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Tools for measuring nestbox temperatures.
Contributed by member Fred Benson of Cary.
August 4, 2006
fbenson@ipass.net
The laser thermometer is great for measuring surface temperatures of nestbox roofs, sides, etc. You can buy one from Harbor
Freight Tools (http://www.harborfreight.com) for under $40 when they are on sale.
The Acu-Rite 00683A2 wireless digital thermometer can be purchased for about $20 from Wal-Mart. The remote sensor works
great inside the nestbox and transmits to a master station you can set up in your house. The master station has 3 channels
and will monitor up to 3 remote sensors. The master station will record the low/high temperature for each channel and you
can easily reset each channel. I record the previous day's low/high each morning and then reset the unit. You can also set
a temperature alert to signal that a high internal nestbox level has been reached.
I set up an 8' long bench on some sawhorses in the driveway and lined up different types of nestboxes in direct sunlight.
I use an Excel spreadsheet to record temperatures and analyze the thermal characteristics of each type of nestbox.
Nestbox roof surface temperature readings at 10:30 am on August 4, 2006.
Bailey Nestbox------------------------------------126.0 F
Credit Union Nestbox------------------------------96.0 F
Nestbox with gloss white Hardie Siding Roof---97.0 F
Nestbox with shingles painted gloss white-----106.0 F
I can tell you for sure that metal nestbox roofs painted dark colors are not a good idea this time of year.
The need to provide adequate ventilation during the construction of bluebird nestboxes cannot be overemphasized.
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| Non-contact laser thermometer |
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| Acu-Rite 00683A2 Wireless Digital Thermometer |
The Acu-Rite 00683A2 Wireless Thermometer not only measures temperature in up to three different remote locations but includes
a temperature alert!
This affordable Acu-Rite Wireless Thermometer comes with one remote sensor and has three-channel capacity. The thermometer
also monitors indoor temperature levels. High and low temperature alerts can be programmed for both indoor and any of the
outdoor temperature sensors – when the temperature reaches the predetermined level the display unit screen flashes
and an audible alarm sounds!
Featuring user-selectable Fahrenheit or Celsius formats, this handy wireless thermometer can be wall-mounted or used as
a free-standing unit. The sensor is water-resistant.
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