer an maybe informative. 
I might even have forgot stuff. 
Anyway. 

Now I may be biased as I've been waiting for a price effective thermal camera for years. 
But I don't need I enough to pay more than $300.

I searched the web thoroughly before I decided what to buy. I considered the Flir One and Therm App and read all I could about them as well.
The first thing I noticed was that temperature range is way better on the Seek.
TA can't detect high and low temperatures (from -10°C to +50°C (-4°F to +122°F)) so that limits the usefulness for me and the price is quite high (almost 6 times the Seek). 
Flir doesn't go subzero at all (32 °F to 212 °F (O °C to 100 °C)) 
So with (much) better range and a good price the choice was easy (I live way up north and intended to use it outside some of the time and it actually gets that cold here sometimes)

When I got the camera I liked the retail packaging. Feels as a good product even before you open it. (My seal was broken by Amazon for "inspection purposes" - I expect someone couldn't help themselves to try it out - I'm not complaining and I understand - hope you had fun). 

The camera was much smaller than I had guessed (I knew the specs but never thought of size as an issue). The carrying case was sturdy and apparently watertight (haven't tested that - but they claim it is on their homepage).
The camera itself felt rough as well, nice magnesium body and very light. 

There's no instructions what so ever other than to get the app and plug in the camera. The app has a reasonable size and I had downloaded it before I got the camera. 
If you buy directly from Seek you will have to setup an account. This is not the same account used by the camera. And if you want to ask questions on their support site - you've guessed it - you have to setup a third account. 
If you worry about privacy don't setup accounts just press an extra button when you startup the app to accept the terms of use.

I use a wallet type case for my phone and had no problem fitting the Seek without the case getting in the way. It seated just fine. I realise that this may not be the case (no pun intended) with all case tyoes but depends on design of your specific type of case. 

First thing I realized using the camera was that 20° fov is very narrow. I had to keep my distance from objects if I wanted an overview of things. 
It was the cause of a little irritation to begin with but now I'm used to it and it works fine both indoors and outdoors.

Next thing was the software. It's not intuitive at all. Often you have to look for the right button and while in changing settings you have to go through 2 steps to get back before you can take a picture or movie (not sound on the movies by the way - but you know that if you read the specs).
That is a constant source of irritation together with the fact that some controls switch places and gets mirrored when the camera tilts. 
I hope an update will change that one day (updates can update your camera's firmware by the way).

The focus lens (not a zoom lens) works as expected. I've successfully focused on objects as close as 4 inches and as far as 1500 feet. On short ranges a picture can get very detailed because of the good resolution. On a distance it makes a difference as to how small and how far you can detect a heat source. Pictures from afar does not get sharp but you would know that if you researched just a little. 

Focusing on most objects with just a little texture shows how accurate this camera is. 
Most low resolution thermals produce blurry picture and Flir introduced the msx technology to outline the picture so you can see what it was you took a picture of, but in most cases the Seek pictures are very clear and objects are easily distinguished. Provided there's enough contrast in temperatures. Therm App has a higher resolution than Seek but as mentioned the price is way up and temperature detection is much narrower than the Seek. 

I bought an extension cable for my camera because I'm lazy and won't bother to get out of my car. I can hold the camera out the window and it works fine. It can be a little difficult to point but it does work. Only thing you have to take in to account is that the app orient itself according to the phones position and not the cameras. (You can take pictures that shows upside down on your computer, but even native programs on any Mac or pc can easily turn them).

I wrote to Seek regarding exif and thermal data in the pictures. There's no data stored with the pictures and what you see is what you get (other companies saves thermal data with pictures thus making it possible to process the pictures later on a computer - change the color scheme for instance).
Seek wrote to me that they might update firmware later to include this data witch would be a major improvement but not necessarily something all users need. 

