BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Bradley Smokers => The Black Bradley Smoker (BTIS1) => Topic started by: birdboy on December 25, 2004, 01:50:39 AM

Title: Thermometer
Post by: birdboy on December 25, 2004, 01:50:39 AM
Fired up the BS with the Maverick thermometer.  The temperature difference between the Bradley thermometer and the Maverick is like 50 degrees !!!  The BS thermo is the lower of the two, I checked the batteries with a tester and they are reading off the scale full charge ...  

Who do you believe??? I don't want to open the door and check with a manual if I can help it, I'll lose a bunch of heat and I got a late start as it is.

Hopefully some of you guru's are around this evening [:(]
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: SMOKEHOUSE ROB on December 25, 2004, 02:02:01 AM
thats a good one, humm just split it in the middle of the two. is my best guess. another thing what are you cooking? is the door temp touching your meat?
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: birdboy on December 25, 2004, 02:19:30 AM
Hey Rob, the probe is dangling below the second rack, took out the third rack.  Didn't get a chance to use the rack mount.

Cooking to whole chickens cut in half and a goose breast wrapped in bacon.  Its been going for an hour the Bradley says 175 the Mav is at 212 and I dangled a therm through the vent at the top and its about 190.

The chicken breast has the probe in it and has come up from refridgerator temp to 120 in an hour according to the Mav.

Hmmm...good question on the door temp touching the meat... didn't think about it.  I guess when its done smoking and the Mav says the Chicken is at 170, I'll open it up and stick a meat thermometer in it.
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: SMOKEHOUSE ROB on December 25, 2004, 02:48:43 AM
could be your mavrick, i just got mine a week ago and has a good set of batteries and i am lucky to get 20 feet away, line of site then it locks up wont read anything, and it does read differant. my bbq guru is almost right on with the door temp. so maybe we both got a bad batch
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: birdboy on December 25, 2004, 05:53:37 AM
What temp does yours get up to?  I turned mine on full blast and it seems like max temp was 228 on the Mav, 190 on the door temp.

Another neat feature, if you turn you slider all the way to the right does that turn yours off too.  I noticed that after I had lost 40 degrees.[:(!]
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: SMOKEHOUSE ROB on December 25, 2004, 01:59:05 PM
birdboy, something is wrong with your bradley, mine will hit about 325  max temp , pushed all the way to the right, that should not turn it off !!! you need to call bradley.
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: nsxbill on December 25, 2004, 06:27:22 PM
One way I can think of to see how close your thermometer is to put probe into boiling water.  See if you are close to 212
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: Oldman on December 25, 2004, 07:40:05 PM
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Another neat feature, if you turn you slider all the way to the right does that turn yours off too.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">


NO~! That should be max heat.

http://rminor.com
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: birdboy on December 26, 2004, 06:57:48 AM
Nsxbill, thats a great suggestion, I'll do it tomorrow.  When I first got it I held the probe in my closed hand and it registered 97 degrees so I figured it was pretty accurate for a surface temp.  But I will check.

Yep, turn it all the way to the right and the power light goes out figured it was glitch with the light.... until I lost 50 degrees.  I bumped it back a hair and the light came on but the max temp I ever saw was 228 on the probe and 190 on the BS thermo.

Great... sounds like another fine unit out of the box  [:(!]  I don't suppose they are open on Sunday ...

On the bright side (after having to finish everything in the oven [:(] ), the goose breast was outstanding, the chicken was kind of bland, didn't seem to get much flavor penetration.
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: birdboy on December 26, 2004, 07:10:33 AM
I wonder if I should just return it to the place of purchase and get another one ... although will all the problems out of the box that I've read about, I may be in the same boat...
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: JJC on December 28, 2004, 12:16:09 AM
Just tried our my new Maverick MT-73.  I calibrated it in ice water and boiling water, and it was within 3-4 degrees of accurate (on the high side:  35 in ice water and 216 in boiling water).   My BS temp dial reads about 5-8 degrees lower than the Maverick, but that's really quite good.  It probably means my BS dial is a bit low and my Maverick is a bit higher than the actual temp, but both are more than close enough me.

Unfortunately, I have a real problem with the range on the Maverick.  Like Smokehouse Rob, I only get about 15-20 feet line of sight with my unit.  My friend has one and gets about 80ft. line of sight, and can go upstairs to his bedroom (50 ft, not line of sight) and still have the unit work, so I think there is a "bad batch".  I called Maverick today and they were very nice, but said their main guy, Darren, will not be in until Wedensday, 12/29.  I'm calling him then and will let everyone know the outcome.

