Digital stream thermometers feedback?

[Rusty Spinner]

My wife ordered a digital stream thermometer for me for Father's Day. It is still en route, so I haven't been able to play with it yet. I've always kept and used the old fashion mercury ones that take a few minutes to get a reading with, but are accurate. She got me a Kintrex digital that is a "point and shoot" and not the type with a probe. Anyone have one? Likes/dislikes? It was time to enter the modern, digital age as summer water temps are not far off

 

[Pete]

Infrared thermometers work best on non-reflective surfaces (black). The good ones have an emissivity adjustment to correct for different colors or slightly reflective surfaces. This may be more precision than you need.

There is a problem with highly reflective surfaces... You could end up measuring reflected IR from another object, like (for instance) a light bulb or the Sun. For stream-side use, I'd suggest pointing it at shaded areas.

You might want to start by comparing it to a calibrated mercury (or alcohol) thermometer, to see if you need to adjust the emissivity.

To calibrate use ice water, and (if it goes that high) boiling water.
You can get all "scientific" and correct for barometer, but it isn't a lab and the professor isn't going to give you a grade.
For our purposes, unless you're on top of a high mountain, 0C (32F) and 100c (212F) can be assumed.

See also:
Infrared thermometer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for general information.
Any literature or manual that comes with the thermometer for specifics.

 

[Alan_B]

My buddy has one and we compared it with my old fashioned rectal thermometer and they were dead on. Its true that reflectivity can cause problems with IR scanners you can eliminate the glare by creating a shady spot with your cap and shooting at an angle. The best part is the "Instant" part.

 

[Trout Nazi]

I bought a digital cooking thermometer from Bed Bath and Beyond that is within 0.5 degrees of a couple of laboratory calibrated mercury thermometers I have from my lab days, plus a calibrated high end cooking thermometers. Plenty accurate for taking a stream temperature, where your to supposed to be fishing at the upper spec limits anyway.

 

[CTobias]

So? How did the new thermometer work?

 

[lightenup]

I use my digital meat thermometer...always calibrate it with ice water...It worked well..
The SBR read 70.4 at noon..drove to the Musky...71 at noon 30...so off to the Pequest hatchery run for my weekly fix....two other guys....one looked like R. Ford from a distance(did he grow a beard?)..they were all nymphing...the fella that looked like R. Ford was picking a few...I put on a beetle, dry flies for me and POW!!!!

Also got a few on a pink cdc ant I got in Montana..who would have thought a sparkley pink ant?!?!?!

 

[Rusty Spinner]

So? How did the new thermometer work?

Great! I got a Kintrex and it works perfectly. I do take temps out of the direct sun and it registers within 1 second which is nice compared to my old, mercury thermometer. I'll be putting it to use later this afternoon when I run up to the Flat Brook ahead of our Coldwater Conservation School this Thursday - Sunday. I need to find a place for the "yoots" to clean up that river and will take temps while I'm there just because. But it is right on with my old thermometer.

 

[CTobias]

That's one thing I'm glad about now. For the most part the only time I have to worry about temps is in the early spring and winter. Water is always cool enough in the summer since most of the rivers I fish are glacial.

 

[Thursthouse]

I use my digital meat thermometer...always calibrate it with ice water...It worked well..
The SBR read 70.4 at noon..drove to the Musky...71 at noon 30...so off to the Pequest hatchery run for my weekly fix....two other guys....one looked like R. Ford from a distance(did he grow a beard?)..they were all nymphing...the fella that looked like R. Ford was picking a few...I put on a beetle, dry flies for me and POW!!!!

Also got a few on a pink cdc ant I got in Montana..who would have thought a sparkley pink ant?!?!?!

Who talks like that? Noon 30

 

[Johnny Utah]

I had a digi thermo a year or two ago, It worked awesome till i ran it through the wash. lol

 

[lightenup]

Who talks like that? Noon 30

Old Folks......