Does anyone know of and/or use a digital thermometer? I'm currently using the Kalt unbreakable darkroom thermometer and it isn't very accurate.

-- Mark Wiens (mark@wiens.com), November 14, 2001

Answers

I'm sure some people will shudder, but I use a cheapo digital thermometer intended for cooking. I've been pleased with it, plus it reads to 350 degrees or so, and I am able to use it to calibrate my dry mount press.

-- Jim Kish (jim@kishbike.com), November 19, 2001.

If I'm not mistaken, Kalt also makes a digital that is mountable (the read out panel) with a probe that is about 3' long. I saw it at Hunt's in Melrose, MA (www.wbhunt.com). As I recall it goes for about $50. I still use the Kodak Thermo but I have also heard of people using the digital baby thermometers. They are cheap enough and relatively fast... just a thought.

-- Scott Walton (scotlynn@shore.net), November 20, 2001.

I use a Fluke Model 16 digital multimeter with thermocouple. Yes, it's overkill, but I had the meter around for electrical test purposes anyway. It costs around $100.00 or so, which is more than I would pay for a darkroom thermometer. However, it reads temperatures to a tenth of a degree, and reads a good stable temperature less than a second after being immersed in water. It's by far the best thermometer I've used. It's also a really wonderful voltmeter.

The thermocouple may not take kindly to long-term exposure to photochemicals, but I rarely use it for anything but water baths or water out of the tap. If it corrodes, the sensor is very cheap to replace.

-- Richard Cochran (rcochran@lanset.com), November 30, 2001.