How long batteries last in this £10 remote thermometer?

My cheapo one lasts at least 6 months (not continuous updates - every 30 secs or so)

Maplins are doing a cheap deal: £10 for a digital thermometer including a wireless transmitter sensor.

I guess the battery in the transmitting sensor will go before the one in the receiver.

Does anyone know how long will it be before that happens?

About 26 deg Celcius ........... ;-)

Ten years ago (or more?) I bought a mechanical outdoor thermometer for ?£5 from Woolworth. It is a bimetallic spring coil with a marker over a scale. As the temperature rises and falls, the coil expands and contracts moving the marker pointing to numbers on a scale in °C. It is stuck on the outside of a window glass pane showing readout of outside temperature continuously, unfailingly. I thoroughly recommend this type of outside thermometer, not those you need to provide a power source for. Maybe these mechanical ones are still manufactured somewhere, and you have to search harder on the net.

If you have already bought your battery powered one, then you have no choice. The specification (in the user's manual) may include an item called the power consumption or rating of the outdoor module. Comparing this figure to that of your battery powered wall clock, you can work out very roughly how long this module will run before the 3 AAA are exhausted, assuming the module operates continuously as in the clock. The only sure way, I'm afraid, is to run it!

Still available, and still £4.99 inc. p&p

Hey, that's the one.....Window Thermometer - 200, 3/4 down the page. Great find, thanks.

Some more here:-

Great. That screwed on thermometer WT4 at the bottom of the page is even more interesting, and aesthetically, more appealing I think. Because the sensor is away from the cold glass, it should perform even better than the coil spring one I have.

But, to be honest, most of these are bought for their decorative value rather than for their real functional use. Thermometers, barometers, and wind gauges are in truth, in a modern setting, more as homely furnishings. They are for display on the mantel piece, as intriguing gadgets for attention, and not stuck outside the window, out of sight!

The manual claims 12 months for the main unit and 6 months for the remote sensor. I think I've had mine running longer than this.

Although the remote unit probably has a higher current drain than the receiver it conserves power by only transmitting brief pulses every 30 seconds or when the temperature changes by more than 0.2C.

Unless they've changed the design, the remote unit uses 2 AAA cells and not 3 as stated on the web page.

-Some more here:-

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Filed under "how to take dreadful pictures for your website"....

Oh and thanks for the original link - have ordered one of the £4.99 ones.

-Rob robatwork at mail dot com

I bought the electronic type, with a wireless sensor, from Lidl about a month ago, it checks indoor and outdoor temp, has minimum and maximum readings, and radio controlled time, not bad for £3.99. The wireless sensor didn't look very waterproof, (described as splashproof), so I put it in the outdoor electricity meter box, which seems to give accurate readings. Can't comment on the battery life yet though, it uses the round cell type, but they are cheap enough now.

I bought that one as well. My battery in the sensor has been running out really quicky, given up using it for the moment. Could have a duff one, I suppose. How long have you had yours?

I put my sensor in a small plastic bag and hung it out of the window!

Andy

Yes. I have one of these and they are still available. I bought mine from a shop for a quid (Poundland?), accuracy is very good and it withstands all temperatures.

I believe garden centres sell them as well, but obviously more expensive. They also do max/min versions and probably also humidity ones as well.

sponix

It's probably gasping for breath then. :-)

Had mine about a month

have one of these as well, both units take 2 AAA cells and the main unit has a low battery indicator for the outdoor sensor. The main unit is silver and not white as shown in the picture. I have had mine since january and the outdoor sensor still going strong.

Dave

I know, I'm so cruel!

Cheers, I'll get some more batteries for mine and see how long they last this time.

Andy