Why not to blindly trust digital thermometers

[walkswithdog]

Good thread but umm geez...'

Please don't just "decide" which one is closest. Looks right, should be.

ANY thermometer of any kind, can lose function, be broken, quit.

CALIBRATE. It doesn't take long, it tells you exactly how much they ARE off NOW.

Only medical mercury thermometers and NOT the new ones can be used to determine an AIR temperature. The NEW kinds - no mercury - and the digitals are CONTACT thermometers and MUST be READ in a MEDIUM. In a wiggler, in a fake egg, in silly putty - something. Just like IN YOUR MOUTH or a baby's.... Stick it IN something, then it's accurate and only then.

Never trust a thermometer. And NEVER guess which one is accurate. I calibrate every hatch or two.

The difference of half a degree is mighty in this game. Take a little more effort and calibrate.

 

[mulia24]

same problem, have two thermohygro, both from ATF made in germany, 1 is digital, 1 is analog, both show different temp in same place, hate to know it.

the reason i think is :

digital thermometer, use a censor that count the temp of itself or to the *thing* it is attached so, it doesn't show the temp of air but its own temp, and censor as another electric device like phone and laptop, *hate* water and wet air also heat, so when we exposed them to heat and wet, like in bator, they become unstable, the censor may even come rusting like old steel, even without putting it inside bator, ex: when we take it out, it exposed to heat and wet air, and start to unstable, so nothing we can do about this except having a good, trusted thermometer that have a *thing* (i think you called it probe) and wrap the thermometer inside a bag that have ability to withstand hot and wet air (like in bator) and only let the probe outside or i see people like to attach it to water wiggler.

that's just i tough, sorry if there's that don't have same opinion like me.

and for manual like mercury or alcohol, i think they work great but i only have mercury and not the alcohol so i don't know about alcohol, but, the mercury won't *lie* to us. the factory only make a tube from glass and make measurement in lab and then write down the number in tube and test it by filling it with mercury and *adjust* it to show the right temp inside lab and then being packed and send to shop/mart. so they don't have any censor that hate hot/wet air, that's why i also have mercury to compare but i don't really trust any of them but i think mercury is better.

again, sorry if anyone disagree to what i've said, feel free to *complain* it.

 

[Jarhead]

Good thread but umm geez...'

Please don't just "decide" which one is closest. Looks right, should be.

ANY thermometer of any kind, can lose function, be broken, quit.

CALIBRATE. It doesn't take long, it tells you exactly how much they ARE off NOW.

Calibration is what this is all about

There are no eggs in there.

I am going to buy a calibrated scientific thermo today to do further testing. By the way I am measuring a contact temp not the air. I wish I could still find a mercury thermo, nobody sells them anymore I think they were banned by the EPA. You can find antique stuff, but that's about it.

I just wanted folks to know the NEED to calibrate, and not trust blindly.

By the way if you do not want to calibrate you can buy scientific (lab) grade thermos any hygros, but they are lots of $$$, like in the $100s+. Even the most expensive things you find on the consumer market are cheap in comparison.​

 

[walkswithdog]

Quote:
Calibration is what this is all about

There are no eggs in there.

I am going to buy a calibrated scientific thermo today to do further testing. By the way I am measuring a contact temp not the air. I wish I could still find a mercury thermo, nobody sells them anymore I think they were banned by the EPA. You can find antique stuff, but that's about it.

I just wanted folks to know the NEED to calibrate, and not trust blindly.

By the way if you do not want to calibrate you can buy scientific (lab) grade thermos any hygros, but they are lots of $$$, like in the $100s+. Even the most expensive things you find on the consumer market are cheap in comparison.

Calibrated at the lab those are, Scott, but shipping and transport can harm even those, it doesn't make them invincible, it makes them accurate while they were made.

So double check, double check double check.

 

[ranchhand]

Good points made by many. The only thing I can add is to make sure the electronic ones have fresh batteries. If not, they can give you "off" readings.

 

[speckledhen]

None of the household thermometers are made for the job for which we are using them for, one which does require good accuracy. And ones that used to be accurate can change after being in an enclosed, moist environment.

If you do incubate alot, it might be a good idea to purchase one similar to the Egg Temp, which actually has a stated accuracy rating, unlike the household ones we are using. That's what I will be buying if I start back doing lots of incubating.

As for the popular AcuRites with probes, I found that the probe is much more accurate than the top reading,which is taken by the actual body of the unit, rather than the probe. My top readings on my two AcuRites are a degree different and the hygros on them read 10% different. Change the batteries on occasion, recalibrate the hygro on occasion and between incubations, remove the battery and leave the compartment open to dry out well.