In the settings you can change what temperature scale to use (Fahrenheit, Celsius and Kelvin).
Aspect ratio can be set to 4:3 or 16:9. The first will utilize more of the thermal sensor and the latter fits better on modern screens (but be advised that what really happens is that the 4:3 picture is cut to fit)
It's possible to ad watermarks to your pictures. You'll find 3 options in the settings: "Date & Time", Location and Seek Logo. They can be chosen individually and the fact that you can turn off the Seek Logo is a plus (not possible on Flir cameras - don't know about Therm App)..
The date, time and location is taken from your phone so if the date or time is off so will the watermark be. If your location on the phone is turned off you won't be able to get a precise location on the picture (I don't know why I have to tell you this but apparently not all think about this) 
The camera I heavily relying on the phones cpu and that's what keeps the price down.

The software allows you to change between 9 different color palettes: white, black, iron, cool, amber, indigo, tyrian, glory and envy.
They will each show temperatures in a mix of gradient and different colors. 
I've found that the same motive can be more or less clear/obvious depending on the palette used.

it's possible to have the temperature shown on the picture either in spot mode (temperature measured and shown in the middle of the picture) and High/Low mode where highest and lowest temperature within the frame is shown. 

There is a search mode where you can have the camera highlight temperatures higher, lower or exactly a given temperature.

In the thermal+ mode you can use the camera together with the phones camera and slide between the 2. If you double press on the normal picture you'll be able to zoom and pan the picture so it fits the thermal picture. With a little practice the 2 pictures can be lined up to almost perfection a feature that is very useful.
When you take a picture in this mode 2 pictures will be saved to the phone. An ordinary and a thermal. Within the app you can still slide between the two but that is not the case when you export the pictures or see them in your phones image viewer (goes without saying, but still saying it)
If you take the picture in one of temperature modes the temperature will be shown on both pictures. 

All in all I'm very satisfied with this camera. 
I have both ios and android version and this review goes for both. 
Only difference I've noted is that the ios version seems to fit firmer in the phone and can be set both ways in the phone. 
For the android version, on a phone with the micro usb turned the "wrong" way a small cable works fine. 
The narrow field of view can be irritating at first but when you get used to it it's not a problem. 
I'd say that the fixed focus on the regular version would be a greater source of irritation to me. 

Pros: price , temperature range (-40C to 330C), adjustable focus, size (smaller than expected), sturdy carrying case, build quality, app has many useful features, range of detection (from macro to long distance), ability to adjust normal and thermal picture to line up (thermal+ function)

Cons: flat photos (no exif or thermal data saved with the photos, thus no possibility of tweaking the photos on computer later), fov is very narrow, (20 degrees compared to regular versions 36), app is messy and not intuitive (some controls even move around on the screen when entering functions or tilting the unit),


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## Throwjunkie

My Amazon exp has been so so with returns if I buy fulfilled by amazon its not a problem to return it. a good number of sellers in my exp don't reply to messages about products needing replacement/warranty. I build Vape gear (E-Cig) and run a full time business doing that in addition to my regular job many customers prefer to send the product direct to me and cut out the extra step going through the store they purchased from. I'd personally rather send my goods back to the manufacturer then go through a middle man. That's just me though. I'll talk to my contact at FLIR and see how much better the FLIR one will be over the older model. I will tell you in talking to him he shared with me that he also prefers the SEEK device over the FLIR one (Present) He didn't mention a Newer version to me so its hush hush or probably still not better then the seek. I will ask him though 

I am finding my Seek to be an awesome outdoors device but its also equally as good indoors for checking the normal household items. Tomorrow I'm taking it to the gun range. I want to see how much heat is carried downrange with the Projectile into the target. I'm also hoping it will aid in slug recovery from the dirt bank so I can retrieve my slug any not one of the tens of thousands from other shooters. will also be setting it up in video to see if its possible to pick up the heat sig of the projectile traveling downrange. I'm betting it wont but would be cool is it can.


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## Eskimojo

Just saw a review on Amazon where someone complains about a loose focus wheel. 
Some also complains about the narrow fov deeming it unfit for indoor use. 
I got used to that very fast and it doesn't bother me at all. 
As I wrote I think the fixed focus would bother me more. 
I took a picture from less than 3 inches today and details are amazing.
When I get the 3 new cameras from Amazon I'm gonna see if the focus wheels are loose with them too. If they are I'll ask Seek about it.


