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Thermal Master Thor002: 30-second review
Many mobile phones are offering thermal imaging these days, typically using FLIR sensors.
However, for those who require daily access to a thermal perspective, a dedicated device like the Thermal Master Thor002 offers some significant advantages.
Looking like an oversized barcode scanner, the Thor002 is meant to be handheld or mounted on a photography tripod. Unlike its Thor001 predecessor, this model isn’t intended for close-up macro work, but rather for examining heat signatures in rooms, on engines, and with electrical cables.
It features a small 640 x 480 display that’s more than enough for the 512 x 384 thermal sensor resolution (interpolated from a 256 x 192 sensor), and it can also capture conventional light images for reference.
Images and videos captured are stored on the provided 32GB microSD card, and they can be transferred to a computer or phone using a USB-C cable or over WiFi.
Taking a picture or video is activated by a simple trigger mechanism, and the camera can be set to make an alarm sound if the observed temperatures exceed a user-determined threshold.
The only negatives about the Thor002 are that its 001 brother had a macro lens for working on electronics, which this doesn’t have, and it isn’t the smallest or lightest object to wield in a confined space.
But the asking price is reasonable for its capabilities if you need a dedicated device.
Thermal Master Thor002: price and availability
- How much does it cost? $299/£299/€299
- When is it out? It is available now
- Where can you get it? You can get it in most regions from an online reseller such as Amazon.
Considering that the Thor001 model that preceded the Thor002 cost $599, the fact that the Thor001 is half as much while retaining many of the headline features is impressive.
For some customers, it’s best to buy it directly from the official Thermal Master site, who are offering it at £299 in the UK and $299 in the USA. However, it can also be purchased from Amazon for the same price in some regions, with potentially faster delivery.
And, currently using the discount code TMTHOR002, you can get another 5% off that price.
That makes it cheaper than the InfiRay P2 Pro Thermal Imaging Camera, by around $30, and it doesn’t require a phone to use.
There are cheaper dedicated devices available, ranging from about $150 to $250, but the majority of them have less detailed sensors.
There are also more expensive options with even greater sensitivity, like those from the SilteD brand, but these can run into thousands of dollars.
For products under $500, the Thermal Master Thor002 offers a tempting combination of features without paying an exorbitant price.
Thermal Master Thor002: Specs
Model: | Thermal Master Thor002 |
|---|---|
Resolution: | 256 x 192 |
Connection: | USB-C, WIFi |
Display: | 3.5-inch IPS?640×480? |
Macro Lens: | N/A |
Camera: | 2MP,Focal length 4.3mm, FOV 40 and 30 degrees |
Thermal Range: | -20C to 550C |
Thermal Accuracy: | 2C (plus or minus) |
Weight: | 2.9 kg |
Dimensions: | 26 x 11 x 10.5 cm |
Thermal Master Thor002: design
- It’s hammer time
- Easy to use
- Excellent connectivity
When you name your devices Thor001 and Thor002, it sets certain expectations, and Thor002 certainly embodies the literal hammer aesthetic.
Weighing 2.9 kg, this is a hefty item to hold once you’ve removed it from its highly robust carrying box.
The carry box has a beautiful foam insert to keep the camera safe in transit. Included with the camera is a warranty extension card that takes the basic 2-year warranty and increases it to three. A calibration certificate and a high-quality quick start booklet. There is also a USB-C to USB-A cable that is required for charging and data transfers.
The physical form of the Thor002 is identical to that of a shop barcode scanner or a police speed camera, featuring a large and easy-to-hold handle with a clickable button underneath a bulbous end. This end houses the sensor electronics, while the other end displays a colour screen for the operator.
The screen features four buttons and a joystick cluster, and the straightforward design allows users to determine the function of each element within a few minutes, often without needing additional documentation.
The sensor is protected from environmental exposure with a guillotine shutter. The worst scenario is that the camera is pointed at the sun, so having this cover is one means to avoid that happening while the camera is being deployed.
On top of the camera is a rubber plug under which is the microSD card slot and the USB-C port. It is possible to transfer files using WiFi, but this cover will need to be moved for recharging the camera. No charger is included, but any phone charger which can output 20W is sufficient.
My view of this device is that it could have been more compact, but for those using it on a tripod, its scale and weight are probably not an issue.
In other respects, the design offers a highly approachable solution that doesn’t require additional technology to use and is designed for use in challenging environments, such as those found in construction or vehicle repair.
Overall, the engineers behind the Thor002 had a clear concept of what they wanted to deliver with this camera, and for the most part, succeeded.
Design score: 4/5
Thermal Master Thor002: User experience
- Ad hoc or configured
- Networking
- Battery capacity
There may be more, but after using the Thor002 for a few days, I determined that it has two use scenarios, and depending on which one you use, it requires different levels of operator ability.
The first use methodology is the one that most people will understand almost immediately, where the unit is handheld and clicking the trigger captures whatever the device is aimed.
A short press takes a picture, and a longer press starts a video, with another short click ending the video capture. When videos are created, a microphone picks up local sounds, so you can provide a running commentary on what is being observed that might prove useful when you come to review or present the results later.
There are different viewing modes that include conventional light, IR, and a fusion between the two. However, when you examine the raw file captures, each of these two sensors is captured independently, allowing the operator to selectively mix those images using a photo editing tool.
That’s more useful than having them merged, although in fusion viewing mode, it would be nice to be able to force more visual light or IR component into the combined image.
Wherever the camera is pointing, the temperature at that point is displayed, and also recent min and max values. There is a digital zoom, although given the relatively low resolution to begin with, this seems mostly pointless.
