Poor Man's Digital Thermometer

1407 Views 17 Replies 10 Participants Last post by Dannyboy1949, Mar 27, 2013

Dannyboy1949

Discussion Starter · Mar 24, 2013

Being an information junkie, but unwilling to pay the high cost of any of the digital thermometers with remote sensors I'd really like to have...This is my budget solution. The pic makes it look more prominent (and I guess tacky) than it really is and it'll do the job well enough to suit me.

Definitely not for everyone, but I thought I'd share the photo anyway.

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1 - 18 of 18 Posts

SabreJoe

· #2 · Mar 24, 2013

Looks good to me. Is it waterproof?

oldwing99

· #3 · Mar 24, 2013

I agree. Nothing wrong with that.

Dannyboy1949

Discussion Starter · #4 · Mar 24, 2013

SabreJoe said:
Looks good to me. Is it waterproof?

Unknown...time will tell :waiting:

CaptainMidnight85

· #5 · Mar 25, 2013

How much Dan?

wilmo

· #6 · Mar 26, 2013

... and I like the large easy to see digits, where do I find?

Dannyboy1949

Discussion Starter · #7 · Mar 26, 2013

UPDATE: I spoke too soon on this one.

Turns out the thermometer, located where I have it, just doesn't function properly. Everything from sunshine to the little bit of engine heat that gets up there causes erroneous readings.

I'm now in the process approaching the problem a little differently and I'll let y'all know how it turns out. This will also be for the budget minded rider.

Sorry for the false start!

CaptainMidnight85

· #8 · Mar 26, 2013

Reason I asked-
$37.00 shipped from eBay.
NOS Hayden remote dual digital temp readout. Has temp programmable alarms, hi/low averages, and other stuff, ...plus a clock...
Gotta love eBay.

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unionjk

· #9 · Mar 26, 2013

Why not a fish tank strip stuck to the outside of the windshield?

FM

· #10 · Mar 26, 2013

unionjk said:
Why not a fish tank strip stuck to the outside of the windshield?

Wouldn't read right. That reading would be WIND CHILL :shock:

In your travels, ride by them NOTORIOUSLY ACCURATE bank signs.

(POSTED) 03-26-2013, 12:01 AM
12:01? Your clock is off. It's 1:01
.

unionjk

· #11 · Mar 26, 2013

FM said:
Wouldn't read right. That reading would be WIND CHILL :shock:

In your travels, ride by them NOTORIOUSLY ACCURATE bank signs.

(POSTED) 03-26-2013, 12:01 AM
12:01? Your clock is off. It's 1:01
.

Then how can you get an accurate reading, outside is wind chill and inside is engine heat and direct sunlight baking upon it.

Chromo

· #12 · Mar 26, 2013

I've always heard that only people are effected by wind chill, not water, radiators, or thermometers.
It's a fictitious temperature made up based on moisture in the air, wind, etc...

Ever notice in the shade under a tree on a hot day how nice that cools breeze feels on your skin, but the thermometer you are standing next too still says 105F LOL

Or on a cold windy night at 25F when the wind blows hard suddenly you feel like it's only 15F but both the thermometer in the wind and the one in a box still say 25F

It's still the same temperature air/wind blowing over the thermometer so it don't care, but the cooling effect of moving air effects moist skin.
At least that is basically what I have always been told and heard.

tlbranth

· #13 · Mar 26, 2013

Wind chill is a result of heat being removed more quickly by moving air. If the item is not wet, its temp won't go below ambient. In the case of a human, the wind evaporates moisture from the skin and can make the skin actually colder than ambient - refrigeration. The sun being directly on the thing, however, will cause it to read high.

Chromo

· #14 · Mar 26, 2013

I normally probably don't want to know the temps I am riding in.
I don't want to know it is too hot or too cold to be out riding around LOL
Might be nice to know sometimes when getting into ice patch temperatures though for winter safety.

FM

· #15 · Mar 26, 2013

I fig'd dat WIND CHILL thang wood hall outs dem sy-en-tif-ik folks.

:thumbsup:

UH YUP, Sun, moisture and wind makes all the difference in the world to living thangs.
Just need to shade that thermometer somewhere, somehow.

.

.

Dannyboy1949

Discussion Starter · #16 · Mar 27, 2013

3

Alrightythen!

Scene 1 take 2:

Here's another approach that does seem to work nicely. $13 thermometer from Target with a custom (home made) bracket, using 2-sided tape (which autobody shops keep around for moldings). The thermometer head articulates and it has an auto/off feature so you won't accidentally kill the L44 battery. These are also extremely quick/sensitive and reflect the subtle differences we feel while riding. The windshield will protect it from an unexpected shower and in bad weather I'll slip it out of the bracket to be stowed in the dry.

Again, as before, the photos make it look more intrusive and unsightly than it really is...but this project was a balance between cost, functionality, and appearance. For $150 Dave's Cycle Supply has a fantastic looking unit that would meet just about anyone's approval.

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keithg64

· #17 · Mar 27, 2013

Cycle max has digital thermometers for $15.00
Sorry but wind chill only affects the skin.

Dannyboy1949

Discussion Starter · #18 · Mar 27, 2013

keithg64 said:
Cycle max has digital thermometers for $15.00
Sorry but wind chill only affects the skin.

And where the heck have you been while I've been reinventing the wheel:ROFL:

The one Cyclemax shows appears to be a match for the 24.95 Voltmeter Dave's Cycle Supply has. I may go ahead and order that one as I've already got the Voltmeter on the way to replace the crappy one I previously installed. Shouldn't be too hard to get an attractive housing that would accomodate both.

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