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## PhotonWrangler

Mine came in really handy at work today. There was a bank of rectifiers in a rack, one of which had a high temperature alarm. The techs were struggling with trying to figure out which module was the bad one. I fired up the Seek, aimed it at the panel and spotted the hot one in under 3 seconds.


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## Eskimojo

👍 people around me look at the Seek as a toy at first but they all quickly see that there's many real uses for it ..


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## drummer132132

Imo they should sell the 36 degree fov with adjustable focus or an add on.


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## PhotonWrangler

I would love to see a version with swappable lenses.


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## drummer132132

I really can't commit to either right now. The xr fov is just to narrow and seems like it forces me to buy it for outdoor use and buying the original version for indoor. If the 36 degree fov had adjustable focus it would be no question.


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## PhotonWrangler

I have the original and I haven't had a need to do really close-up stuff so the variable focus hasn't been a real need for me. It would be nice to have but if I had to decide again, I would stick with the original fixed focus wider-view version.


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## Eskimojo

I use it for so many different things and I'm very happy with the XR. Would be nice with 16 degrees extra gov but it's still a no-brainer for me. I want the versatility of the XR over the fixed focus.


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## Throwjunkie

same here Eskimojo 
I had a blast with it at the range yesterday. While I was setting up targets a Deer stepped up to the range, one of the other shooters pointed it out so I clipped on the Seek and showed the guys how nice the device is. it was still pretty dark, but we could easily see it was a deer once I turned the Seek onto it I had undivided attention of every shooter at the range. I spent half an hour of range time taking down email addresses to send folks a link to get a Seek. I wish I could use it on my tablet, I'm using it on the Galaxy note 3 it has a good size screen, but Id really like having it on the tablet. 

Shooting was pretty cool I wasn't able to see the round fly down range maybe if I could ultra slow motion the video. It was pretty cool though to see the hot spots where the Bullet passed through the target. Recovering my slugs was a snap was also able to locate every casing that was mine amongst the many others scattered around.


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## dc38

Gah.if amazon wasnt so retarded i would have mine by now.


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## Eskimojo

TJ nice..
I kinda guessed that you wouldn't be able to film something (that) fast. The frame rate is like 9hz so anything too fast gets blurry. 
Would have loved to be on the range but did bake muffins Hahaha. 
I'm an Android guy, but got the ios version for different reasons. 
And now I'm waiting for a new iPad mini to be used primarily for the Seek. 
Looking forward to the bigger screen. 
I know how fast people gets interested when they've seen what it can do. 
And "DC" too bad about your experience with Amazon. 
I've ordered (Seek) from them twice and both time it came within a few day (Friday to Monday both times). 
When I ordered from Seek directly on the other hand it took them more than a week to even register my buy. 
I'm expecting a new delivery Tuesday.


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## Eskimojo

Nothing to see here - move along


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## Throwjunkie

ok got confirmation on the new FLIR one Version 2 today. I'm waiting on the PDF spec sheet, should get that from my contact in the next couple days. he said the testing of the unit has been very good and the device will be much better then the first. As soon as I get the PDF ill post it up. I have a ball park price of $125 -$150 my cost through my contact at his discount. If folks are interested I will buy as many as folks want and you can get it through me directly for cost. He ended up building one of the Night Vision set ups like mine and he is so happy with how well it works he is more then happy to help me get my hands on whatever FLIR systems I desire at his cost. amazing the places I go to for my job I get the see much of the everyday items we use being made. I definitely love my job and the people I meet. I have one more weekend of scouting then the following weekend is opening day of Turkey season Cant wait to get out and do some hunting.
I ordered direct from seek had it in my hands in 8 days total I'm guessing shipping times vary with location


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## PhotonWrangler

Keep me posted on the Flir V2 TJ. I might be interested.


