my idea for measuring internal temp

[patandchickens]

I did this, but with a water balloon inside the plastic egg (with thermometer probe sort of 'buried', enfolded, in the water balloon). I believe it works pretty well. The hardest thing is getting the exact right amount of water in the balloon for it to fill the egg when closed, and then getting all the little bits of balloon stuffed in there (they want to get caught when you are closing the egg. Once you've built it once, though, it should be good for at least a very long time. I just used scotch tape to hold mine closed.

Temperature swings as measured by this 'bionic egg' in a homemade 26-egg incubator are between 0.9 and 2 degrees F, depending how low I've let the water in the humidity reservoir run (it acts as thermal mass)

Pat

 

[flopshot]

Quote:
I thought that the reason for the thermal mass was to NOT show the temp swings, but to show more of the average temp..

the purpose of thermal mass is to take out swings just like a shock absorber smooths out the bumps on the road. however, controlling a heat source intended to maintain a mass of different properties will net poor results. while the metal thermal mass is losing or gaining heat at one rate, the egg is losing and gaining at another rate. as Pat mentioned the volume is also important. the absolute best temp montitor would be another egg but you can see the problem with that.

 

[michiganlarry]

I guess I better get to wally world and get a wiggler!

 

[michiganlarry]

Nope! I saw how to make one and being the frugal person that I am I will put one together tonight and take out the bb egg.

 

[alicat4]

I saw somewhere online someone filled a plastic egg or blown out egg with hair gel and put the probe in that, but I kinda wondered if the evaporating hair gel might not be good for the eggs. Hmmmm....don't know. I use a water wiggler, but I'm not sure that water has the same thermal properties as egg contents either. It's got to be pretty close, though.