The sensor in this device is only 256 x 192. That might seem remarkably low, but in the world of IR, that’s par for the course, if not better than some devices. Capturing IR emissions isn’t like the frequencies of visible light, and the sensors need to build up data through successive scans to achieve any clarity.
The Thor002 does offer ‘Super IR Resolution,’ but it does not explain what that entails. However, it boosts the sensor data to 512 x 384, which is four times the sensor’s base resolution.
It’s reasonably safe to conclude that this is a form of interpolation, where multiple scans are stacked to provide an insight into a greater virtual resolution. The results show that it’s worth doing, although it shouldn’t be interpreted as having a 512 x 384 sensor.
If the first mode is handheld, the second is when the Thor002 is mounted on a tripod (not provided), and the continuous reading of the sensor can be exploited. If the image is static, it’s possible to define and then track specific parts of the image and the temperatures in those locations. This wouldn’t work with hand use, and this also enables all the temperatures within the view to be checked, and an alarm is set if they exceed a pre-defined temperature.
Obviously, using it in this more sophisticated way requires a more scientific approach from the operator, and a static situation where the camera can be aimed and then gather data.
Being on a tripod also allows for time-lapse captures, ideal if the temperature change isn’t dramatic, and you wish to see if there are precursors to the observed activity.
All files are stored on the microSD, and this can be removed and inserted into a card reader on a PC or phone. However, Thermal Master has also developed computer and phone applications that are designed to connect to the camera, either via WiFi or over a USB-C cable.
I’ll be honest, but I didn’t care for the Wi-Fi approach where the camera creates its own access point that the computer or phone must connect. Surely having it connect to the Wi-Fi and then be found over that network would be a superior approach, as it avoids having the phone or computer disconnected from the internet while it’s interacting with the camera.
I also initially had issues with the PC app, as it insisted on installing in Chinese, even if the USA was selected as the default.
Thankfully, the Thermal Master support team are excellent, and had me working in English and the Thor002 connected in no time.
The PC application is a sophisticated tool that enables the capture of numerical data, along with images and video. It wasn’t explicitly designed for this device, but rather for a wide range of thermal capture hardware offered by Thermal Master.
Therefore, it isn’t as polished as it might be, and it can be a little confusing to begin with for those who haven’t read the manual. It needs a wizard that asks what hardware you are using, if it’s connected by WiFi or USB, and then adds the device automatically.
An alternative is the mobile app, which doesn’t have the same depth of features but does allow images and video to be directly captured on the Android device, making for less messing around with microSD cards. It also features a device search function that identifies the hardware without requiring explicit input.
Overall, the PC app is more useful, but the mobile app is more approachable.
One aspect of this device that is much better than I anticipated is the battery life. According to the spec sheet, the Thor002 has a 5000 mAh capacity battery, which is enough to run the camera for hours.
Charging takes approximately four hours at 20W, but you can use a phone or laptop to provide power in a pinch. It might seem odd to suggest this, but I think this camera could have managed with less battery, and that might have reduced its weight and size.
However, for those who need an all-day-use device with automatic power saving as a feature, the Thor002 effectively ticks that box.
- User experience score: 4/5
Thermal Master Thor002: Camera
- Scaled images
- Dual capture mode
Comparing a thermal camera to a conventional one is never going to be fair, since they’re both recording entirely different parts of the spectrum.
As sensors go, the thermal type in the Thor002 is great, but the visual light sensor is terrible.
What I don’t understand is why the output of the thermal sensor is 640 x 480, which means the image has been digitally scaled from 512 x 384, reducing its quality.
Additionally, for whatever reason, the standard light sensor images are also 640 x 480, which corresponds to a 0.3MP sensor. That sensor has poor contrast, fails to compensate for lighting conditions, and exhibits significant graininess.
Why? When a cheap phone can have 32MP or more, does the conventional light sensor in this camera need to be so abysmal?
Surely, a more innovative approach would be to have the output of the thermal sensor be a multiple of its natural resolution, say 2048 x 1536, and have the conventional light sensor match that.
Part of the issue here is that the captured image isn’t one that’s assembled before writing to the card, but instead is taken from the screen (which is 640 x 480) after all the overlays have been applied.
If that’s true, then this might be the easiest method for those who wrote the code, but it doesn’t deliver the best quality results this camera can achieve.
Even with this misstep, the Thor002 does make thermal captures that are generally better than what FLIR phone sensors offer, but I suspect it could have been even better with better planning.
Thermal Master Thor002 Camera samples
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Thermal Master Thor002: Final verdict
It is larger than necessary, the carry case is probably overkill, and the output files aren’t as good as they could have been. However, there are several aspects of this design that tick boxes for those who find thermal imaging incredibly useful.
The best thing about it is how easy it is to use. While I’m sure Thermal Master could provide an excellent expert course on operating the Thor002, anyone familiar with digital photography or thermal cameras shouldn’t have much of an issue with this one.
The only significant weakness of this design is the lack of a macro lens, which makes it unsuitable for detailed work, such as motherboard repairs.
Thermal Master has strategically chosen to keep that functionality for the Thor001, and that’s twice the price. However, if you aren’t fixing electronics, then the Thor002 is more than adequate and a notch above a thermal sensor on a phone.
It’s a shame that the raw sensor data wasn’t saved to storage, but rather a scaled and curated version.
Should I buy a Thermal Master Thor002?
Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
Value | For this quality, the price is good | 4/5 |
Design | Large but easy to use and understand | 4/5 |
User experience | Can be used handheld or tripod mounted, with lots of options | 4/5 |
Camera | Scaled images are a bad idea at low resolutions | 3/5 |
Overall | Unless you need a macro mode, this is a workable thermal camera | 4/5 |
