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  • bludroptop

    Nov. 16, 2009 12:21 p.m. bludroptop Dork

    Smart or idiotic? Could you use a cheap "instant read" cooking thermometer as a probe type thermometer to measure tire temps? Or does the 'pointy end' need to be inserted to a depth that would make it impractical/impossible for this purpose?

    $10 Thermometer at Target

  • Tetzuoe

    Nov. 16, 2009 12:25 p.m. Tetzuoe Reader

    seems like the pointy end needs to be inserted with that one, you can get a nice chineseum infrared thermometer for pretty cheap now (found a 14 dollar one from a cursory search)

  • bludroptop

    Nov. 16, 2009 12:35 p.m. bludroptop Dork

    I get an "F" for reading comprehension today. Thanks!

  • Toyman01

    Nov. 16, 2009 4:27 p.m. Toyman01 HalfDork

    Jensenman and I tried the infrared and compared it to his tire pyrometer. The surface of the tire cools down too fast to get accurate readings and they weren't consistent enough to just add some to the surface reading. I would be interested in seeing if the $10 one worked. The only problem I could see is the meat thermometers aren't very sharp. The tire pyrometers are like a needle. If you try it let us know.

  • Brust

    Nov. 16, 2009 6:16 p.m. Brust Reader

    Waaaaayy back in the day GRM had a tech article about making one using a ballpoint pen body, a voltmeter and a K-type thermocouple. I recall it being somewhere in the range of $30.

    I challenge someone at the factory to find that article. Now that's good tech.

 

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