Calibrated thermometers?

[endecotp]

Do any of you professionals own properly calibrated thermometers, for any reason?
If so I’d be interested to know what you use and what you think of them.
This is for ambient air temperature measurements.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I usually just cross reference a couple of different sensors.

 

[gasbanni]

One I've got tells you to zero it in a slushy icy water mix, basically crushed ice in water and use the adjustment at the back to set it to zero.

You could then check it by putting it in boiling water depending of course on your altitude.

 

[wv62]

I use a Fluke 51 II with K thermocouple. It does seem a bit slow updating but apart from that it works well for me.

 

[durhamplumber]

how accurate do you need? Traceable to NPL?

 

[endecotp]

Thanks for the comments everyone. I’ve had a couple of frustrating experiences, for example trying to measure temperatures inside a computer case, where none of the sensors agreed with each other. Of course I can choose one as a baseline and fudge the others to agree - but then something drifts...

So I wondered about buying a fancy thermometer to calibrate everything to, but the most commonly-available ones seem to be calibrated for food safety checks ans only to +/- 1 C. Back to plan A I guess.

 

[endecotp]

I'm re-opening this thread that I posted years ago....

I have a few room temperature monitors that seem to vary by +/- a degree or so. They are adjustable. I could just choose one as a baseline and adjust the others to match, but it would be more satisfying if I had a "known good" reference. Any suggestions?

 

[BS3036]

gasbanni's advice is the only good one here. A traceable certificate is going to cost you £100 or more. Physical phenomena are free and guaranteed correct.

 

[endecotp]

gasbanni's advice is the only good one here. A traceable certificate is going to cost you £100 or more. Physical phenomena are free and guaranteed correct.

Ice/water mixture... yes. Unfortunately you can only do that with waterproof sensors!

 

[Tigercubrider]

Condoms

 

[endecotp]

Condoms

Good idea, I’ve got a load of expired ones!

More seriously - it’s not easy when it’s screwed (!) to a wall.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

More seriously - it’s not easy when it’s screwed (!) to a wall.

Eeeek!

Most digital ones I have come across, in the past decade, have agreed with each other +/- 0.1C, if allowed to settle first, in proximity. Your PC internals, will vary wildly in temperature, because you have a variety of heat sources in there.