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## dc38

Throwjunkie said:


> ok got confirmation on the new FLIR one Version 2 today. I'm waiting on the PDF spec sheet, should get that from my contact in the next couple days. he said the testing of the unit has been very good and the device will be much better then the first. As soon as I get the PDF ill post it up. I have a ball park price of $125 -$150 my cost through my contact at his discount. If folks are interested I will buy as many as folks want and you can get it through me directly for cost. He ended up building one of the Night Vision set ups like mine and he is so happy with how well it works he is more then happy to help me get my hands on whatever FLIR systems I desire at his cost. amazing the places I go to for my job I get the see much of the everyday items we use being made. I definitely love my job and the people I meet. I have one more weekend of scouting then the following weekend is opening day of Turkey season Cant wait to get out and do some hunting.
> I ordered direct from seek had it in my hands in 8 days total I'm guessing shipping times vary with location



Cost as in postage, or cost as in brokerage profit?


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## Eskimojo

TJ I'm definitely up for a couple (or more) of those units. 
Looking forward to the spec sheet. 
😊😊😊


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## nfetterly

Great read, definitely going to get one....

Subscribed....


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## Throwjunkie

cost as in what I pay for them, buyer pays shipping on top of that so if I get it for $125 you get it for $125 + shipping. I talked to my contact there today and told him to light a fire under someone's *** because WE NEED this NOW lol I will keep everyone posted as soon as I get the PDF and word on availability. I ordered my RS32 FLIR Scope today from him cant wait to play with that bad boy those night critters at the property are in Deep poop now. Would have liked the RS64 more, but the 32 will be plenty for my needs.


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## Eskimojo

Niiiice. 
I just saw a yt video with the 35 mm. That's awesome. 
It wouldn't be good for my rifle (6.5x55) and my ar15 is sold years ago. 
That's sweet. 
If I get back to the USAF base to work again I want one Hahaha. 
But have to buy a rifle for it then lol..


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## dc38

Throwjunkie said:


> cost as in what I pay for them, buyer pays shipping on top of that so if I get it for $125 you get it for $125 + shipping. I talked to my contact there today and told him to light a fire under someone's *** because WE NEED this NOW lol I will keep everyone posted as soon as I get the PDF and word on availability. I ordered my RS32 FLIR Scope today from him cant wait to play with that bad boy those night critters at the property are in Deep poop now. Would have liked the RS64 more, but the 32 will be plenty for my needs.



Id be in for one in that case....i thought you wer giving them away for FREE!! Lol' jk


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## jafa

Throwjunkie said:


> lol had a blast with the seek thermal last weekend spotted Deer, Turkeys and 2 fox at my property. This device has been helpful in my Scouting for the upcoming Turkey season and I have gotten much use from it around the house and work was able to see a lack of heat transfer into a heatsink for a control module that kept burning out.



Hi - I myself just ordered a seek thermal XR. What's your luck like with turkeys? (I'm getting ready for the opener myself). More specifically range that you can identify them at. The one field where they roost is 300 yds x 100 yds. I wouldn't expect to be able to identify or pickup at 300 yds but maybe I'm wrong. Any insight on Turkeys would be appreciated. 

Good luck with your spring hunt.

TIA


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## Throwjunkie

JAFA: I do real well Turkey hunting here Biggest bird at 23 lbs dressed 10" beard and 1.5" spurs. Our season starts just as the hens are coming into season so opening week is a great time to be in the woods after that the Toms roost with the hens and are hard to call away. I at that point call to the hens and try to **** them off often Ive had them come looking for a fight and bring a tom into gun range. we can only hunt to noon here for the first part of the season if I don't get my birds by then I hunt the evenings on the second half by that time to hens are sitting on nests and the toms are lonely and come to calls again. the best advice I can give is to hunt where the turkeys want to go that way your calling to them from a direction there headed anyway. Scout the roost site around 10am to noon find dusting strutting zones and food sources and pattern the birds that's the best way to score IMO. most times I don't even have to call they just walk rite into my setup because there headed that way anyhow. Some folks say its ambushing, but to me its good woodsmanship and just as in deer hunting that way you still have to sit still and make the shot those to components are the most important in turkey hunting. I can see turkeys on the roost at 100yards easily with my seek I can pick up there signature at 200 if I set the device to see the turkeys temperature of 101 Deg F that way it ignores anything lower and eliminates any clutter from other objects. Once I see the heat sig in red heat I creep in closet and switch to black heat for a better defined picture at 50 yards I can tell Toms from hens so long as there isn't a lot of limb clutter blocking the view. what state do you live in JAFA


