Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Remote temperature sensors and cold weather (Read 1190 times) previous topic - next topic

Remote temperature sensors and cold weather

Walmart sells a reliable small remote temp sensor for $10.  We have one in the bay with the water manifold and water pump.  Outside temperature dropped to 16 F overnight here in middle Tennessee.  Temperature in that bay dropped to 34 F.

Good way to stay on top of the situation.
George Stoltz.  Retired from full-time living in a great Foretravel and now are back to living in a traditional sticks and bricks in Florida.

Re: Remote temperature sensors and cold weather

Reply #1 –
That seems like a big drop, assuming you have your furnaces set at a live in temp.  Mine stays at 35 degrees with the furnace set at 45. 
1996 U270
Build #4846

Re: Remote temperature sensors and cold weather

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Gayland Baasch –
That seems like a big drop, assuming you have your furnaces set at a live in temp.  Mine stays at 35 degrees with the furnace set at 45. 

Gayland,  34 degrees in our bay is only 1 degree lower than 35 in your bay.
George Stoltz.  Retired from full-time living in a great Foretravel and now are back to living in a traditional sticks and bricks in Florida.

Re: Remote temperature sensors and cold weather

Reply #3 –
Quote from: Gayland Baasch –
That seems like a big drop, assuming you have your furnaces set at a live in temp.  Mine stays at 35 degrees with the furnace set at 45. 

I too have live in temps, roughly 65 degrees at night in the coach and it got down to 32 in the bay when the outside temps fell to 11 degrees. I checked the air flow in the bay and can barely feel the heat coming out of the vent tube. I then checked under the closet floor to see if there were any air leaks in the ducting but found none.

Does anyone know if this is normal or what to do to enhance the air flow to the bays? I plan to install electric lights as supplemental heat.
The selected media item is not currently available.Kent Speers
Locust Grove, OK
1993 U300 SSE 40' (Restored at FOT 2009) Build 4323
720 watts Solar
6V92TA DDEC Silver Engine
2014 Subaru Outback

Re: Remote temperature sensors and cold weather

Reply #4 –
Quote from: George Stoltz –
Walmart sells a reliable small remote temp sensor for $10.  We have one in the bay with the water manifold and water pump.  Outside temperature dropped to 16 F overnight here in middle Tennessee.  Temperature in that bay dropped to 34 F.

Good way to stay on top of the situation.

Does this come with the inside receiver also?
I could not find it searching walmart.
Do you have a link or a model number?
Thanks
The selected media item is not currently available.Barry BEAM #16014
2003 U320 40' AGDS
Beamalarm, Foretravel technical help and specifications
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

Re: Remote temperature sensors and cold weather

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Barry Beam –
Quote from: George Stoltz –
Walmart sells a reliable small remote temp sensor for $10.  We have one in the bay with the water manifold and water pump.  Outside temperature dropped to 16 F overnight here in middle Tennessee.  Temperature in that bay dropped to 34 F.

Good way to stay on top of the situation.

Does this come with the inside receiver also?
I could not find it searching walmart.
Do you have a link or a model number?
Thanks

Here is a link to Amazon for a very good deal on a wireless thermometer: Amazon.com: Oregon Scientific RAR381-BK Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer with. I just ordered one.
As an Amazon Associate Foretravel Owners' Forum earns from qualifying purchases.
The selected media item is not currently available.Kent Speers
Locust Grove, OK
1993 U300 SSE 40' (Restored at FOT 2009) Build 4323
720 watts Solar
6V92TA DDEC Silver Engine
2014 Subaru Outback

Re: Remote temperature sensors and cold weather

Reply #6 –
Barry,

Acurite Model: 00782.  See attached photo of receiver and transmitter.  $10 bucks.  Hard to beat.
George Stoltz.  Retired from full-time living in a great Foretravel and now are back to living in a traditional sticks and bricks in Florida.

Re: Remote temperature sensors and cold weather

Reply #7 –
We had one exactly like it.  Also thought it was a very simple solution to keeping an eye on bay temps, and outside temps.  The operative word, is HAD one just like it. 

While were tailgating at the LSU/Arkansas football game this past Thanksgiving, I suspect one of the homeless guys in War Memorial Park thought it was something he just couldn't live without.  I had put the remote thermostat in one of the rear tire hubs too keep it out of the sun and weather, thinking that it would be obscure enough to not be seen.  WRONG!  Woke up one morning to find it had grown legs and walked off.

The good news is that it was inexpensive enough to not get in a huff about.

I will say this also.  It was a lot easier to set up than the $20 replacement model we got from a nearby Target.
Russell
'99 U320 CAI 40ft w/Xtreme Full Body Paint
Baton Rouge

The selected media item is not currently available."Tetons"

Re: Remote temperature sensors and cold weather

Reply #8 –
Some read more than one sensor, so you could have one in different bays, or even in the frig.
1994 U225
build #4514

Re: Remote temperature sensors and cold weather

Reply #9 –

Chaney is a great inexpensive dual remote temp sensor designed for refrigerators and has variable optional alarm if temps get too high or too low.
Amazon.com: Chaney Instrument 00985 Wireless Refrigerator Freezer Thermometer

As an Amazon Associate Foretravel Owners' Forum earns from qualifying purchases.

