What is the difference between cooled and uncooled thermal imagers?
The difference between cooled and uncooled thermal imagers is how the actual thermal detector is stabilized to allow for effective detection of emitted energy. Originally, all thermal imagers were cooled. The detector on a cooled thermal imager is actually cryogenically cooled to sub zero temperatures using a very small condenser and compressor. Since the detector is so cold, its sensitivity or ability to detect emitted energy is very good. Some cooled cameras can detect human activity from 20km away. Cooled cameras are very costly and require yearly maintenance for re-calibration. They also have a mean time between failures of 2500-8000 hours. Uncooled thermal imagers electrically stabilize the detector and do not require any cooling. Years ago uncooled detectors did not have the sensitivity or range of a cooled camera. Technology has advance with uncooled detectors so that they are almost as sensitive and are very close to the range of a cooled camera. Uncooled thermal imagers do not
