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This USB-C accessory gave my Android and iPhone thermal imaging powers – and it’s on sale

I make no bones about being a huge fan of thermal cameras for smartphones. Initially, I dismissed them as a gimmick, but within minutes, I was sold on their practicality. I think they are a must-have for both engineers and home DIYers.

I’ve used mine for all sorts of applications, from finding out how much propane is in a tank (point the camera at the tank and you’ll see the level), discovering pipes and electrical cables in walls, spotting draughts around doors and windows, and identifying faulty components on circuit boards.

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They are practical beyond words, so I’m always excited to test a new camera, so when the new Thermal Master P3 The P3 is very compact and portable.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

The camera has a thermal range of -20°C to 600°C/-4°F to 1,112°F, with an accuracy of ±2°C, and can detect temperature differences as small as 0.035°C. It has a resolution of 512 × 384 pixels and a 25Hz refresh rate, all of which are vital if you’re going to be looking for faulty components on tiny circuit boards.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Again, for precision work, this closeup is vital, as trying to pinpoint one tiny component in an ocean of other components on a circuit board can be near impossible otherwise (pro tip: if your thermal camera doesn’t have macro, I’ve found that using a wooden skewer to point at components on the board helps to identify them).

Some thermal cameras are total battery hogs, but not the P3. This camera draws a ridiculously low 0.32W of power, which means that it doesn’t pull on the host phone’s battery too much, allowing for many hours of use.

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While I like smartphones with built-in thermal cameras, most of them are bulky, and I don’t really want to carry a second handset with me. I’d much rather have a small camera that I can attach to whatever device I happen to have (or someone else’s, since all they need to do is download the app).

is exactly that. For $299, you’re getting a professional-grade camera packed into a very convenient, portable form factor. 

Throw in the added convenience of this unit working with Android, iOS, and Windows, and you have a very versatile thermal imaging system.

And ZDNET readers can use the coupon code TMAMZPD5 to get an additional 5% off the price.  

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