Thermometer blues!!!

[mountainman]

Hey y'all,
I know this has been beat to death, but I think I'm gonna go nuts with my temps and humidity!! LOL!!
I have just had a decent hatch of 30 chicks last week. The bator has more gauges than eggs it seems. I have a cheap Springfield digital and a analog hydrometer, and the analog seems right with the salt test, but the Springfield is off 3% at the known 75%salt test. whats even worse is at lower humidity, they are 12% difference in the readings. Now for the temps...I have the Springfield, a mercury, and a medical digital. The medical and the mercury seem correct, and the other seems off by 2 deg.

With all this in mind, and the decent hatch results, I started another hatch of 96 eggs last night. I got up this morning only to see everything reading differently!! I checked my medical on my self and got 94.6 deg. so count that one out! I think the Springfield is junk anyway, so I went with the mercury one that came with an old bator. I have a med. sized(100 Egg) forced air bator that has a very accurate electronic thermostat, so it should be accurate to leave it where the last hatch was...I think? Anyway, is it possible to find a thermometer/hydrometer that is accurate! or do you have to buy a truck load of them and sort through them, to get a dependable one???? I have a great bator, I just need a good thermometer!!
Thanks, Kelly

 

[coopist]

I use the Brinsea liquid-in-glass:

http://www.brinsea.com/products/thermo.html

It is 100% accurate and has never let me down. I used it to calibrate my RCom incubator's internal temp control too. And now it is 100% accurate too

 

[Chamelle]

Kelly,

I had some of the same exact experiences! Feeling like I was doing all right, but realizing later that the thermometers I thought were accurate are wrong.

I got the cheapy Springfield digital and realized right away that it was junk.

I have a Taylor therm/hygrometer- I ignore the temperature on that one, because I have two old fashioned type (not mercury, but something red) that read right around the same, and the taylor is off by several degrees, higher AND lower. But the humidity seems to be right.

I tried a digital medical one too, in the water wiggler, but when it said my temp was 95 and DH was 96, I tossed it too.

I finally broke down and got a Brinsea spot check. I built my incubator and that thermometer was by far the most expensive part. But I feel better now.

I think the Taylor would be OK if there were no temp fluctuations, it seemed fine before I actually put the eggs in, and before the incubator was being opened and closed so much. It just can't keep up.

What is the salt test?