# Heat gun temp v digital thermometer temps -- lets test.



## nicnet (Apr 3, 2011)

Discussion in this thread......



nicnet said:


> My point was that we now have stats to use, so why not use them and advise the use of them.
> 
> Technology changes for the better and makes it safer and easier for us to control temps (whatever those temps are, different issue) so we should take full advantage of that extra backup.
> 
> ...



Origin..

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/lizards/839926-vicious-circle-3.html#post9944708




I'd appreciate views and tests on this please.

We need to distinguish between basking surface temps (BST) and basking air temps (BAT)

I am finding lately that people are quoting two different temp ranges for dragons, one group seem to be going for the higher temps but also seem to be using heat guns to test them. Other group is using digimoms and lower temps.

Danger of not distinguishing between these is if we get someone with a digimom who is setting temps are the temps quoted by someone using a heat gun.

I'd like anyone with a heat gun and a digimom to test both temps please so we can see just what the temp range between the two is and more importantly if there is actually a temp difference.


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## Dean Cheetham (Jun 1, 2009)

I used digital thermometers back in the day until I checked my temps with an expensive very accurate IR gun and found the thermometers to be nearly 10degrees out!
This was surface temps.


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## nicnet (Apr 3, 2011)

Dean Cheetham said:


> I used digital thermometers back in the day until I checked my temps with an expensive very accurate IR gun and found the thermometers to be nearly 10degrees out!



Thats my point Dean. I think the digimoms are testing air temp while the heat guns are testing surface temps.

We are seing some quoting basking temps of 120F - 130F now, but if as you say the one you tested was 10F out then that would still put the digitals at the 110F - 120f range. Alas there is no distinction between the air and surface temps that they are testing

What concerns me is that if a new keeper using a digital thermometer is then advised on the 120-130f range their actual basking surface temp will be as much as 150F. 


This is a dangerous distinction that is getting missed.


.


hmm this gives me yet another idea for John @ Arcadia....

Can we have....a basking spot thermometer with a remote sensor, I hate cables running into the middle of the viv to the basking spot. Something that can feasibly be embedded into a piece of wood so its not a swallowing issue. Or how about a basking rock with its own thermometer.


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## nicnet (Apr 3, 2011)

Not sure why this was moved to equip & supply forum (which nobody ever uses). This is a discussion on lizard temp issue not an equipment issue.

I'm not sure what advising new keepers on the difference on temperatures has to do with equipment issues.



I think that moving this will now relegate an important discussion to a forum that is hardly used by those that this is targeted at.

This is something that really needs looking at. Distinguishing these temperature difference that are being advised in my view is something that needs sorting out. Not only will it save a lot of the arguments that we are seing on the forums lately it will also give us vital information on the differences between surface and air basking spot temps.



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