Guide PC210 thermal camera - (anyone) <=(I am) familiar with this device? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: IAmBack
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2022, 12:47:05 pm
content: I've found this device as an alternative for UTi 260b, with similar price and specs. Anyone can say something it? Is it better than UTi?Uni-t is hard to find at a moment, so I'm looking for alternative.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2022, 01:23:36 pm
content: Sadly no one has tested that camera and reported its performance on this forum.This question was asked by another forum member recently…. No response so he bought a UTi260B.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/thermal-imaging/guideir-pc210/Fraser

author: IAmBack
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 17, 2022, 01:36:13 pm
content: Thank You.Best.

author: IAmBack
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2022, 02:34:36 pm
content: Because I could not wait (usual stroke of impatience) i have decided to purchase PC210 from Eleshop. Other reason was that quite reputable local supplier of industrial measuring equipment rebrands devices from this manufacturer.First of all, it seems that there is no manual with tech specs of the camera - so what we know is it's resolution (256x192).Camera works with 25 fps (or at last, with much better speed than 10fps).Comparing to (what I know about ) UTi260b only drawback I've noticed is lack of multiple measuring points with user-defined location. Here we have only one central point.But there's one thing that probably does not exist in UTi260b - mode, where user can fix temperature ranges (eg. 10..20 degrees), and the camera won't adjust range autoamatically - this should help in case of comparison of different objects.Camera works through USB as webcam.Hope it hepls.Best.

author: BmaxTom
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 10, 2022, 01:02:05 pm
content: I also bought the Guide PC210 from Eleshop and am very happy with the IR camera. It's really ready in 2-3 seconds after turning it on.I noticed two things that aren't working properly.1. In M mode, the scaling of the temperature scale on the right is wrong.2. All the programs I tested, except PotPlayer, have the webcam image upside down and mirroredFor macro shots I constructed a lens holder for D20mm/FL50.8mm ZnSe focus lenses (similar to the holder from the Eleshop).

author: ceut
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 19, 2022, 09:33:02 pm
content: Thank you very much for your work and sharing it!I have just ordered the PC210 from eleshop, and then I will buy the lens and ask a friend to print me the STL fileA little question: you have made the model with which software ? Maybe I will buy a 3D printer and make some things with it

author: BmaxTom
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2022, 05:59:37 am
content: I'm currently designing and drawing with Fusion 360, but Autodesk is restricting the free version more and more. So I'm currently looking at Solid Edge 2022 from Simens, it's free for Makers (Community edition).https://solidedge.siemens.com/en/solutions/users/hobbyists-and-makers/

author: IAmBack
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2022, 06:44:32 am
content: Quote from: BmaxTom on April 10, 2022, 01:02:05 pmI didn't noticed any problems with "m" mode, however it works in a strange manner.In this mode user sets the range of the scale (eg. 10deg),and camera "fits" it to the image - setting the middle of the scale to the actual middle temp of the scene.Example: with range set to 15 deg and scene with temps ranging from -5 to +25 deg, the medium of the scale will be set to +10deg, ranging from 2.5 to 17.5 deg.Best.Martin.

author: BmaxTom
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2022, 06:51:53 am
content: Here I took a picture in "M" mode (without macro lens) and the scaling and color of the right scale do not match the temperature and color at the measuring point (max).

author: ceut
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2022, 07:01:24 am
content: Quote from: BmaxTom on April 20, 2022, 06:51:53 amAs I ordered the PC210 yesterday evening, I don't have it right now.But, I have started to read all the PDF I have found on the item link, and Eleshop has made a FAQ, here is the point 2:"2. Can I adjust the temperatures on the scale?This is possible. Press and hold the OK button. You will now see a letter appearin the top left of the screen. There are 3 modes: A, M, S.In A mode, the camera automatically selects the scale.In M mode, you can change both the upper and lower scale temperature. If youselect the up arrow and press OK, the upper value is increased by 1 degree.Selecting the down arrow and pressing OK decreases the upper value by 1degree. The left and right arrows change the lower temperature value.In the S mode, you can change the delta T (temperature difference) betweenthe upper and lower values.You can switch between A, M and S mode by selecting this letter and pressingOK."I don't know exactly what they mean as I don't have the camera yet , but maybe you can check this

author: BmaxTom
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2022, 07:24:28 am
content: In "A" mode the right scale is correct only in "M" mode, when I set the range as described, then the right temperature scale is not correct. You can see that clearly in the picture above.

