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Just spent $400 on a thermal camera for the shop and I'm not sure it was worth it

I mean, it's cool to see hot spots on boards and all, but for most of the repairs I do, my $20 thermal probe gets me close enough. I used it on a laptop with a short last week and yeah, it found the bad cap fast, but I could have found it with flux and a careful look in the same time. It feels like a fancy toy I talked myself into. Maybe I just haven't run into the right nightmare board yet. Has anyone else bought one of these and actually had it pay for itself on a regular job?
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3 Comments
adams.linda
What if you try renting it out to other shops?
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avery_smith22
Know that feeling all too well.
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piperschmidt
Renting it out is a smart idea, it could help the cost hurt less. I get what @avery_smith22 means about that buyer's regret feeling. You might find its real value just takes a while to show up.
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