Waeco thermometer

Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 15:03
ThreadID: 15473 Views:3214 Replies:8 FollowUps:6
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I've just been looking at the Waeco ad on the right side of the screen and followed a couple of links to their inside/outside thermometer for $29.95.
Does anybody currently have one of these units please.
If so, could you tell me:
a) are they 'remote'...ie: have a sensor on a long lead so i can mount the unit on dash and have the sensor in the fridge?
b) do they have any back lighting?
c) can they be hard-wired to 12v using an appropriate resistor etc?

Thanks for any responses.
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Reply By: Alex Callaghan - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 15:54

Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 15:54
Wan'a know how the beers are travelling at all times eh mate?

Can never be to careful when it comes to making sure the liquid golds cooled and ready arfter a big day behing the wheel! lol.

It's a good idea Roachie. Im gueesing the unit would have to be remote? I'll be intrested to hear if it can be hard wired.

Could be a goa!

AnswerID: 72156

Follow Up By: Nudenut - Thursday, Aug 12, 2004 at 09:41

Thursday, Aug 12, 2004 at 09:41
ya dont need a thermometer to tell if the coldies are getting warm
just check them hic hic every half hour or so hic
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FollowupID: 332462

Reply By: Outnabout David (SA) - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 16:03

Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 16:03
Roachie,

I don't know but it looks like an Engel one which runs of a AAA battery so I think it would be difficult to hardwire. Has a reasonable lenght wire but would need a bit joined in to go back to front. Probably better sticking with the Jaycar unit even though sometimes the quality is questionable.
AnswerID: 72157

Follow Up By: Member - Rick (S.A.) - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 17:03

Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 17:03
David & Roachie,

I bought one of those jaycar $39.95 units that tell inside /outside temps as well as volts. I had it in front of the gearstick. Looked fine mounted there. Interesting seeing volts as well as how well the air con was working! On the way south from Camooweal a few months ago, all we really knew was that the heat & the flies outside were bad.

Anyhow, here's my experiences:

1. Unrelaible and wildy inaccuarte re temps. On an ambient temp day of say 25 deg, it would sometimes read 25, - confirmed by the car radio - sometimes (say) 43 deg. On onemild day last summer, down at Robe (my guess 22 deg), it read 53 deg!!!!

2. Internal capacitor started to squeal, to the extent that, combined with the above, the unit has hit the rubbish bin & I am $ 40 poorer

I have a Richard Smith unit on the fridge; been there for 2 years, same battery, works fine. Roachie, the KISS principle is best................
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FollowupID: 332364

Follow Up By: Outnabout David (SA) - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 20:16

Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 20:16
Rick,
I have heard that people have had problems with the Jaycar that was my comment re reliability.

Mine has just started to read temp inaccurate after 4 years( seems to be stuck on 10 deg). $50 for 4 years I can't complain but it has saved my entire contents a couple of times when I have had crook batteries. I noticed the temp starting to rise while driving and was able to manually switch over to a different battery.
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FollowupID: 332375

Reply By: GOB & denny vic member - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 16:48

Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 16:48
goodday roachie
we have the dick smith 1 about the same price has about 2m of cable runs off a watch battery we have the waeco 80l it sits on passenger side with opening sied to road freezer end touching back of seatwith it like this i am able to thread the cablethru and sit the readout on the console no backloight on this one
will be listening for you on hf friday night if you are about we leave early friday and 1st stop is port broughton for night then we head northwillsee how time goes on way south to catch up
had to go back and correct spelling etc and i havent even touched trucksters bottle of plonk lol

steve
AnswerID: 72161

Follow Up By: Member - Roachie (SA) - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 22:54

Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 22:54
Gday Steve,
Thanks for that mate....hope you can drop in on your way back. We're off to Cape York leaving 17/9.
Havagoodwon; eh!!??
Cya
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FollowupID: 332425

Reply By: Member - Brian (WA) - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 18:13

Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 18:13
0Hi Roachie
I have an Engel one. It has about a 6 meter lead,Imeasured it out at six paces.i am
6ft tall.It gives a ambient temp&fridge temp. I use mine in the . engel as a freezer with the probe in the middle of that It also gives the min/max temps. I am
satisfied with the read out it gives. Dont now the cost
cheers Brian
AnswerID: 72165

Follow Up By: Member - Ivan (ACT) - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 20:37

Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 20:37
Pretty sure they are $35 Brian
Cheers,

Ivan
2008 D4D Prado

Member
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FollowupID: 332382

Reply By: Member - Toonfish - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 18:13

Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 18:13
can be hard wired but the existing wiring is too light and fragile (eg easily stretched to break point )(i have done it) and no backlight also the back stand breaks off very easily .
having said that dads is an engel one basically the same .

go the jacyar one and be happy for the same price basically .

has a few extra features but still not backlit from memory?

i have no affiliation with "JAYCAR" except being a frequent customer LOL

cheers
AnswerID: 72167

Reply By: cokeaddict - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 18:27

Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 18:27
Hi Roachie,
How ya doin mate?
I dont have a thermometer myself but i was thinking ...I use a hand held one which sits in the ctr air vent of my GQ so I can keep a track on air con temp.

As far as the backlight goes....would be hard to set up internally i know BUT...
I have seen these cute and affective miniture blue lights that run off the cig lighter, similar to the ones some hot rodders use on the bonnet of their cars. Anyway, these things would work excellent pointing at the face of the gause, the blue light would reflcet off the background giving you enough light to read the temp at night without making the dash look like a disco dance floor.

Brian from WA said he has the engle one, well it seems to be long enough as far as wires go but i would suppose if its got the Engle badge on it, price would make it over priced.

If you want to check out the lights, i seen them at supercheap autos, and i seem them on a dash as well in amtes car, very impressive indeed, light does not get heavy on the eyes at night and can be removed when not used.
Regards Angelo
AnswerID: 72169

Follow Up By: DeanoNSW - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 21:31

Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 21:31
I've got one of the Waeco thermostat. It works well. I mount the gauge in the cabin near the gearstick and enough lead to run to the back of a GU.

It will give you temp within the fridge and temp within the cabin also. A few other features and alarms that I dont bother with.
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FollowupID: 332401

Reply By: Member - Roachie (SA) - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 22:18

Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 22:18
Thanks to everyone for your replies.
I currently have a Jaycar one (about 5 months old) and it sort of works. It's supposed to have a permanent blue backlight (when power is on), but that only works when it wants to. It often gets stuck on 10 degrees. The beeper was going off all the time for no reason, so I cut the wires to the speaker etc etc.
I'll keep looking!! I know VDO make one as well, so maybe that'll be the way to go.
AnswerID: 72211

Reply By: Hedonist - Thursday, Aug 12, 2004 at 11:19

Thursday, Aug 12, 2004 at 11:19
Hi Roachie - I have a WAECO and and Engel one - they are basically the same except that the Waeco has audible alarms. Neither has backlighting.

If you are going to the trouble of monitoring the temperatures then alarms are a 'must have' feature IMO.

Cheers,
Pete
AnswerID: 72274

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