RKL Temp Probe vs other thermometers

[Europhyllia]

I find on both tanks I have a slight difference between my RKL temp probes and other digital thermometers I use
(one of these Chinese proverb situations I guess: A man with one watch always knows what time it is; a man with two watches can never be sure...)
On the seahorse tank my temp is kind of crucial (should stay below 75 degrees) so I a wondering which thermometer to trust more?
The iTemp probe from Digital Aquatics that came with the RKL or the ZooMed digital thermometer?

[robalv]

Hey Karin I think you answered your own question.. In my field of work we use one thermometer to measure everything, so as you don't have to think so much..


eg: I can have the two thermometers that are made from the same manufacturer put them on the same component to measure the incoming air and i will have a variance of .05 to 1.0 degrees so stick with one or the other..

[Europhyllia]

Thanks Rob! I'll take one out :) (but now I always got to wonder... which one was right-er? ;) )

[alexdmg]

Back when I worked on big refer systems, we would verify that the thermometer was working correctly by getting a cup of ice, add water, then put the thermostat in the ice water for 5 min. If it showed 32 degrees it was working correctly. This is what we did over a decade ago, not sure if it's the best method, but might be worth a try. Maybe this will show you which thermometer is out of calibration.

-Alex

[Europhyllia]

I think they're probably both correct. Really the RKL says it's 72.8 and the ZooMed says it's 73.6 - less than 1 degree apart.
If they weren't digital I probably couldn't even tell. ;)

ZooMed is going on the QT tank and RKL is staying on the SH tank. Thanks guys!

[jroescher]

Neither one has a calibration feature? If so, I'd just pick one and calibrate the other to it, then swear it was the right one.

[Europhyllia]

The RKL has a calibration feature but now with less than a degree apart I am too lazy and actually feel a little silly to even have worried about it.
On a plain old thermometer the temp would read 73 on both so I'll just be happy with that. lol

[neogenix]

Karin, have you asked on the DA forums re: calibration methods ?

[Europhyllia]

Not really. It came with the manual. I only set it up yesterday. Like I said they are less than a degree apart so I shall stop obsessing about it. :)

I do love my RKL though - at the price for the basic I can't see why not everybody dropped the bulky timers and uses the RKLs instead.

[neogenix]

Not really. It came with the manual. I only set it up yesterday. Like I said they are less than a degree apart so I shall stop obsessing about it. :)

I do love my RKL though - at the price for the basic I can't see why not everybody dropped the bulky timers and uses the RKLs instead.

I love my RKE so far, the only thing I wish it had was better net control, and I wish they'd get a move on the salinity probe.