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## Throwjunkie

anyone looking to get the seek can use my code 2KL892G it will give you 10% off till April 30th


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## electronupdate

drummer132132 said:


> Have a name of the company or item for the lens? Been thinking of picking up a Seek Thermal for house stuff but also outdoors. The XR is perfect for outdoor/distance but the regular version is better for indoor but if there is a detachable lens for the regular version one can kill 2 birds with 1 stone.



You can buy a lens from a number of ebay vendors to significantly improve the macro capabilities:


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## Eskimojo

I think I'll stick with the XR version. The focus lens works great for me.


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## Throwjunkie

same here my XR does a good job for my needs. I do have lenses I use for my laser projects and now I'm curious if I could extent the range using them. not sure I want to tear down my laser test stand to find out though. I have good Stalking skills thanks to the US Marine Corp. and lots of practice, so I can get fairly close undetected to Game I use the Seek thermal to find


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## PhotonWrangler

Awesome work, ElectronUpdate! :thumbsup: I'm going to snag one of those ZnSe lenses.


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## jafa

Throwjunkie said:


> JAFA: I do real well Turkey hunting here Biggest bird at 23 lbs dressed 10" beard and 1.5" spurs. Our season starts just as the hens are coming into season so opening week is a great time to be in the woods after that the Toms roost with the hens and are hard to call away. I at that point call to the hens and try to **** them off often Ive had them come looking for a fight and bring a tom into gun range. we can only hunt to noon here for the first part of the season if I don't get my birds by then I hunt the evenings on the second half by that time to hens are sitting on nests and the toms are lonely and come to calls again. the best advice I can give is to hunt where the turkeys want to go that way your calling to them from a direction there headed anyway. Scout the roost site around 10am to noon find dusting strutting zones and food sources and pattern the birds that's the best way to score IMO. most times I don't even have to call they just walk rite into my setup because there headed that way anyhow. Some folks say its ambushing, but to me its good woodsmanship and just as in deer hunting that way you still have to sit still and make the shot those to components are the most important in turkey hunting. I can see turkeys on the roost at 100yards easily with my seek I can pick up there signature at 200 if I set the device to see the turkeys temperature of 101 Deg F that way it ignores anything lower and eliminates any clutter from other objects. Once I see the heat sig in red heat I creep in closet and switch to black heat for a better defined picture at 50 yards I can tell Toms from hens so long as there isn't a lot of limb clutter blocking the view. what state do you live in JAFA



Thanks throwjunkie,

im up in Ontario Canada, our Turkey season kicks off April 27th it's a little late as most of the hens have already matted and are holed up. 2 bird limit in e spring. We really need to work the birds up here, it's bearded turkeys only so hens, Jenny's and some young jakes are out of the question. If we can't get them in the morning we'll ambush in the evening when they head back to roost. I was out last weekend and counted 12 Toms, 34 jakes and lots of Hens. My plan this year is to try and sneak under the roost and get them right after they land, using the new winchesters xr 3.5" and I've got good patterns to 65 yds! These things are unreal. Looking forward to using the seek to sneak up under them, sounds like it'll help pinpoint them in the dark. Good luck to you.