author: IAmBack
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2022, 01:01:43 pm
content: Quote from: BmaxTom on April 20, 2022, 07:24:28 amI confirm this issue.

author: ceut
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 22, 2022, 12:11:21 pm
content: Quote from: IAmBack on April 20, 2022, 01:01:43 pmHello,I have just received my PC210, first impression I'm really impressive of the quality of this oneI have tried to test the T° scale manual mode.And I have also this issue.But => I thinkit seemsto be in fact an "overload" when the scale is not reflecting the max real temp.Here is a shot I have done with exaggerated manual scale, all is yellowish:And it's a good test to check if there are some dead pixelsOr maybe I don't understand what you are sayingAlso, my camera has a certificate in 02/2022 in the boxNow I have to buy the lens and ask my friend to print the STL, thanks @BmaxTomI will post the result

author: titiris
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 28, 2022, 06:18:16 pm
content: found this athttps://carbonzorro.com/en/products/thermal-camera-guide-pc210-1198.htmlImaging and opticsDetector type VOxInfrared resolution 256*192Wavelength range 7.5~14μmField angle 56°*48°Minimum object distance 0.3mNetd <45mKInfrared frame rate 25Hz/9HzFocusing mode Focus-freeMeasurement and analysisMeasurement range -20℃~150℃, 100-550℃ (automatic switching)Measurement accuracy ±2°C or ±2%, whichever is greaterAnalyzed target Center temperature measuring ON/OFFFull-screen maximum/minimum temperature tracking/alarm Full-screen high/low temperature alarm;Alarm mode: Visual and audio alarmTemperature measuring parameter Emissivity, reflected temperature, target distanceImage displayDisplay screen 2.4" LCDImage mode IR, VIS, MIF and PIPImage adjustment Automatic, semi-automatic, manualPalette 6 pseudo colors such as White Hot, Iron Red, Arctic, Rainbow 2, Hot Iron, Rainbow 1Storage and transmissionStorage medium TF card (up to 32G)Image storage format JPG with temp infoExternal interface TYPE-C, TF card slot, tripod interfaceLaser Class 2 laser, only indicating the measured targetWifi Yes, it can be connected to the mobile terminal for data transmissionPower systemBattery type Rechargeable lithium-ion battery, non-removableBattery working time > 16 HPower management Automatic shutdown, and adjustable shutdown time from 5 min, 10 min to 20 minCharging mode TYPE-C charging;PC/portable charger;Capable of charging while usingCharging time 90% of full charge in 2.5 hoursEnvironmental paramentsWorking temperature -10℃~50℃Storage temperature -40℃~70℃Ip rating IP54Drop 2m drop testCertification CE, FCC, ROHS, UN38.3+ air/sea freight, IP54, 2m, damp heat test, shock vibration test, impact testPhysical parametersWeight about 375gSize 194mm*61.5mm*76mmSoftware kit ThermoToolsStandard A device, a 16G TF card, a Quick Product Manual, a USB-TYPEC cable, a wrist strap, an adapterOptional Tripod

author: candrian
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2022, 08:59:54 pm
content: I'm also interested in buying the PC210, mainly for PCB debugging but in my mind comes a lot of use cases that i'll be able to use it for including engine component failures, home thermal insulation etc.What i would also love to use it for but i'm not sure how well it is going to behave is on outdoor activities such as camping or boating. Has anyone of you, the owners, tested this camera outdoors? Do you have any samples captures? I would appreciate it.I know it's not the best option, as the magnification and the optics in comparison to the screen resolution are the key players for each application it's designed for but i'm looking for an "all around" solution with main use on PCB debugging.Thanks again.

author: ceut
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2022, 06:10:19 pm
content: Hello,It seems this topic is not super activeI have used mine to fix a non-starting LG TV last week, here is a capture after repair (forgot to do one before) .The shoot was taken directly from the GuideIR, without any lens.I find it has done a good jobI can see clearly all the hot resistor, mosfet etc...For your outdoor use, imo it has not a very large view, but maybe this could be enhanced with Lens to make an eye-fish like view ?I don't know if it is possible, it is just an ideaEdit: Added a photo of the board taken from my old but good smartphone

author: candrian
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 14, 2022, 10:48:09 pm
content: I finally bought this camera and it looks really great. It is perfect for short distances and It can also be used for outdoor spotting but you may miss some heat sources in long distances.

