Thermometer Problems - suggestions please

[scrambledmess]

So I have one of those Little Giant still air incubators (styrofoam). I tried twice to hatch some eggs with no success. I thought maybe it was the temp because I kept opening the bator to turn eggs. So I went and got an automatic turner so I wouldn't ahve to open it so often. Both the bator and turner had their own thermometers. I have the bator set up now to regulate before my eggs arrive today or tomorrow. Well the temps on the two thermometers differ by 4 degrees.. No wonder I didn't have a good hatch before. So now I need a good thermometer that will fit inside one of these bators. Any suggestions? I am hoping there will be something small and cheap I can pick up at Walmart. I really don't want to go and spend another $40 just for a thermometer.

TIA

 

[midget_farms]

Way back in the back corner of walmart is the hardware section (light bulbs & extension cords etc.). There is a small temp/hygro back there. I can't remember the price but its less than $20. Its about the size of a deck of cards & should be good enough. You definately dont want the bator 4* too hot!

Good luck!

 

[bburn]

Quote:
For sure get another thermometer. I am obsessed and have four in mine. Four different readings. The ones that came with the LG and the turner are off on mine too. Two different readings. So I have two more. I just try and keep an average and keep it the same. I don't know what else you can do until you finally run across one that read right. I am on day 8 with mine and took one to the dark closet and candled it and could see what I think is the right thing. I have brown eggs and can't see veins.

Good luck....

 

[CarolinaKid 8]

calibate the thermometer in a glass of ice water it should read 32 f after 5 minutes

.

 

[bakerjw]

This doesn't work for unsealed digital thermometers but it works very nicely for glass style ones or ones with a probe.

Get a regular medical thermometer like for taking a persons temperature and put it in a Styrofoam cup of warm water. Putting another cup upside down over the top with a hole in the bottom of it will keep the temperature even more stable than the single cup. You may need to add warm water to get a reading close to 99 degrees or so but try to get it close.
Medical thermometers are also accurate in the range that we are looking to maintain and are very common. Every house has at least one.
Put in the medical thermometer and allow it to stabilize. Add an unknown thermometer and wait for it to stabilize. Compare the values. Repeat as needed.

Using ice water will certainly give a 32 degree reading but you are relying on thermometers to have a linear trend. Measuring a known value closer to the desired working value will give an even more accurate result.

The reason that I say use a medical thermometer is that they need to be accurate. Can you imagine taking a baby's temperature and having it read high by 2 degrees? 98.6 could be 100.6 which would lead to a call to the doctor. 3 degrees or 4 would certainly be even worse.

 

[GotGame]

I had this same problem, I had 7 thermometers and 5 of the 7 had were notably different. I bought a couple Brinsea Spot Check digital thermometers and they are dead on with each other, and they are dead on with my 2 glass thermometers I had that read the same. I would highly recommend one of these spot checks.

 

[enggass]

I have found using my Brinsea Eco 20 with Built in Glass Thermo and Brinsea Spot Check Thermo that the temps are the same prior to introducing eggs. Once the eggs are added and the turning begins, my temps read higher with the Spot Check vs. what my Glass Built in reads. I have only done one hatch, but trusting the Glass Built in I had a 70% hatch with what made it to lockdown. 17/24. These were shipped eggs.

 

[scrambledmess]

I found the one at Walmart and just popped it in. It is very slow to adjust, so I will probably keep the other two in with the eggs as well incase there is a sudden change in temp. The one I found also tells the humidity so bonus! It was on sale for $7!!!

 

[midget_farms]

Ha - Great! Walmarts are the same all over the world!