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## Throwjunkie

JAFA im also using the XR 3.5 and the undertaker choke 65 yards is a dead bird usually with 10-16 pellets in the head neck area 30 yards is a decap lol today is youth hunt day here my season opens in the 18th April I was at the property watching the birds they were quiet due to bad weather the past 2 days but the Tome were Strutting for the hens like crazy go take a look at this set up I built one for my riffle and a hand held unit for night scouting it works very well especially with the T20 illuminator from amazon I can see animals like im looking at day light with this rig all the way out to 200 yards. its a must have to ease in very tight to the turkeys I put a hood over my head so the birds don't see the light from the screen but as long as you do it a couple hours prior to fly down the turkeys generally forget you were there anyhow I set out a hen decoy so as soon as light comes up they see that decoy and usually pitch down to it. the seek will help you locate them then you can switch to the night vision set up. I paid around $150 to build mine and another 40 for the illuminator its better then Gen 3 NV crystal clear images most times I can even see the birds spurs with it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wnNFR99xGI my handheld


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## jafa

Nice setup Throwjunkie. What are the parts/items I would need to construct your NV setup? I'm brand spanking new to this thermal/night vision stuff so any help is greatly appreciated.

I've got a similar turkey setup - I was out scouting again this weekend and the birds flew right into the middle of my field (100 yds across). I'm planning on putting my avian hen decoy out about 20 yds from me, hoping they land mid field and walk in towards the hen. With those XR's even if they hang up at 40 or 45 yds I'll put the hurt on them. No better time of the year than the weeks leading up to a season opener.

Cheers


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## Throwjunkie

this is a link to the build watch all he videos he does some nice upgrades to the system over time. He will explain the needed parts for the build my handheld used all the parts from this video except the handle I made that part on my 3D printer, but any forward rail attach handle or grip for AR style weapons will do the same. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wnNFR99xGI
Im headed to the property for opening day on Friday that way I don't have a 3 hour drive then have to hunt through the day. its much easier to spend the night get up nice and fresh and just walk into the woods. The Avian decoys are fantastic I have the feeded, breader and lookout all will suck a TOM into gun range I use the 360 rotating device from the same company on the breeder just incase a tom hangs up one I rotate that decoy with the strings they come running in. I have 2 hens from several hunting seasons I want to have mounted as decoys eventually. On tuff toms I make life like decoys what I did is went on ebay and bought hen wing sets that are preserved, I then secure those to some cheap decoys with dryway screws for ridged decoys and construction adhesive for the soft sided decoys they have been awesome for pulling in Toms that wont come to other decoys.


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## Eskimojo

Software update for the android version if you haven't noticed. 
Haven't tried it as my android version is sold and I "only" have the iOS version now.


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## PhotonWrangler

Just installed the update on Android. Thanks for the heads-up. I noticed an Image Smoothing selection on the Image Preferences menu. Turning it on reduces the visual noise somewhat, at a slight expense of edge definition. I think I like this mode.


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## drummer132132

Food for thought, I've been chatting with Seek Thermal and found out an unconfirmed idea that they are changing all ios models of Seek Thermal to being focusable. So basically the 36 degree fov version will be able to be focused if I heard right. This is currently for ios, not sure when they'll start changing android versions.


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## PhotonWrangler

That's a great move on their part. Hopefully it will be a simple manufacturing change for the Android models also.


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## sergiol83

PhotonWrangler said:


> I have the Seek thermal imager also. I have the original one for Android. It's been fascinating to see heat distribution in equipment racks. I can tell at a glance where we need to make adjustments to air conditioning flows.
> 
> The microbolometer for the Seek is higher resolution than the Flir One. Flir compensates for this by overlaying an edge-detected image from a conventional camera, which makes the image appear to be more distinct, but at the expense of actual thermal resolution. This is what drove me to the Seek device (well, that and the fact that the Seek is significantly less expensive and compatible with more devices, even some tablets). They don't advertise it as tablet compatible, but you can sideload the apk onto an Android tablet and it will work, providing the tablet is running a current version of the OS that supports USB OTG.



I got the FLIR One 3rd generation to test against the Seek compact. MSX is a cool feature and works well overlaying the visual image on thermal. Seek compact in complete darkness is hand down the best cheap thermal imaging camera.


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