What’s Great About Optical Pyrometers?

Not very much, I am sorry to report

(Note: Updated 11 November 2009 with latest links and specs from Land Instruments)

The replacements for Opticals are very capable devices. Some are just as accurate, if not more so. Plus they are a heck of a lot easier to learn and to use. Even more they have all the newest technologies from detectors to digital outputs.

Today Opticals are but a fond memory in the minds of some who used them extensively. Progress rests on technology and today’s high-temperature portable noncontact temperature sensors are nothing short of amazing. Some even have Bluetooth wireless capability!

When the Minolta-Land Cyclops 52 first came on the market in the early 1980s, Optical Pyrometers, especially those made by Leeds & Northrup Company (L&N) were the most popular and widely respected, high temperature thermal radiation measurement devices in the world. (L&N evaporated as an organization a few years later). I was in the middle of it, working for Land at the time and saw the dramatic changes at the very beginning.

The Cyclops was succeeded by several more advanced models and now the latest models are made by Land alone. Minolta sold the manufacturing rights to them as a result of a re-organization within Minolta Camera Company.

Back then, even a cursory comparison of the respective Manufacturer’s Specifications for the two devices revealed a startling fact: the makers of them claimed about equal temperature measurement uncertainty under laboratory conditions for the two devices.

If one added in the extra signal handling capability of the Cyclops, it was clear that a real revolution was underway in the market.

For your information here’s the current specification of the Land Cyclops 100B:
(Note: The Cyclops 100/100B replaces the following models: Cyclops 52, Cyclops 152, Cyclops 152A, TR-630 and TR-630A)

Specification
Temperatures
Low Temperature (C): 550 High Temperature (C): 3000
Low Temperature (F): 1022 High Temperature (F): 5432

Technical Details

Measurement range: 550 to 3000°C/1022 to 5432°F
Indication: 4-digit LCD in viewfinder; external backlit LCD display
Measuring modes: Continuous, Average, Peak, Valley
Data logging: To iPAQ or laptop/PC running DL-1000v2 software. Wired or wireless Bluetooth connection (C100B only)
Data logging modes: Classic, Historical, Burst
Optical System: 9° field of view; 1/3° measurement area (180:1 to 98% energy); eyepiece adjustable -3.75 to +2.5 diopters
Focusing Range: 1m/39.3in to infinity 450 to 620mm/17.7 to 24.5in with optional 215mm/8.5in fixed focus close-up lens
Target Size: 5mm at 1m/0.19in at 39.3in 1.8mm/0.07in 0.4mm/0.016in with optional close-up lens
Spectral response: 1µm with advanced spectral filtering
Emissivity adjustment: 0.10 to 1.20 in 0.01 step graduations
Response time: 30ms
Display update time: 0.5s
Accuracy: <0.25%(K) of reading
Repeatability: <0.1%(K) of reading
Operating temp. range: 0 to 50 °C/32 to 122 °F
Power requirement: One MN1604/6LR61/PP3 battery
Output: RS232C. Bluetooth (C100B only)
Weight: 0.83kg/1.8lb
Sealing: IP54/NEMA3
Standard accessories: Lens cap, protection window/filter, battery, wrist strap
Optional accessories: Close-up lenses, Data Logger DL-1000, HP iPAQ, rugged waterproof carry case

(Updated November 11, 2009)

Ray Peacock