John
Newton MA
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: SMOKEHOUSE ROB on December 28, 2004, 02:35:39 AM
J2C. hey if you dont mind. i would like to have that phone # so i can call them on wed. also. thanks
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: nsxbill on December 28, 2004, 02:43:28 AM
The concern I had with the Maverick's short range, and aside from that, the capability of the Procom4 Guru is what prompted me to spend the extra bucks and upgrade from the Competitor Guru controller.  I can come into the computer room, at the other end of the house and watch the temperature of the Bradley, and even tweak it a bit if I need to.  Range is outstanding at 200 yards, and can get good reception from anywhere in the house.  

Temp control is so crucial, and the PIA running back and forth to adjust the BS was just not something I like to do.  

Bill
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: JJC on December 28, 2004, 03:31:50 AM
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by nsxbill</i>
<br />The concern I had with the Maverick's short range, and aside from that, the capability of the Procom4 Guru is what prompted me to spend the extra bucks and upgrade from the Competitor Guru controller.  I can come into the computer room, at the other end of the house and watch the temperature of the Bradley, and even tweak it a bit if I need to.  Range is outstanding at 200 yards, and can get good reception from anywhere in the house.  

Temp control is so crucial, and the PIA running back and forth to adjust the BS was just not something I like to do.  

Bill
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Bill,

I'm not sure what unit you are comparing to the Maverick.  Can you describe it more fully and perhaps provide a link to a website?  Thanks!

John
Newton MA
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: JJC on December 28, 2004, 03:35:18 AM
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by SMOKEHOUSE ROB</i>
<br />J2C. hey if you dont mind. i would like to have that phone # so i can call them on wed. also. thanks
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Hi Rob,

The number is 800-526-0954.  Ask for Darren.  He is in from 7AM-3PM EST (not the 8:30-4:30 times given in the instruction manual).

John
Newton MA
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: nsxbill on December 28, 2004, 03:37:38 AM
Information on Guru is at http://www.thebbqguru.com.

Prepare for sticker shock!  To me it is worth it.

Bill
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: birdboy on December 29, 2004, 04:57:39 PM
Mine was hit and miss approx 40 feet away inside, it would update sometimes and others it wasn't reading what the base unit was.  I had to wind up moving it across the room right in front of the glass doors.

I tried the boiling water test and its seems the Mav is pretty close although it did get some weird readings now and then 268...300+ ... HHH, but they only lasted a few seconds.  The BS thermo seems to be about 30 degrees off.

Sticker shock for sure. I can't believe a digital temp control (simple version not with the options of the guru) would cost much more than the temp slider.  They seem so common now days.  Should be just like your hot tub, enter a temp and viola !
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: JJC on December 29, 2004, 09:38:34 PM
Spoke with Darrren at Maverick in NJ today.  He had me do a couple of tests (range outside, line of sight with no obstructions, then from outdoors to indoors through a glass door).  My LOS range outdoors was only 50-60 feet, and the out--&gt;in test was only good for 20 feet.  He was very helpful and told me send him the unit for a replacement.

Rob, did you call him today, too?

John
Newton MA
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: JJC on December 29, 2004, 09:42:12 PM
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by birdboy</i>
<br />Mine was hit and miss approx 40 feet away inside, it would update sometimes and others it wasn't reading what the base unit was.  I had to wind up moving it across the room right in front of the glass doors.

I tried the boiling water test and its seems the Mav is pretty close although it did get some weird readings now and then 268...300+ ... HHH, but they only lasted a few seconds.  The BS thermo seems to be about 30 degrees off.

Sticker shock for sure. I can't believe a digital temp control (simple version not with the options of the guru) would cost much more than the temp slider.  They seem so common now days.  Should be just like your hot tub, enter a temp and viola !
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Hi Brian,

I think your high readings may be due to superheated steam occasionally throwing off the probe.  The superheated steam can come from a bubble that is rising to the surface but passes through the probe on its way.  If I'm right, there's no need to worry about your unit.

John
Newton MA
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: birdboy on December 29, 2004, 10:07:02 PM
I agree, it seemed to by pretty much on the money, much more than the door thermometer was.

I'll have to do the line of sight test as well to check the range.
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: SMOKEHOUSE ROB on December 29, 2004, 11:08:07 PM
J2C yes i did, sent it to him today. thanks, he didnt ask me to do any test. just said send it to him.
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: JJC on December 30, 2004, 04:07:52 AM
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by birdboy</i>
<br />I agree, it seemed to by pretty much on the money, much more than the door thermometer was.

I'll have to do the line of sight test as well to check the range.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Hi Brian,

Just a thought--if your Bradley gauge is really that far off, you might want to replace it (or have Bradley replace it if its still under warranty).

John
Newton MA
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: birdboy on December 30, 2004, 08:32:45 PM
Yep, its in the mail along with the temp slider.  Just got the tracking number and it look like it may arrive today, which would be very nice.  Now if it works right when I get it put together then they'll get the big double thumbs up for service.
Title: Re: Thermometer
Post by: birdboy on December 31, 2004, 06:42:03 PM
They arrived... the wrong parts [:(!]