7
HiTemp temperature sensor
HiTemp is a general purpose temperature probe designed for measuring air, liquids (but not acids) and skin temperature within the range of -10°C to +
110°C with a 0.1°C resolution and a typical accuracy of better than 1˚C.
Due to its small size and low thermal mass, HiTemp has a fast response time and the sensor and cable are both lightweight and waterproof making it
suitable for suspending in air or liquid and also ideal for measuring low surface or skin temperatures with it
’
s small tip.
As with any sensor, if you need to measure with accuracy and repeatability you must carefully control the experiment conditions and consider the effect
of where and how the sensor is positioned. For example, if it is put into a beaker the sensor should not touch the glass walls and the liquid should be
repeatedly agitated to maintain even heat transfer around the sensor.
The distance HiTemp can be used away from Voyager can be extended using one of the Microsense extension cables but we recommend it is not
extended beyond 3 metres as this may introduce interference or inaccuracies.
Care
The HiTemp tip and cable are waterproof but the connecting plug (and socket) are not. The sensor uses a thin cable to make it very flexible and
versatile but you need to take care that the cable is not pulled, twisted or bent sharply as this could fracture wires inside - we suggest it is treated with
the same care as you would the flexible wires used for music player headphones. Also take care not to force the sensor into things like hard soil and
never expose it to strong acids or alkalis which could attack the plastic or stainless steel tip.
Do not expose the sensor to temperatures outside of its range - for example take special care if measuring the temperature in a heated pot or kettle
as the element is at a much higher temperature than the water and will damage the sensor if touched. HiTemp is not suitable for measuring the
temperature of anything over 110˚C maximum, including flames.
Alternative sensors (also see page 44)
For frequent experiments more suited to a longer solid probe style and which do not require such fast response times we suggest the LogIT
Microsense
®
ProTemp which has a strong 180mm long stainless steel probe and which can measure a wider span of temperature in the -30 to +130˚C
range with a 0.5˚ accuracy and 0.1˚ resolution. The ProTemp can plug directly into Voyager for hand held wire-free monitoring and can also be used
further away by using a sensor extension lead.
For higher temperature ranges such as ovens or even flames, a K-type thermocouple adapter is available which works with most of the different
styles of K-type thermocouples available and can measure temperatures from -50˚C to +1200˚C with a resolution of 1˚C, although bear in mind that
thermocouples are generally not as accurate as the precision thermistor devices used in HiTemp and ProTemp.
