Customer Reviews

Oregon Scientific THGR268 Remote Temperature Sensor

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This thermometer is a wireless device with fairly accurate temperature readings, so long as you keep it in the shade and out of the rain. It features the ability to change between degrees C and degrees F, independent of the base unit.

I have 3 of these, one outside and two inside. My only complaint is that humidity sensor on the outside device has failed, because some insects got into it and nested on the sensor. Now this device is merely a thermometer with inaccurate humidity, so I must buy a new one. Another factor, true of any battery powered outdoor device, is that the alkaline batteries freeze about 0 degrees F, making the device inoperable. The solution to this problem is easy: insert AA LITHIUM batteries. They will be good to about -30F.

What makes this sensor so good is that it is wireless! I have not had any trouble using the sensor, works through wood and brick easily. It has a local digital readout so you can also use it for a display where you are monitoring. It mounts handily using two screws, and it is removable from the mounting bracket. I highly recommend this unit.

I purchased the Oregon Scientific Base unit a few months back and decided to add two more remote sensors to montior temperature and humidity in all my farm buildings. This product works very good, even over a distance of about 200 feet from my house to barn.

I ordered 3 of these, and when laying all 3 of them next to each other, they differed in temp by up to 1.1 degrees and in humidity by up to 3%. not exactly as accurate as I'd like (not sure if there is a way to calibrate them) but accurate enough to be very useful.

Purchased my first THGR168 Remote Sensor in Sept. 06 and a second sensor in Feb. 07. They flawlessly send their signals to the Oregon Scientific BAR388HGA Weather Station. I've yet to replace the alkaline batteries in either THGR168. A third sensor (THGR122N) came with the weather station and is set up outdoors using lithium batteries; it has measured down to -25 degrees F during its first winter. When I first got the sensors, I set up all of them side by side for a day. The units measure temperature (C or F) within a tenth of a point and humidity--if the humidity is below 40% or above 70%, they also show 'dry' or 'wet' in the unit window. A tiny red light flashes each time the signal is sent. I noticed that the temperature readings were fairly close, within a degree or so of each other. The humidity readings were further apart, as much as 5 percentage points. With 3 units, one outside, one in an attached garage and the third unit currently in the kitchen, it's a nice benefit to see the temp and humidity directly on the sensor as well as at the base station. Using the wire stand that comes with the units, they can be easily moved from place to place. There's also a wall mount for more permanent installation. Reception has been excellent through as many as four walls and two floors; units are within 40 feet of the base station--I think Oregon Scientific claims reception up to 100 ft. Only the outside unit's signal occasionally disappears from the command weather station--that signal navigates 4 walls. Move the command station to a slightly different angle and the info reappears. In average or better lighting, the read-out is easy to view. An improvement might be a backlit button to see the LCD readout in dim light. Being in direct sunlight or shade will affect the readings. These digital units work well. I wouldn't claim them to be precise instruments but they are generally accurate; nowhere in the specs does OrgSci make a claim concerning precision.

I HAVE VALIDATED THE READINGS FROM MORE THAN ONE SOURCE AND FOUND THE UNIT TO BE VALID AND RELIABLE. SINCE IT IS NOT EXPENSIVE AND DOES WORK WELL THROUGHOUT THE WALLS AND AT A DISTANCE ACROSS THE HOUSE, I'M NOT SURE WHAT ONE MIGHT COMPLAIN ABOUT WITH THIS PRODUCT.

Great product. Why 3 stars? Well, you can get a main unit that is packaged with this remote sensor for about the same price. Yes, you can get two thermometers for the price of one. The pricing strategy of Oregon Scientific remains a mystery to me.

I have the main unit and 3 remotes to monitor temperatures in my greenhouse and garden area. The unit is very handy for monitoring high and low temperatures and has high and low alarms to let you know when limits are exceeded. I am disappointed in the quality. The hygrometer in the main unit always reads 9-10% humidity from the day I started using it. (I know this is not the case as I live in a very humid area.) The remote units began to fail after 2 years of use. For some reason their signal is no longer received by the main unit even within a foot of each other and both with new batteries. Also, even when the units were working properly, sometimes the signal would fail to reach the main unit for periods.

You can find a cheaper humidity sensor, but it won't be reliably accurate. This one is. It is also well built. I use it to control humidity in my house.

Be careful; Amazon continues to list the wrong .pdf manual for it (as of Feb 21, 2006). The one they link to is for a THC268 unit, which is similar, but only has a thermometer (no humidity sensor). I wrote them a month ago about this, but they don't seem competent enough to correct it. Fortunately, the correct manual did come with the unit when I ordered it.

I tested the Oregon Scientific BAR913 (basestation) and THRG268 remote sensor against a calibrated thermometer/hygrometer at work in a controlled lab environment.

The actual RH was 55%, while the basestation indicated 45% (close enough)and the THGR268 indicated 26% (this is so inaccurate as to be useless).

Both indicated a temperature within a few degrees of the correct value,
which is quite acceptable.

Since others indicate their unit is accurate, it seems it's luck of the draw whether you'll get a unit that measures humidity accurately.
This is likely due to tolerances in the humidity sensor and associated circuit elements. Unfortunately there is no provision to calibrate these units. A simple variable resistor would have made that possible.