Thermometers

glen

Lifer
Apr 28, 2000
15,995
1
81
I am sure I don't need one quiet so accurate, but I suppose I am a little OCD, and we do have the technology now to be more precise so:
I want a decent thermometer.
When I am in my house and it feels really hot, I want to be able to read the temperature and know what it is to say .25 of a degree F.
Should be able to find one for under 25 bucks that will do this, right?
Digital read out battery or solar powered.
Now, I found some, but they have probes on them.
This maybe a stupid question, but do the probes work out in the air or are they supposed to be in a liquid or what? Even if they work fine, seems like I am paying for something I don?t need.

 

Analog

Lifer
Jan 7, 2002
12,755
3
0
Originally posted by: glen
I am sure I don't need one quiet so accurate, but I suppose I am a little OCD, and we do have the technology now to be more precise so:
I want a decent thermometer.
When I am in my house and it feels really hot, I want to be able to read the temperature and know what it is to say .25 of a degree F.
Should be able to find one for under 25 bucks that will do this, right?
Digital read out battery or solar powered.
Now, I found some, but they have probes on them.
This maybe a stupid question, but do the probes work out in the air or are they supposed to be in a liquid or what? Even if they work fine, seems like I am paying for something I don?t need.

You might be able to find one with that kind of precision (not accuracy), but the point is - why? That thing will give you the temperature at that particular spot... Of course a few feet away, it might be 2 degrees warmer, or across the room might be 5 degrees cooler. It really doesn't make sense to have a point temperature at that accuracy. Unless you have some other reason not alluded to. :)
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
32,245
11,189
136
get one that is thermocouple based.. they are very precise :p (i changed "accurate" to precise because of you, analog! :| :p)

price? beats me, i just know they exist :)
 

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
43
91
Try looking for infrared thermometers. I think you will have a tough time finding anything that accurate though for under 100 bucks let alone 25! Most of the stuff I see at first glance googling it isn't near that sensitive or if it is it's way more than 25 bucks!

Oh and degree F FTL, degree C FTW!!
 

glen

Lifer
Apr 28, 2000
15,995
1
81
I mean accurate, not precise.

If you want to quibble about .25 not possible accuracy on a disply - that is another thing, but the read out is limited, but yet still acurate.
 
Sep 29, 2004
18,656
67
91
You might need one of those infared deals but I don't know what hte cost is.

Also, you can move 5 feet in your home and see a difference of 0.25 degrees. So, I have to ask .... why do you need this much precision (jsut to give all you gramaphucks the finger)
 

glen

Lifer
Apr 28, 2000
15,995
1
81
Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004
You might need one of those infared deals but I don't know what hte cost is.

Also, you can move 5 feet in your home and see a difference of 0.25 degrees. So, I have to ask .... why do you need this much precision (jsut to give all you gramaphucks the finger)

Well, you want .25 degree precision, I think, if you want to be able to more or less count on you single degree acuracy.
For example:
If it is precise plus or minus 1.8 degrees, which is typical, then when it reads 70, I cannot know if it is more like 68 or 72 or somewhere in between.
 

herm0016

Diamond Member
Feb 26, 2005
8,455
1,077
126
infrared reads temp of a surface it bounces the beam off of, not the air around you, it would be worthless in this situation. why not just get a mercury thermometer? very accurate, and depending on the models graduations precise too.

mercury thermometer and a small cup of water will get you pretty close.
 

glen

Lifer
Apr 28, 2000
15,995
1
81
Originally posted by: herm0016
infrared reads temp of a surface it bounces the beam off of, not the air around you, it would be worthless in this situation. why not just get a mercury thermometer? very accurate, and depending on the models graduations precise too.

mercury thermometer and a small cup of water will get you pretty close.

Can you still buy mercury thermometers?

 

funkymatt

Diamond Member
Jun 2, 2005
3,919
1
81
Originally posted by: glen
Originally posted by: herm0016
infrared reads temp of a surface it bounces the beam off of, not the air around you, it would be worthless in this situation. why not just get a mercury thermometer? very accurate, and depending on the models graduations precise too.

mercury thermometer and a small cup of water will get you pretty close.

Can you still buy mercury thermometers?

i'm pretty sure an alcohol based one will yield the same results.