I’ve been thinking about buying an infrared thermometer, but I don’t know much about them.
I like the idea of using one to get water temperatures without all the time and hassle that I go through now with the old Hardy stream thermometer that I’ve been using for a number of years. Plus, I’d also like a quick way of checking my trailer tires when I’m on the road - I have 3 trailers, my drift boat trailer, a 5th wheel travel trailer, and an open car hauler trailer, and I’m always concerned of the possibility that a wheel bearing might be going out.
I see William Joseph offers an inexpensive infrared thermometer for fly fishing for something around $35, but I’m wondering if it might not be better to pay a little more, and get waterproof features, for example, as in a Norcross model designed for marine use for about $75. Maybe there are also other better brands for this purpose?
Anyone use an infrared thermometer and have any advice?
If I liked the way it behaved, I would use it until it croaked, drowned, whatever, and then buy something better, maybe. I have a lot of stuff from Harbor Freight that I have been nicely surprised with.
I am not sure an infrared thermometer would give me the information I want. It has been my experience that river temps can vary at different depths and from the edge of the river to the middle and this is definitely true of lakes. An infrared thermometer would only give you surface temps wouldn’t it?
This is kinda off-topic but a friend of mine recently shared with me that a lot of people he knows calls that word…not… Infra-Red but (and this is hard to print) but “Infrared” , like on-guard.
I have the infrared model and it works fine if you use it as recommended.
First, you have to be about 6" from the water surface. Second, you have to find relatively flat water. Third, you have to know why you are taking the water temperature (i.e. what triggers the hatch) or it’s just a toy.
Yes, the water temperature can vary. I wasn’t thinking so much about using it in a lake as in rivers or streams where I’m not so concerned about taking the temperature in the middle versus the edges. I believe more temperature variations occur over the course of a day.
oh man…i’m gonna let you fellars hash this one out. i like mine. tells me what i need to know. and i don’t have to be 6" from the water, either. it’s just dead-on accurate within 10" or so. the further away your target, the more air temp distorts surface temp of the target. but this is negligible (tenths of degrees) out to just under 3’. i don’t know any bugs or fish that measure temps in tenths of degrees. and if they do they’re too picky for me!
now, for those trailer hubs you will need to get closer when the roads are hot in the summer time. but it’ll still be niftier than a talkin’ parrot.
I have an infrared thermometer. It doesn’t register the same temp as one I suspend in the river. I think it is the diffrerence between surface temp and demp on the bottom of the stream.
I use an MT6. It’s a Raytek that lists for about a hundred and you can buy shipped to you for about $50. http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38&_nkw=mt6&_sacat=See-All-Categories I don’t have to bend over to take a reading. It’s a real temp gun. I use it for fish tanks, koi water readings and it’s fantastic. I have taken it fishing with me but it is NOT waterproof. These days for fishing use I have settled on a nice Fishpond thermometer. Accurate, fast, can take temps below the surface and damn durable. I wouldn’t give up my IR gun, but it’s not the real tool for my fishing. I’ve used it to check the temp of my trailer bearings to see if there are any problems, roasting coffee, heater and air conditioning work and the hobby fish that I keep.