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Cold weather stud finder
(thelemmy.club)
Having fun with my Topdon IR camera.
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this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2026
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Anyone have any reccomendations for a decently priced IR camera that isn't dependent on a phone app? Don't want something that will just stop working because the manufacturer can't be bothered to keep updating the app later on.
If you don't mind buying from Guangdong and being hit with import and customs fees, then on Linux, this gadget presents a standard V4L (Video4Linux) USB camera.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007938478574.html
The cable is delicate, you'd have to find a way to secure it against damage (e.g. tape). For the 256 x 192 pixel sensor, focal length 4 mm will get you an ordinary field of view (e.g. 45 degrees), while 9 mm will get you a very narrow field of view (e.g. 20 degrees). Grayscale image, very fast frame rates, automatic calibration against a shutter (occasional sub-second stops in video).
Note: never ever point at the Sun. It has poor solar protection, I almost ruined it when my code erred and scanned across the Sun, leaving a massive black track which took several hours to fade. The shutter closes when it sees the Sun, but not fast enough.