What thermostat is right?

[kmlnll]

Which thermostat to believe?
1. 100.0 hum 49% (brand zilla)
2. 97.5 hum 56% (brand happy farm)
3. 97 hum 47% (acurite)
4. 101 hum 59% (zoomed)
5. 99.1 (doesn't read humidity) (acurite)

2 I got from the pet store 1 and 4. 2 I got from Home Depot 3 and 5. And 1 I got on eBay.

 

[JJSS89]

I don't know...I am uncomfortable with that range though.

 

[kmlnll]

It's crazy, right? I'm freaking out because it's so all over.

 

[JJSS89]

I like to use baby thermometers, never had bad luck with them. That way you can take your temperature under the tongue and use that to compare to the incubator. My body temp runs right at 98.4-.6 so I make sure it reads that and then I make the incubator 1 degree warmer.

 

[JJSS89]

Of course there are some baby thermometers that have been placed in areas other than the tongue...that is why I recommend buying new.

 

[lazy gardener]

That's why we have bleach wipes and alcohol. For an incubator, I'd not hesitate to sanitize a used one and use it... would I stick it in my mouth? Probably not, due to the yuck factor. But, realistically, a sterilized probe should be just that: sterile.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Oral thermometers are great. Note digital orals are very sensitive and require averaging the high and low temp swings of incubator. About 10 seconds after my heater kicks on is the lowest reading.

Search "salt test" and perform it on whichever thermometer you'll be using. You'll drive yourself batty with that many devices. Calibrate one for both temp and humidity and only use that one.

 

[lazy gardener]

Oral thermometers are great. Note digital orals are very sensitive and require averaging the high and low temp swings of incubator. About 10 seconds after my heater kicks on is the lowest reading.

Search "salt test" and perform it on whichever thermometer you'll be using. You'll drive yourself batty with that many devices. Calibrate one for both temp and humidity and only use that one.

Egghead, I think you meant to say that the salt test is for the hygrometer.

 

[1muttsfan]

Most inexpensive thermometers have +/- range of 2 degrees, for a 4 degree range of accuracy. Oral thermometers are more accurate, but usually have to be shaken down. I would highly recommend the Brinsea Spot Check, it has an accuracy range of +/- 0.2 degrees (10 times more accurate)

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Yes, I meant to suggest using an oral to calibrate temp and salt test to calibrate the humidity on same combo unit and only use that thereafter. Write on piece of masking tape the corrections to both and stick it right to the incubator.