IR Thermometer accuracy

saor

Honorary Master
Joined
Feb 3, 2012
Messages
34,263
Been playing with one and I'll sometimes scan someone twice and the second time the reading is one degree higher (32, then 33). Is this normal and everyone using these things has devices with readings that fluctuate or is this likely a bad unit?

This one:
jel.png
 

WAslayer

Executive Member
Joined
May 13, 2011
Messages
8,933
The one we have does not fluctuate.. one store I visited this week scanned me at 32.5c... they are definitely not all the same..
 

Snyper564

Honorary Master
Joined
Oct 1, 2008
Messages
15,341
i guess with most things you get what you pay for, i have readings all over the place with some units
 

mister

Executive Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Messages
9,157
Been playing with one and I'll sometimes scan someone twice and the second time the reading is one degree higher (32, then 33). Is this normal and everyone using these things has devices with readings that fluctuate or is this likely a bad unit?

Some of them are shite. Return it if it's not consistent.
 

Nemus

Expert Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2012
Messages
2,043
sounds like it's on the wrong mode.
Yes, this sounds like surface temp rather than Core temp.

I was at TwTyre and measured 31.5.. i said there is something wrong on their settings, and they then scanned the guy behind me who read 36.6, which was followed by a comment to me "See, his is right.."
Imagine how his actually was...
 

Stokstert

Executive Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2007
Messages
8,652
It also depends on scanning distance, the precise point scanned repeatedly, and hairs in the scan path.
 

azbob

Honorary Master
Joined
Nov 18, 2008
Messages
36,328
Devi investigated this in the first episode of her new show. Also, all the approvals are most likely fake.
 

Gordon_R

Honorary Master
Joined
Jul 5, 2009
Messages
20,815
Skin surface temperature is subject to so many variables, as to be meaningless as a public health measure IMO. Use as a screening tool only picks up those who are severely ill, which could be determined by visual observation anyway. Clever toys, but no easy way to determine if your unit is faulty or not.
 

Gordon_R

Honorary Master
Joined
Jul 5, 2009
Messages
20,815
These things are a joke. I was 32 the other day.

The meaured values are not 'wrong', but they are only an indirect way of determining the core body temperature, which is an entirely different value. I was screened yesterday while standing in the sun, which is doubly stupid!?
 
Top