Thermometer Help please

[coffeemama]

Ok, so I have a little Wally World special acu-rite therm. I got the outside reading (the wiggler probe) set at 99.7. I have a cheapy therm that came with the bator that says 101.5-102 (still air). The inside reading on my acu-rite says 98.4, and the humidity 44%. So my question is, why is the inside acu-rite temp so low?
I have no digi therms available in my town, but I'm going to a nearby city today to pick up the eggs that are going in the bator this afternoon. I am totally willing to spend a few more $ and get one of those little digi therms-any recommendations?
Does anyone have a suggestions for my acu-rite? I believe that the wiggler temp. is accurate, but I'm not sure. This is a time sensitive matter, as I have to put my shipped eggs in today!

 

[horsejody]

What height are the thermometers at? In a still air at the level of the top of the eggs it should be 102. I have a still air and one with a fan. I use the still air as a hatcher. At the top of the eggs it is 102. On the wire mesh floor it reads about 98. If you have your thermometers at different levels that could explain the difference.

 

[coffeemama]

Well, I had the auc-rite propped up, and the wiggler w/probe is sitting in a egg carton. The other therm is on the metal stand that raises it up to egg top height. I don't know where in the aur-rite the temp. is actually taken. I mean do I need to put it up an a pedestal too?

 

[Poison Ivy]

Just go by the temp that is in the water wiggler it stays more consistent since the probe is inside the wiggler. I think with the still air you need a little higher temp then 99*. maybe 101* -102*

 

[coffeemama]

Yeah-I'm just going to watch the wiggler temp and the humidity and hope for the best.

 

[cgmccary]

horsejody (I know you, my friend, from the Coop): I have a still air and another with a fan, both Hovobators. I am wanting to use the still air as the hatcher and the fan one as the main incubator. I have two sets of eggs now a week apart set in my fan bator. How do you do yours? Do you move the eggs about to hatch over the last three days to the still air with increased humidity & your temp about 101 -102 F? Is it successful? Are you getting good results? I had a very low first hatch & think it is all incubator/ thermometer/temp related. I need to refine my process.

Coffeegirl: I've had some angst with my thermometers lately. I've noticed that I get a different reading on different sides of the still air even though it is at the same height. I don't know which reading to trust. Honestly, the Brincea is too accurate for my peace of mind. I am wondering if others experience this same-- as in it is better to not know every tenth of a degree change/flux.

I've had as many as 4 thermometers and all giving me a different reading: (1) a digital thermometer made to use in an incubator (a Brincea) & good to the tenth of a degree; (2) a higher price GQF dial thermometer made for an incubator that is good to 1 degree and (3) the bulb thermometer that came with the hovabator. I also have a 4th that is a cheap dial but it is for a reptile tank.

What would aggravate me is I'd have the incubator adjusted (esp. the still air), and I would wake up the following morning and it would have risen a couple of degrees; I'd adjust down until I thought it was steady and the that night or the next morning, it would have went down a degree or two. My still air is only in its second season, and I replaced the wafer this season. My air circulated/ fan model is new. One thing can tell you for sure is that when you load a still air with the cooler eggs, you need to NOT re-adjust the temps up but give the incubator a good 24-48 hours to "re-gain" its temperature [as the eggs heat up].

I am open to any suggestions from those of you that understand how your incubator works. I especially interested in hearing horsejody's method using the two incubators. Wish I was more of a help. Thanks! CHRIS

 

[silkiechicken]

I honestly don't worry that much about temperatures. It is important but get it steady at about the right temp and you'll be good to go. I use two old trusty analog thermometers that read the same from a group of three or four, lay them at egg level, set, and pop in eggs when it's even. I forget about them besides turning and can get chicks popping out on day 21 or so. Not really much need to worry that much about it. I'd just make it 101.5 at top of egg level where the embryo floats and call it good.

One thing that can be tricky, is trying to stabilize temps with no heat sink. Add a few bottles of water when getting temps right and that should help maintain temps.

You can always make a digital thermometer more "right" by increasing it's tolerance to error so it will read more consistently. Brings less head ache to someone than seeing it's 10th place bounce up and down continuously.

 

[cgmccary]

silkiechicken wrote:

You can always make a digital thermometer more "right" by increasing it's tolerance to error
​

hmmmm, . . . how do you increase its tolerance to error? I would like to do this with mine.​