Maverick/ Digiq question....

[NeilH]

I noticed on a recent cook the food probe for my maverick and digiq ran side by side, but for some reason the pit probes read about twenty degrees off and they were two inches apart. The maverick was showing twenty degrees cooler. I did the boil test with the maverick pit probe and it was 212 on the dot. Anybody else had this problem before?

[IamMadMan]

There are many things that can effect temperature readings between different thermometers.

We must bear in mind that we are dealing with consumer grade electronics and not scientific measuring equipment capable of detecting nano changes in temperature.

With consumer grade electronics there is always a give and take in the design and the selection of components to keep the price affordable to the targeted consumer group. Different components, materials, and manufacturing processes will yield different products which will operate and respond differently to the same environment. Differences in materials used in the manufacturing process will also effect how temperatures are sensed and the time it takes to recognize that change and process it to the digital / analog display.

Two thermometers made by separate manufacturers can yield differences in readings even if both thermometers were calibrated on the same test equipment. Components used in the manufacturing process can cause some thermometers to take a substantial amount of time to display the correct reading. Some cheaper thermometers may take up to 3 minutes or more to register the proper temperature, while other more expensive thermometers have a very fast response time. There will also be differences between thermometers due to their reaction times, placement in the cooker, placement location in the meat, and even how the sensor responds to the relative humidity.

Placement of the pit probe near the meat or closer to the sides of the cooker can also reflect a cooler temperature reading.

If I had to trust one over the other, I personally would choose the Guru....

You can also try to reset the Digi-Q DX2 to factory defaults....

[NeilH]

Now that you mention it. It seemed like once I got past the 'stall' the pit reading was reading the same for the most part as the guru. That was about nine hours into the cook. I had them both about 3" to the side of the meat. The maverick was in the clip they provide (metal to metal) and the guru was clipped to a wooden clothes pin. The maverick pit probe was on top of the grate and the guru was on the bottom. Still don't understand a 20 degree difference in the pit probes but like you, I tend to trust the guru.

[IamMadMan]

Originally Posted by NeilH

Now that you mention it. It seemed like once I got past the 'stall' the pit reading was reading the same for the most part as the guru. That was about nine hours into the cook. I had them both about 3" to the side of the meat. The maverick was in the clip they provide (metal to metal) and the guru was clipped to a wooden clothes pin. The maverick pit probe was on top of the grate and the guru was on the bottom. Still don't understand a 20 degree difference in the pit probes but like you, I tend to trust the guru.

It could be as simple as the grate was exchanging temperatures with the meat sitting on it (heat is exchanged to the meat and the grate is being cooled by the meat) where the clothespin was allowing the guru to read the ambient air temperature being it was not touching the metal grate itself.

[NeilH]

Originally Posted by IamMadMan

It could be as simple as the grate was exchanging temperatures with the meat sitting on it (heat is exchanged to the meat and the grate is being cooled by the meat) where the clothespin was allowing the guru to read the ambient air temperature being it was not touching the metal grate itself.

Makes sense to me. I'll use clothes pens on both next time and see what happens. Thanks for your advice on this. Sometimes the simplest things, I need laid out in front of me.

[IamMadMan]

Originally Posted by NeilH

Makes sense to me. I'll use clothes pens on both next time and see what happens. Thanks for your advice on this. Sometimes the simplest things, I need laid out in front of me.

Sometimes the simple most obvious things escape us because we are looking for a more complex answer to our problems.

.

[NeilH]

Well, all four probes were 212 on the boil test.

[IamMadMan]

For the true test......

Now to mount them the exact same way in the same spot in your cooker.

There will be slight differences because of the flow of air, and response times, but they should not be off by 20 degrees..

Let us know how it turns out...

[NeilH]

Originally Posted by IamMadMan

For the true test......

Now to mount them the exact same way in the same spot in your cooker.

There will be slight differences because of the flow of air, and response times, but they should not be off by 20 degrees..

Let us know how it turns out...

Thanks man. I'll get back with you after a slab of baby backs Saturday to see that pit temp. Gonna put both probes on the wooden clothes pin. I think they'll even out.

[Teleking]

Originally Posted by IamMadMan

There are many things that can effect temperature readings between different thermometers.

We must bear in mind that we are dealing with consumer grade electronics and not scientific measuring equipment capable of detecting nano changes in temperature.

With consumer grade electronics there is always a give and take in the design and the selection of components to keep the price affordable to the targeted consumer group. Different components, materials, and manufacturing processes will yield different products which will operate and respond differently to the same environment. Differences in materials used in the manufacturing process will also effect how temperatures are sensed and the time it takes to recognize that change and process it to the digital / analog display.

Two thermometers made by separate manufacturers can yield differences in readings even if both thermometers were calibrated on the same test equipment. Components used in the manufacturing process can cause some thermometers to take a substantial amount of time to display the correct reading. Some cheaper thermometers may take up to 3 minutes or more to register the proper temperature, while other more expensive thermometers have a very fast response time. There will also be differences between thermometers due to their reaction times, placement in the cooker, placement location in the meat, and even how the sensor responds to the relative humidity.

Placement of the pit probe near the meat or closer to the sides of the cooker can also reflect a cooler temperature reading.

If I had to trust one over the other, I personally would choose the Guru....

You can also try to reset the Digi-Q DX2 to factory defaults....

Do you sell used cars?

[IamMadMan]

Originally Posted by Teleking

Do you sell used cars?

No, sorry I don't sell used cars, I am a technician that programs and repairs electronic input and logic circuitry.

Do you sell used cars???

[Teleking]

No but you would make a great sales-person with the posting

[IamMadMan]

Originally Posted by Teleking

No but you would make a great sales-person with the posting

Thanks....... Maybe something to consider when I get too old to work... (LOL)

[NeilH]

Ok, I clipped the guru to the maverick probe yesterday but still got a -15 degree difference. The boil test shows them both at 212*. Thoughts on why??

[IamMadMan]

Originally Posted by NeilH

Ok, I clipped the guru to the maverick probe yesterday but still got a -15 degree difference. The boil test shows them both at 212*. Thoughts on why??

Well you got me stumped on this one as they are both reading air temperature this time and not the grate temperature. Which one was below temperature?

Drop them both in a cup of ice water and see if there is a difference in temperature and if it takes one longer to even out. Then once they have stabilized at the same temperature, take them out and see how long it takes to read current air temperatures. might be a faulty probe.