TOOLTOP T7 Thermal Imaging Camera for Android Phones, 256 × 192

See the Heat Before it Bites.

A loose lug on the battery bank runs hot for weeks before it melts the terminal. A hot-water pipe weeps inside the wall and the first sign is a power bill. The bearing on the pump is cooking, the cool room door seal has let go, the breaker that keeps tripping is warmer than its neighbours. None of it shows to the naked eye, and all of it shows as heat.

The T7 is a thermal camera the size of a matchbox that plugs into the USB-C port of an Android phone. The phone becomes the screen: a live heat picture at 25 frames a second, a temperature reading on any point you tap, and photos and video saved to the phone so you have the before and after. Point it at the switchboard, the solar connections, the hot-water system, the ute's wheel hubs after a long run, and the hot spot jumps out.

The sensor is a real 256 × 192 thermal sensor, printed on the camera's own label and in the supplier's specification, and owners on an independent electronics forum report the same. That is the figure that matters on a thermal camera: plenty of cheap units print a bigger number that is an upscaled picture from a much smaller sensor. This one is Android only. If you are on an iPhone, it is not the camera for you.

What it Solves

• Finds the Hot Connection: a loose or corroded joint on a battery bank, an inverter lead or a switchboard runs warmer than the ones around it; the camera shows which one.
• Traces Hot-Water Leaks & Pipes: a hot pipe shows through plasterboard and under a slab as a warm line, so you know where to start looking.
• Checks Bearings, Motors & Hubs: a pump motor, a fan bearing or a wheel hub that is working too hard shows hotter than it should.
• Finds the Draught & the Failed Seal: cold air round a door, a window or a fridge and cool-room seal shows as a cold edge.
• Records What you Found: photos and video save to the phone, handy for the sparky, the plumber or the insurer.

Key Features

• 256 × 192 Thermal Sensor: printed on the camera's label and in the supplier's specification.
• 25 Frames a Second: a live, smooth picture as you sweep across a board or a wall.
• -15 to 600 °C Measuring Range: the supplier's figure.
• Tap to Measure: points, lines and boxes can be placed on the picture for a temperature reading of that spot, line or area.
• Six Colour Palettes: Iron, White Hot, Black Hot, Rainbow, Red Hot and Cold Blue.
• Photo & Video: saved through the app to the phone.
• Powered by the Phone: no battery to charge; it draws from the phone through the USB-C plug.
• Small & Light: 36 × 26.5 × 15 mm on the supplier's drawing, in an aluminium body, with a zipped carry bag.

Limits

Android only. The T7 is sold for Android phones with a USB-C port that supports OTG; on some phones OTG needs switching on in the settings. It is not sold as working with iPhones, including the USB-C models. Check your phone before you order.

The app comes from the manual, not the Play Store. The app is installed from a QR code in the printed manual. An independent review found it was not on Google Play at the time, and found the app is shown in landscape. Expect a basic app, not a polished one.

No accuracy figure is published. The supplier gives the measuring range but no accuracy, field of view or sensitivity figure, so there are none on this page. Use it to find what is hotter or colder than it should be, not as a calibrated instrument for a certificate.

It reads surfaces, not through them. A thermal camera sees the surface temperature. A hot pipe shows through a wall because it warms the wall; it does not see inside. Shiny metal and glass reflect heat and read wrong, so a polished bus bar or a window can fool it.

No water rating. None is published. Keep it out of the rain and away from wet hands on a switchboard.

The macro lens is not included. Some of the supplier's photographs show a magnetic macro lens for circuit-board work. It is a separate option we do not sell; you get the camera, the carry bag, a cleaning cloth and the manual.

Q & A

Will it Work with my Phone?

If it is an Android phone with a USB-C port that supports OTG, it is made for it. Your phone's specifications will say whether it supports OTG, and on some phones it needs switching on in the settings. It is not sold for iPhones.

Is it Really 256 × 192, or an Upscaled Picture?

256 × 192 is printed on the camera's own label and in the supplier's specification, and owners on an independent electronics forum report a real 256 × 192 sensor. Many cheap thermal cameras print a bigger number made by upscaling a smaller sensor; this is not one of those.

Can I Use it to Check my Solar and Battery Connections?

Yes, that is one of the best uses. Under load, a poor connection runs hotter than a good one, and the camera shows it. It is a fault-finding tool: if something is hot, turn it off and have it looked at by an electrician.

Does it Work in the Dark?

Yes. It sees heat, not light, so it works the same at night as in the day. It does not see through walls, glass or water.

Will it Take Someone's Temperature?

No. It is not a medical device and is not sold for measuring people.

Do you Have a Handheld Version?

Our Thermal Vision range has the handheld cameras. The T7 is the small, cheaper way in if you already carry an Android phone.

Specs