Accurite Thermometer....

[satomi325]

I honestly don't use anything other than a temp gun. But the probed digi thermometer/hygrometer is good for the new keepers. I just wish the ones recommended were more accurate.

And my ambient humidity in my area is naturally ~50%, so I know its higher in my rack with the water dish. Plus, if you have good sheds and no standing moisture or condensation, the numbers don't really matter too much.

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[kitedemon]

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Digital-Therm...#ht_4837wt_993

spec'd at twice as good as an accurite. (+/-2ºC for accurite this is 1ºC) you could buy 4 for the same price check all 4 against each other and only use the ones that read the same I suggest this method with accurites too buy at least 3 and 5 is better and check them against each other. Digital hygrometers are actually not very appropriate to enclosure. They are very sensitive to dirt debris and are quite fragile. Why they are so often incorrect. (add the accuracy is terrible, accurites are spec'd at 10% rh ie if it reads 60% it could be 50-70% if it is working as well as the manufacturer thinks it will.)

http://www.amazon.com/Analog-Hygrome...gue+hygrometer

It is certified, calibrate able resistant to dirt and dust. I have checked over 40 now (28 for a zoo) and all out of the box were with in 9%RH of correct, all held correct (+/-2%) for two weeks. Mine hold accurate (I own 12) for 6 months (+/-3%) when I re calibrate them all. The three accurites I owned two were OUTSIDE the specs for temp (more than 4º off) and the other one was just on it (3 and change high) all three were inside the 10% RH but on the edge 7-9%. People define accurate differently, recently I had someone say that 6º off of correct was fine. Personally I can live with 1º more I cannot accept. It was a struggle to tolerate 1ºF in my work 0.5ºF is a unacceptable.

[BoostedMX3]

Fair enough..

Ill look into those when I go to a bigger enclosure.. As for now I would find it hard to believe that my accurite and all living things giraffes are all off to the same exact amount.. Maybe I got lucky but I have 2 ways of checking ambient and they match, two ways of checking the hotspot and they are within 1-2deg and the humidity is within 5% of each other.. The analog guage Arita directly in the middle above the water bowl

[kitedemon]

You are likely right one is very possibly correct and the other is a degree or two different.
Or one is a degree or two high and the other is 3 or 4 degrees high. That is my point, with out one thing that is accurate you have no idea. I always assume that any unit is at the extreme end of its variation and hope that is not the case. I then go to something that is known to be accurate. The average thermometer will be close but the law of averages is font use the highest and lowest with a sample of two you have...

I have a very high standard one degree I can tolerate two? No way. If I have two units two degrees apart I pull both and set them aside for checking. If a unit is more than one degree from correct it is gone. That is my standard one degree no more. On this forum some accept 6 degrees off of correct. I can't , my issue but my advise and suggestions are based my experiences and therefore my issues. You need to decide what you can live with. I can just explain what I believe and what leads me there.


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[norwegn113]

You are likely right one is very possibly correct and the other is a degree or two different.
Or one is a degree or two high and the other is 3 or 4 degrees high. That is my point, with out one thing that is accurate you have no idea. I always assume that any unit is at the extreme end of its variation and hope that is not the case. I then go to something that is known to be accurate. The average thermometer will be close but the law of averages is font use the highest and lowest with a sample of two you have...

I have a very high standard one degree I can tolerate two? No way. If I have two units two degrees apart I pull both and set them aside for checking. If a unit is more than one degree from correct it is gone. That is my standard one degree no more. On this forum some accept 6 degrees off of correct. I can't , my issue but my advise and suggestions are based my experiences and therefore my issues. You need to decide what you can live with. I can just explain what I believe and what leads me there.

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[norwegn113]

You are likely right one is very possibly correct and the other is a degree or two different.
Or one is a degree or two high and the other is 3 or 4 degrees high. That is my point, with out one thing that is accurate you have no idea. I always assume that any unit is at the extreme end of its variation and hope that is not the case. I then go to something that is known to be accurate. The average thermometer will be close but the law of averages is font use the highest and lowest with a sample of two you have...

