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ATD 701 Infrared Laser Thermometer | 
 enlarge | Brand: ATD (Advanced Tool Design)
Category: Automotive Parts And Accessories
List Price: $71.94
Buy New: $38.50
You Save: $33.44 (46%)
New (4)
Avg. Customer Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 2651
Color: Blk/Red
Media: Misc.
Batteries: 1
Batteries Included: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8 x 4.6 x 2.5
MPN: 701
Model: 701
UPC: 663126007010
EAN: 0663126007010
ASIN: B000Q8U70O
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Temperature Range: -76F to 1022F (-60C to 550C) | | • | Distance Ratio: 12:1 | | • | Emissivity: fixed at 0.95/adjust 0.1 to 1.0 | | • | Display: Backlit LCD | | • | LCD Display Resolution and Accuracy: 0.1, 2 or 2% accuracy |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Deluxe Infrared Thermometer with Laser - Temperature Range: -76F to 1022F Laser Target Indicator 12:1 Distance to Spot Size Minimum, Maximum, Differential, Average and High/Low Temperature Alarm Modes Scan, Hold & Store C/F Selection Functions Backlit LCD Display Auto Power-Off Soft Grip Handle Includes Padded Carrying Case, 9V Battery & Instructions Specifications: Distance to Spot Size: 12:1 Display: Backlit LCD Target Indicator: Single Laser Spot Modes: Min, Max, Dif, Avg, Hi/Lo Alarm Emissivity: 0.1 - 1.0 (Pre-set at 0.95) Accuracy: +/- 2 C (4 F) or +/- 2% of Reading Power Off: Automatic Resolution: 0.1 C Battery: 9V (included) Functions: Scan, Store & Hold C/F Selection
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| Customer Reviews:
Very handy very inexpensive Infrared "Laser" Thermometer December 13, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
First of all, it doesn't use the laser to measure anything (I get asked that first thing every time). It has a laser that it can (optionally) shoot out the front for aiming purposes. It measures an area where it's pointed who's diameter is one twelfth the distance away from the measuring gun. So knowing where it's pointed is handy -- the laser is basically the same as a laser-pointer one uses when giving a lecture and pointing at the screen (for those who do that).
The unit is an Infrared thermometer, it picks up radiation from that being measured and calculates it's black-body radiation temperature -- remember that from physics classes? Basically like seeing if something is dull-red hot vs red-hot vs yellow-hot, only it works even if one can't see the glow (in the infrared).
So the great thing about it is that it's non-contact. Just point and look at the screen for the temperature, and this unit works wonderfully at it. One also can hold down the trigger and "wave" it around measuring the temperature of an area, perhaps looking for a hot-spot or cold-spot.
Although judging from the box's photos it was made for automobile use, I use it for cooking purposes where I prefer non-contact use (for contact use I use a Thermapen). Some things aren't appropriate for a physical thermometer, or isn't accessable -- or one just doesn't want to clean a physical thermometer afterwards. No touch, no cleaning needed. :-)
There are quite a few models of these units from quite a few manufactures. This one in particularly inexpensive compared to others and is the primary reason I picked it (the thermapen I mentioned above costs about twice what this unit costs).
One of the limits one often sees with lower cost units is not a limitation of this one.
One of the downsides for Infrared Thermometers like this one has to do with accuracy and more specifically something called "emissivity".
Emissivity is the ratio of what a surface radiates to that which it would radiate if it were a theoretically "proper/ideal" black body at the same temperature. In other words, in real life everything doesn't radiate in an ideal manner. And different things are more or less ideal.
The less expensive units often have a fixed assumed "emissivity" that it uses to display measured temperature, and indeed this unit defaults to "0.95" which isn't too far from "ideal" (1.0). Things like food, water, skin,
etc do seem to be in the 0.95 plus/minus a bit area, so for most uses it works pretty well. But things like metals (including frying pans in particular) the emissivity is quite a bit lower and that causes measurement errors. Shiny polished metals are the worst (may be down toward 0.03). Anodized aluminum (like some pans) is about 0.77, still off. The more advanced units allow easy modification of what the Infrared Thermometer uses for "Emissivity", and that includes this unit, even though it's an inexpensive one!
It has other features like "maximum temp" and the like, but for me those aren't of interest. Being able to measure accurately most of the time by default -- and accurately for odd materials when I need to are the basics. This unit does those just fine -- and at a great price.
The downsides of this unit are not serious. One is that it took a couple weeks of waiting time for availability from my Amazon order before the prime shipping kicked in (but was well worth the wait). The construction of this unit isn't "industrial". Roll a car over it and it'll probably be a pile of plastic splinters. Not a problem for home users (and it comes with a nice padded holder). Also, the instructions are ..uh.. extremely condensed. They're there, but it will take a bit of playing around to really figure out what it does and how to do it -- the tiny instruction sheet just gets one started, more or less. Not hard, just not step by step.
So in conclusion, I highly recommend this unit as a nicely working "Infrared Laser Thermometer" with "high-end" features at a low end price. I've used it for a couple months so far and like it a lot.
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