author: ceut
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2022, 09:03:53 am
content: Quote from: candrian on May 14, 2022, 10:48:09 pmGreat to read thatSo the field of view is enough for outdoor ? It is a good point; even if I think I will never use it that way

author: candrian
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2022, 07:03:55 pm
content: The field of view is enough. The zoom level is negative so you see the target more far than it really is and you loose details such as a human body in a big distance or a dog in a closer distance. But in general it's good. You can't have it all with one lens. Probably if you modify the lens you will get more from this camera depending on the lens characteristics. The sensor resolution is good.

author: IAmBack
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 09, 2022, 07:21:49 pm
content: New firmware for this camera is available on eleshop site.Flashing procedure is described in file included to the download.There's a problem with name of the file (one have to remove "(1)" from the filename), but otherwise update works ok - it takes less than 2 minutes. White light is on during whole update process (when name of the file is incorrect, the flash blinks for a second only.It looks that manual range modes are working ok now.Also rescale to 1200x1600 has been added.Now only paralax removal is missing (vs UTi260b)...

author: ceut
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 17, 2022, 05:46:02 pm
content: Quote from: IAmBack on June 09, 2022, 07:21:49 pmThank you for sharing this !No problem to follow the info in the .txt file, my PC210 has been updated fine-- about after 30s for me.But, I wasn't expecting to see the firmware update on Eleshop(I have bought mine here too)

author: Penguin36
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 24, 2022, 08:17:59 am
content: I bought the PC210 at Eleshop some days ago and updated the FW without problems.Beside the paralax offset and the ‚strange‘ M-Mode all is good after short testing.I also 3D printed the macro lens adapter and bought a lens at amazon.See the attached macro images of some RPi 3 areas.

author: ceut
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2022, 08:43:53 pm
content: I have bought this bag:https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/1005002758964415.htmlAs the 260b is bigger than the PC210, I think it will be good for it

author: markb1980
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 11, 2022, 10:46:22 am
content: QuoteYes that sucks! I have used OpenSCAD for many of my projects. It's more programming of a model then designing but that has also a few advanteages... Give it a try:https://openscad.org/index.html

author: ceut
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2022, 06:51:06 pm
content: Hello,It seems that Eleshop doesn't share anymore the firmware, so I post it here the 1.36 version from 05/2022.If there is somewhat illegal, don't hesitate to tell me, I will remove itEdit: I have received a message from @zhe song (GUIDEPC support), and I have removed the FW because now it is an old one, the new one is 1.4.3 .Edit 2: After having asking him where we can download the new one, he told me that they don't give the firmware anymore, "because updating the firmware is risky, may cause parameter loss."Really disappointedSo, our Guide PC210 are stuck on the previous versionEdit 3: Explanation: It seems that the FWupgrade can delete the Temperature curve, that's why they remove the upgrade possibility. And actually the units that have this problem after upgrading need to be send to China for fixing that.

author: jweaver
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2022, 12:15:59 pm
content: I actually don't understand the way that GuideIR handle their FirmwareFirst of all, they don't offer it on their site.. And when I got mine I wrote to them asking if there was a newer firmware (even though I knew I had the version from Eleshop.. They told me they would get back to me... But they never did.. Not even to check if I actually had the latest version.Since then I have written to them a few times about the odd bug/problem I have found... And finally wrote again to see if there any new Firmware (in the vague hope that they had added/fixed anything)... Again they told me that a Product Manager would be in touch, but they never did.So I don't think that we will ever see a Firmware update provided by GuideIR.. So what we have today is all we are getting...

author: markb1980
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2022, 11:14:55 pm
content: Processes (sepcially ones with lower priority) take time in huger companies - Hikmicro needed 4 or 5 months to add features and fixes which I suggested into the Pocket2 firmware.

