TEMP ?'s

[Smitty's Farm]

Josie, I bought the Fluker's Thermo-Hygrometer combo at Petco in the reptile sec for about $19. I haven't hatched yet.

I'll be interested in hearing about what is the best themometer to use.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
It's amazing what a good infrared gun can do. Silly thing it I have a cheap gun that
I bought at Costco for $80. It's around 3 years old and still works great. I bought the
Fluke when I left my cheap one on a job site but then found it. Now My Fluke is just my
backup and stays in the house with the bators. It's nice to be able to aim a laser
at an egg and find it's temp. Of course you have to factor in egg shell color.

How come you have an abundance of them? Gadget collector perhaps?

Mines a 561 gun. I use 87's as my primary dmm.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=fluke+561

Wow, cheap on Ebay.

 

[Josie]

Okay PurplechChicken,
I ran out today and bought the gold one you have in your picture. Now I have three thermometers reading 2-3 different temps at a time.
Right now they are 92, 96, and 99
the first one is from a chickbator mercury type,
the next one is an outdoor mercury type,
and the last one is the one I got today.

Is this a case of wait and see?

Or is the variation from slow/fast responsiveness?

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
I'm really not sure here. MY GUESS is the first one is bad,
the second outdoor one is just not accurate and the new one
is correct. Do you have a wiggler?? I would use a wiggler
or put a cup of water in the bator overnight then use an
oral thermometer to see what the water temp is. It should
run about a degree under the air temp. a 2 degree variation
in some bators is normal, not a 7 degree one.

Are you sure the chickbator thermo is calibrated? Some are
supposed to be adjusted buy moving them up or down in the
tiny rings that attach them to the paper.

 

[silkiechicken]

Are the temperature measurement probes all in the same place in the bator? That is a really wide range of temps to get. If the probe is touching metal, plastic, or something else, that can also change the readings. So can it's relative location to the heat element or it's color if you're heating with a light bulb. I agree with PC's suggestion with the cup of water and a medical thermometer.


Quote:
My dad has worked as an engineer at Fluke for 38 years or so. I don't remember the number of years anymore but he's been there a LONG time. He makes the IC's that go into the DMM's... so he gets a meter that any of his IC's go into. Think he's onto his 8th patent or so. Plus he likes to work on electronics, so buys quite a few of the meters too.

 

[Josie]

Silkiechicken, I have then as close as I can together, .... but it is a still air bator and a lightbulb one at that.

PurpleChicken, I had no idea the chickbator therm could be calibrated. I tried to move it around, but it is stuck, it may be very old.
I put a cup of water in there tonight. That was a great idea!

 

[PurpleChicken]

Quote:
Keep us posted.

Your chickbator thermo may or may not be adjustable. Post a pic if you can.


Silkiechicken, that scientific minded apple didn't drop far from the tree.

 

[seagullplayer]

A cheap temp gun option, they work pretty good.
Keep in mind they read what they "see"; so if you shoot thru the window, you are reading the surface temp of the window...

http://ww2.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=96451

I have been using a temp probe on my multi meter.

The very small thermometer that came with my bator is worthless, way to small to read with human eyes!

You might try checking your "mercury" type by placing it in a small pan of boiling water. The water should be 212 F when it boils, do NOT have a lid on the pot.

 

[PurpleChicken]

IR guns are good for doing comparisons and other non-critical temp things.
I would never trust, even my most expensive gun, to give me an accurate
egg temp. The probe type on a multimeter are ok but I still question the accuracy.

With an IR gun just the egg colors affect the temp reading. They are still a
good tool to have, even a cheap one. I use my cheap one a lot more than
my expensive Fluke. The cheapy works well, is smaller, and if I break it I
won't cry, well maybe a little.

Anyone have a source for good old fashioned mercury thermometers????


One last thought. Some thermometers, like oral ones, are contact types.
They do not give an accurate air temp. They must be is some type of liquid,
like water or a mouth, to give a true reading. I use a digital oral in my
wiggler and just spot check from time to time.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

That is what's attached to my Lyons Transparent Hen a good old-fashion mercury thermometer....very reliable!!...I'd like to find another source too that makes them....this one is 1961