Digit-TL Temperature Data Logger with Enclosure

This is a neat device. My wife, for some reason, started suspecting that the refrigerator was malfunctioning, and purchased a cheap refrigerator thermometer to see if the refrigerator exceeded the recommended 40-degree limit for food storage. Sure enough, the refrigerator thermometer read that the refrigerator consistently exceeded the 40-degree limit by quite a margin, and she wanted to buy a new refrigerator to correct the problem. I wasn't so sure, however, that the refrigerator was actually bad, so I purchased this data logger to see what the real story was. First of all, I ran a calibration test against an ice slurry calibration reference (an easy and accurate test of a thermometer that anybody can do with just an insulated container of water and ice) and the data logger showed that it consistently averaged a reading 0.578 degrees fahrenheit low - well within the manufacturers stated accuracy of +/- 0.8 degrees. An identical test on the cheap refrigerator thermometer, on the other hand, indicated that it read a full 8 degrees high! No wonder she thought the refrigerator ran hot! Anyway, I set the data logger to take a measurement once every minute and then, over a period of 8 days, read temperature readings all over the refrigerator, including every shelf, the meat drawer, both crispers, the door, and the freezer section. I could clearly see every change in temperature - including changes that occurred when the door was opened and when warm food was loaded in fresh from the grocery store, and in every case the data logger showed that the refrigerator was working just fine. Except for when the door was opened or warm food was loaded in, the internal temperature of the refrigerator stayed well within the recommended limits for food storage.So this little $47 device saved me $1,600 bucks!The Otero data logger software was easy to load right off the website and gave zero problems. Setup was a snap and downloading the data sets to excel .csv format was fast and easy. The data logger is packaged in a clear waterproof container that never once leaked. The only downside that I saw was that the data logger clock deviated from the corrected computer clock by roughly one second per day, showing a time base error of about 1.15x10-5, which seems a little excessive for a crystal controlled clock. This only means that, over long periods of time, the data logger time would slowly drift off actual time, and that might mean something for a scientifically rigorous study but would hardly make a difference for the type of measurements that I was taking. Besides, if you clear memory and begin a new logging session the data logger clock is resynchronized to the computer clock and you get to start afresh.All in all, a good instrument, and I highly recommend it for anybody looking for a good utility temperature logger.

It's a nice little device and very good for the price. I give it only four stars because the set up of the software could use a little work. It's not 100% clear what to download and install. It doesn't take much to figure out but it could be better. Even just a small piece of paper with a few hints would be helpful. The software also throws the occasional exception, which might be disconcerting to some people. Again, not hard to figure out what's wrong but it could use a little work.On the plus side, the device is much better than other devices that I have used. I had a Lascar EL-USB-1 for a while. It has way less memory and makes occasional misreadings. This device is less expensive, has more memory, and the ambient light sensor is a nice plus. I also have an Elitech RC5. It has more memory than the Lascar, but not as much as the LabJack and it's software is very poor quality. Of the three I have tried, this is without a doubt the best. BTW, I recommend the clear case so the ambient light meter can be used.UPDATE: Well, after less than a month of use, it stopped working. The device is no longer recognized as attached to the PC. While I like the concept, and there are great features, the device is now garbage. I recommend against buying it.

I'm a recently retired IT Geek, so I had no problem going to the web site to find operating details and manual. However, can't give this Product Five Stars because many purchasers may be intimidated when they realize that not even basic instructions are included in the package. Also, after you download and install the initial software, be sure to download and install its latest update before trying to follow the online instructions. The latest update includes some interface improvements which match the documentation a bit better, and are more User friendly. Once you get the software installed, updated, and configured for your preferences per instructions, the device itself works great!

Very useful, precise and practic product.The cost/benefit of this purchase is amazing.Hope they have in stock again soon.

I use this because I wanted to know more about the temperature of my fermentation chamber (I'm a home brewer.), and it is exactly what I was looking for. You can either export the file in CSV (Excel readable) format or just look at the data in the Labview environment that is integral to the easy-to-use download/analysis software. I will probably get an aluminum capsule that LabJack sells so I can just drop this into the wort for a better reading of the actual temperature of the yeast. I highly recommend this; it's a great value. I only wish they offered a Mac version of the software; I have to use my crappy work laptop.

I needed to find out what the highest temperature in my car was and what the highest temperature in my storage room was. I would give this 5 stars but the software is not very intuitive and it took me a while to set up and figure out. But once it was up I set the data logger to take the temperature once every hour and put it in my car for a couple days. Then I hooked it to my computer and got the hourly temperature in my car. I did the same thing in my storage room. It worked perfectly for what I needed it to do.

Great little inexpensive tool for my son's science fair experiment. It seemed a bit delicate to me so this is not for unsupervised play by boys. It is now 9/15/2015 and this simple little tool is still going strong. I have used this around the house for a lot of different reasons, including disproving that hot water freezes faster than cold water in the freezer. Still going strong for this year's science experiment.

Good product, as expected.