Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: northener on March 23, 2005, 09:32:56
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Hello i'm after buying a thermomoter, anyone bought one recently any advice BARGAINS anywhere
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What for? Soil/seed trays,pots etc? Propagator ambient??
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IMHOP, the best type of thermometer to buy is a mercury based one, they tend to be more accurate. If you wish to record the Max and Min temperatures each day then a Max Min Thermometer is a must, unlike the standard thermometer, it has a "U" tube with a temperature scale on each "leg" and above the mercury in each leg is a tiny metal pin. These pins are set to the level of the mercury (each day) with a small magnet (usually supplied with the thermometer) As the mercury expands one of the pins is pushed whilst the other is left at the last recorded MIN temperature, the pushed one indicating the MAX temperature. The situation is reversed when the temperature falls.
You can also get this type of thermometer which works on a bi-metallic strip principle these can be purchased at B&Q for about £7.00 they are not as accurate though, but are suitable for general usage
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If you can afford it, get an electronic max/min thermometer. Far more accurate than mercury based ones. I was given one for christmas and I find it invaluable.
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I don't think electronic ones come under the heading of bargains unfortunately. I have gradually acquired three radio-transmitter ones, a master unit which lives in the house, and two satellites, one which just transmits (lives in conservatory) and one which has an LCD too (lives in cold frame). There are three channels on the master unit, so I could get another if necessary, and you can set it so it beeps if the temp ducks below freezing. Was once very useful when my conservatory heater broke... though didn't make me popular with the friend who was kipping on the sofa!
They came from Oregon Scientific. Not cheap at all. It's also interesting to see the differences in temperature between the units when I shove them next to each other... so I put the one which reads lowest outside :)
moonbells
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ooh tooo much. I'm after just a general thermomoter just for general use temperature of windowsill etc i think some of you are talking about thermostats. Cheers anyway.
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My old-fashioned-yet-remarkably-reliable-and-accurate mercury Maximum-Minimum thermometer cost me 25p from the PDSA charity shop.
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I spent somthing like £10.99 on mine, then our chairman turned up with an identical one for about £4 from Wilko :-\
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northener - I'm not.
There's a big difference between a probe & an air thing. And a thermostat.
If you want only one, & cheap, & you're mainly concerned with raising plants, I would go for a soil thermo. The soil temp is probably the most important thing? You know by instinct whether it was freezing in the g/house last night?
Forgive the focus - again!!