Thermometer guns?

[momakat]

Ok - there are just some things I don't quite grasp yet. I found some thermometer 'guns' that will read the temps within 1" of them. Then I found laser infrared thermometer guns . . . which will read temps from a few inches to a few feet. Since I haven't a clue about the laser ones I asked the 'seller' and was told they will read the surface of whatever the laser is pointed at. So it won't read through glass. Ok. So if one wants the temperature of the ambient air say an inch or so above the bottom and then about the middle - how would one take this temp? Which type of temperature reader is preferable? Any help and/or advice would be appreciated so I can make a better informed purchase so that I can get better temperature readings. Also - do any of these read the humidity?

TIA

Katrina

[dhonaker]

temp guns are only good for surface temp you need a thermomater for air temps

[JuliusSqueezer]

Think of a temp gun as a device that shoots out a cone. It really doesn't shoot out anything except maybe a laser light but it reads in a cone shaped manner. The tighter the cone, the further back you can stand and measure temps. If it's a cheap one with a 1.1 ratio, then you have to be an inch away to get an accurate reading of a 1 inch area. If you back up 5 inches then it's giving you an average of a 5 inch area. If you are standing back 3 feet, you are measuring an average of a 3 foot area...pretty useless. If you get one that's pinpointed from further back, you can safely measure the temp without sticking your hand in the cage ...pretty handy if you have a rattlesnake

	1.1 One Male and One Female

[momakat]

Originally Posted by JuliusSqueezer

Think of a temp gun as a device that shoots out a cone. It really doesn't shoot out anything except maybe a laser light but it reads in a cone shaped manner. The tighter the cone, the further back you can stand and measure temps. If it's a cheap one with a 1.1 ratio, then you have to be an inch away to get an accurate reading of a 1 inch area. If you back up 5 inches then it's giving you an average of a 5 inch area. If you are standing back 3 feet, you are measuring an average of a 3 foot area...pretty useless. If you get one that's pinpointed from further back, you can safely measure the temp without sticking your hand in the cage ...pretty handy if you have a rattlesnake

*sigh* I think my mind is too full of things right now and I still don't quite get it. If you use a laser that can read from a bit of a distance (like for hots), is it reading the air or what the laser is pointed at? And if it reads what the laser is point at (substrate, wall, hide) is this how you get a good temp in the enclosure? But I guess for me and my El . . . a cheap little one would be ok. Still . . . curious about the laser temp guns . . . .

	1.1 One Male and One Female