Thermometer Accuracy

[bugbear]

Yes you have - the one that's most often closest to the local weather forecast.

In that case I wouldn't need a thermometer. I can keep dashing in & out to look on either the PC or the TV. :?

Still think the best thing is to stick your glass one

That was my feeling. Although ancient & quite small I have much more confidence in its readings although perhaps wrongly.

Do you have a friend who work anywhere science-y, either in pure science or in an analytic lab?

They could put one-or-more of your thermometers next to a known good 'un.

I got such a friend to weigh some car-boot scale weights (40z, 8Oz etc) for me (to high precision, plus or minus 1/10 gram) so I could check/calibrate my kitchen scales!

Just because I could.

BugBear

 

[Jacob]

I brought an electronic medical thermometer from boots, Took it back because it had us all down as being dead for several hours. Glass types seem hard to find now.

Yes you have - the one that's most often closest to the local weather forecast.

Are you serious ? You expect a forecast that attempts to predict an average temperature over hundreds of square miles for a period of several hours would give a precise measurement of the temperature in one spot in your garden at a specific time of day?....

You can get latest readings from your nearest weather station, which is very likely to be same temp as your garden, unless you live up a mountain, or there is an active weather system going past, warm front etc etc. Certainly accurate enough for all normal purposes and would show up the faulty ones immediately.

 

[bugbear]

I brought an electronic medical thermometer from boots, Took it back because it had us all down as being dead for several hours. Glass types seem hard to find now.

Yes you have - the one that's most often closest to the local weather forecast.

Are you serious ? You expect a forecast that attempts to predict an average temperature over hundreds of square miles for a period of several hours would give a precise measurement of the temperature in one spot in your garden at a specific time of day?....

You can get latest readings from your nearest weather station, which is very likely to be same temp as your garden, unless you live up a mountain, or there is an active weather system going past, warm front etc etc. Certainly accurate enough for all normal purposes and would show up the faulty ones immediately.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microclimate


BugBear

 

[mind_the_goat]

You can get latest readings from your nearest weather station

Ah, I did wonder if that's what's you meant, that's not a forecast, it's an 'actual'. Still couldn't calibrate' anything using it though, way too many other variables.

 

[Jacob]

Local weather stations here about 10 miles away in opposite directions. One reports 6º the other says 10º. Thermometer outside my workshop door says 8º. Accurate enough for most purposes?

 

[Jacob]

Local weather stations here about 10 miles away in opposite directions. One reports 6º the other says 10º. Thermometer outside my workshop door says 8º. Accurate enough for most purposes?

They now say 4 and 7 with 6 here. There you go - bracket yourself with 2 near weather stations and your local temp will be in between, to a degree or so.