Re: Remote temperature sensors and cold weather

Reply #10 –
Quote from: PatC –
Some read more than one sensor, so you could have one in different bays, or even in the frig.
I really like instrumentation that helps rather than frustrates.  Many of the units that I have tried, have been disappointments due to their poor accuracy (+ or - 2°F typically, some as bad as 4°F error) or being battery hogs or because they worked unreliably in cooler weather, etc., etc., etc.
Years ago, I lucked into a great (4) channel digital wireless remote thermometer, (has three remote units, each w/their own digital readout) from Radio Shack (#63-1026): 6301026_PM_EN.pdf (application/pdf Object)
I would highly recommend it (at a total cost of $14.99 total, at the time, seven years ago), but when this thread started, I discovered that it is no longer available AT ALL from Radio Shack.  The closest that I can come is a VWR 4116 @$40.59 w/FREE S&H:  It appears to be exactly the same device under a different brand name:  It only buys you (2) channels though.  You would still have to buy additional remotes, if you wanted the three or four possible channels:  It does come with an (optional use) hardwire probe, which would allow you to keep the remote safely inside the coach and run the probe out to an appropriate outside location:
 VWR Radio-Signal Remote Thermometer 4116 Accessories Remote Sensor Module FREE S&H 4116. Control Company Labware & Accessories.
If any of my current devices ever fail, I would definitely spend the additional money to get the reliability and functionality of this particular design:
 
    • Accuracy of (+) or (-) 0.1°F (w/the National Bureau of  Standards traceability documentation, which the 4116 automatically comes with).  My Radio Shack unit has a stated (+ or -) 0.2°F, according to its paperwork, despite the manual stating (+or -) 2°F.  Putting all four units side by side, I've never seen them disagree by more than 0.1°F
       
    • Large base station readout can be read from 25 feet away with 0.1°F resolution.
       
    • Remotes work from up to 100 ft away (We use one remote in each of our two refrigerators, another outside the coach [inside the stepwell] and the base station is inside on the dash).
       
    • Each channel can be set individually for alarm (Hi or Low or Off) in 1°F increments (we set the refrigerators at 42F Hi Alarm and  move these to the bays at 34°F Lo Alarm during freezing conditions).
       
    • Each channel has memory for Max AND Min temperatures since last reset.  It is nice to know how cold it was last night or what the refrigerators are trending toward.
       
    • Batteries last well more than a year (use lithium cells in cold applications for reliability and longer life).
       
    • Each channel has a low battery (visual) warning when one or more of the device batteries reaches 10% life.
       
    • The only negative that I've found is that the once every 30 seconds transmit/receive query from the base to the remotes operates on a 433Mhz burst which is NOT HAM radio friendly.  Thus, honor thy neighbor, when they are operating a HAM set.
FWIW,
Neal
The selected media item is not currently available.
Neal (& Brenda) Pillsbury
'02 U320 SPEC, 4200, DGFE, Build #5984
'04 Gold Wing
'07 Featherlite 24'
'14 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit
MC #14494
Exeter, NH & LaBelle FL
Quality makes the Heart Soar long after Price is Forgotten

Re: Remote temperature sensors and cold weather

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Neal Pillsbury –
Quote from: PatC –
Some read more than one sensor, so you could have one in different bays, or even in the frig.
I really like instrumentation that helps rather than frustrates.  Many of the units that I have tried, have been disappointments due to their poor accuracy (+ or - 2°F typically, some as bad as 4°F error) or being battery hogs or because they worked unreliably in cooler weather, etc., etc., etc.
Years ago, I lucked into a great (4) channel digital wireless remote thermometer, (has three remote units, each w/their own digital readout) from Radio Shack (#63-1026):
6301026_PM_EN.pdf (application/pdf Object)
I would highly recommend it (at a total cost of $14.99 total, at the time, seven years ago), but when this thread started, I discovered that it is no longer available AT ALL from Radio Shack. 
Neal

Thats the ones we have been using for many years. We use them in the refer, freezer, bays, electronic cabinets etc.
We have 6 units on 2 receivers. They work very well.
When Barry Leavitt told me about them and that they were being discontinued , I bought what was left in 2 stores to fill my needs.
The selected media item is not currently available.Barry BEAM #16014
2003 U320 40' AGDS
Beamalarm, Foretravel technical help and specifications
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

Re: Remote temperature sensors and cold weather

Reply #12 –
Quote from: Barry Beam –
Thats the ones we have been using for many years. We use them in the refer, freezer, bays, electronic cabinets etc.
We have 6 units on 2 receivers. They work very well.
When Barry Leavitt told me about them and that they were being discontinued , I bought what was left in 2 stores to fill my needs.
Barry,
I sure wish that I had had the foresight to buy more than one set! 
What a bargain!
Of course, at the time, I was sure that I would be disappointed again instead of pleased with my purchase.
Neal
The selected media item is not currently available.
Neal (& Brenda) Pillsbury
'02 U320 SPEC, 4200, DGFE, Build #5984
'04 Gold Wing
'07 Featherlite 24'
'14 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit
MC #14494
Exeter, NH & LaBelle FL
Quality makes the Heart Soar long after Price is Forgotten