author: zhe song
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 29, 2022, 06:28:04 am
content: Quote from: ceut on December 25, 2022, 06:51:06 pmHello, I'm Zhe Song from the GUIDE Sansmart after-sales team in Wuhan, China.Your provided firmware is old, and now the latest firmware is V1.4.3. I hope you can remove this firmware. since many customers have been misinformed. Cause after-sale loss.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 29, 2022, 11:36:05 am
content: Having read the updates in Ceut’s post earlier in this thread, I see that the updating of firmware on this camera camera carries a risk of bricking it through deletion of the calibration tables. That is not a good situation and I can understand the manufacturer ceasing release of new firmware to the public as a result. That said, if the camera has firmware bugs, I would expect the manufacturer to make the effort to correct them. So many products seems to effectively become “abandonware” when it comes to the release of firmware updates to fix issues. The fact that a firmware update can delete the calibration tables of the camera is a bug in itself ! Poor coding and poor protection of the calibration table.I will repeat what I have said many times before though….. if your camera is working and has no annoying bugs, think very carefully before installing a firmware update as the process does carry a risk on most cameras. Some firmware updates are purely for “housekeeping” and the risk of installing them outweighs any benefit. New firmware can actually introduce new bugs that were not present in earlier versions. It is something I see a lot …. people, want to install the latest firmware in the belief that it must be better than any earlier versions. This is not always the case and owners should do their research before updating the firmware… you risk ending up with a mess that can be expensive to fix ! Due diligence applies.Fraser

author: jweaver
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 29, 2022, 03:32:36 pm
content: Really gutted to learn that we won't be able to update our cameras.. I have spotted a few really annoying things which I would hope/assume are fixed and I would like to update just like I do with all my devices.. I get the reasons we can't.. But they surely should have taken this into account when developing such a product.. In this day and age its normal, if not expected to have the option to update..Also, not to mention the fact that there could be other features added which we won't have..I am seeing a friend on New Years eve who bought a PC210 a few weeks back, so will check his version and see if I can spot anything which is different.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 29, 2022, 04:42:26 pm
content: Sadly, unless explicitly stated in sales literature, a manufacturer does not have to provide firmware updates or bug fixes if the product is considered ‘fit for purpose’. Many manufacturers are somewhat nervous about providing firmware updates to the general public (as opposed to service agents) due to the potential of bricking the product during a botched update or glitch in the process. Such events lead to customer returns (often stating that the product “just died in use”) or customer support calls leading to RMA’s. Some manufacturers go to great lengths to make the process of a firmware update as safe to the system as possible. Such does take some development effort though. As a society we have become used to the availability of firmware updates but not so long ago a manufacturer would require a return to base for such an upgrade and many systems did not include a user update process of any sort. This was considered the safe path by the manufacturer.Fraser

author: zhe song
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 30, 2022, 08:24:14 am
content: Quote from: ceut on December 25, 2022, 06:51:06 pmHello， I think it is important for me to explain here that we will not permanently stop updating the firmware for our customers, we hope that customers contact our after-sales center and ask our after-sales center to provide the upgrade service. This service includes temperature calibration, firmware updates and more. We don't want our customers to take the risk of damaging the camera. We have two after-sales centers in Europe and we will build one in Russia. This work is our company to the public, responsible for products, responsible for customers.

author: jweaver
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2022, 11:43:29 am
content: Hi Zhe..Could you provide a release log of what has been fixed between 1.3.6 and 1.4.3?It would be helpful to know if there was any new functionality to consider whether an upgrade is worth it..For me, I have been frustrated by a number of little bugs in 1.3.6 and would like the opportunity to upgrade.. But if there were any new features I wouldn't even mind paying for the service!I only bought my camera a few months back and I will be a little annoyed if my friend, who bought his a week ago on my recommendation has a newer firmware and more features.. I will find out tomorrow night when I see him.Jon

author: sikseb
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 10, 2023, 07:47:02 pm
content: Hello Zhe Song!I have just bought a guide pc210 but it comes with 1.2.2 firmware. How can i get it to the new version? This is a brand new device. Also can you confirm what is the difference between version and firmware?See screenshot.Thanks

author: markb1980
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 10, 2023, 09:33:03 pm
content: Better write hin a private message. He is not active in the forum. Hos only posts was to ask a user to take the firmware-downoad offline.Basically you have to send the camera to a service-point and propably pay for the firmware-update.

author: serenkiy515
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: April 29, 2023, 03:51:59 pm
content: Написал. Похоже что он такой же ЕБЛАН, как все участники данной темы.Ребят Вы не обижайтесь но Вы конченные. У ВАс попросили прошивку, вы ссылками кидаетесь, о том что кто то запретил обновляться. На*уй такой форум? Для чего, *уй через тепловизор показывать с макролинзой?