I have a very high standard one degree I can tolerate two? No way. If I have two units two degrees apart I pull both and set them aside for checking. If a unit is more than one degree from correct it is gone. That is my standard one degree no more. On this forum some accept 6 degrees off of correct. I can't , my issue but my advise and suggestions are based my experiences and therefore my issues. You need to decide what you can live with. I can just explain what I believe and what leads me there.


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You have the very unique oppertunity to have access to some very accurate and expensive equipment to take base readings so you can tell what are true measurements and which units are off, so for the rest of us that dont have that option, would it be safe to say that we could use the reading of lets say a herpstat or other comparable quality piece of equipment to take our base readings from? Correct me if im wrong but aren't herpstats suppossed to be +-.5 deg.? Also why wouldnt the manufactures include some form of calibration on thermometers such as the accurite models?

[kitedemon]

I believe herpstats are just shy of +\- 1 degree .9 comes to mind with out checking might be .7 they are the (helix, Eco , and herpkeeper) all are about the same lets say +\- 1 degree the rounded number. These represent the best value in thermometers around the fact they are thermostats too is a bonus. I have checked all mine and .7 seems to be the average not one is beyond this.

The specs are what they are for a reason. The show the quality of manufacturing and the point where a product is 'broken' and not just 'in normal parameters'

These proportional units make very good base line units. Cheap and accurate. The problem comes in when a poor thermostat is coupled with a poor thermometer ( Hydrofarm and accurite for example) the manufacturing is poor on both as shown by the specs +\- 2 C or about 4 F most units are better +/- 1C or 2F is very common. It shows the manufacturer it not confident the vast majority of the products are less than 2 degrees so they have a wider spec.

This is the reason for multiples and averaging the pack should be close to correct the ones away from the pack incorrect. The problem with using a herpstat or similar is often the probe is in a difficult spot to place a second probe beside it in the clear. If you can it will provide a base line but keeping in mind it could be a degree of (basically) how much variation is ok? Accurate is an absolute it is or isn't the variation is how close to accurate is acceptable. I work with instruments it is a struggle to tolerate one degree in error where others on this forum are happy when they are in 6 of correct! I can't tell anyone this I can just say what I personally tolerate. If I see 90 I can live with 89,90,91. I simply cannot understand how anyone could tolerate a reading of 90 and having accurate being inside 84-96. I can guess better than this. But there it is everyone has different personalities. I am OCD and don't have 'that is good enough' in mine.


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[kitedemon]

My experience with accurites is not great I ordered the first unit checked it off of accurate by 5.? (I don't remember exactly) degrees out of specs so I returned it the second was 6.? off it was returned too the third was 3 and change that made it inside specs but IMO 100% garbage so I gave it away. Aaron says there is a calibration potentiometer inside. To me the thought of opening a unit that specs are so poor that the cheapest Chinese unit is better and the form is so chunky seems like a massive waste of time. You can improve the accuracy range by spending less on a smaller unit.

If you spend the same (11$ x2 so 22) you can get 7 to 22 units that can be averaged (1-3 $ each) or checked against a control ( p t-stat) some of that group will likely be one degree or better.

They are not robust thing they use micro resistance and changes in that to tell temps it takes very little to damage one a pinched or bent cord oxidized contact a small drop I have seen add a degree or more to the amount of range they may have. OCD remember, I check mine every 6 months and it is common to toss 1/4 of them. Snakes batter the cables quite well sometimes.


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[kitedemon]

Double checked now I am on a computer herpstats are +/- 0.9ºF. helix is +/-1ºF (0.1ºF is nothing of note) Ecozone is +/-1ºF The DA herpkeeper is the same. The VE series I have been told is 0.9ºF as well but that is not in writing if they would call a unit reading beyond this 'broken' and replace it I can't say it is not spec'd in the manual they there is no obligation to do so.

Here is an image I shot to show IR guns can easily be incorrect, but it shows a 'pile' of thermometers. The one just below my hand is a very accurate scientific grade one it is reading 23.4 (74.12ºF +/- 0.5ºF) You can see the cheap ESU thermometers are basically correct (23.1-23.9) the flukers and zoo med are a bit more off. (hygrometers are stupid bad 94%-21% that is a pinched cord one reading 24.1/94%) The two brass dial types are both spot on (salt test verified) at 50%RH so is the flukers.

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[itchmynipple]

where can i get a good cheap temp gun in stores?