Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i just recently purchased a mastercraft laser temp gun and im not sure what to make of it. It seems to be way off from my digital thermometers which all seem to vary slighlty from one another.

My python is always on the cool side and never ever basks or heats up on the warm side. So im thinking the temp gun might be correct? Perhaps my temps were too high at surface level? I really dont want to have buy 2 more digital thermometers for this. Ive already tested several and none seem to match up.

How do i calibrate this device?
Is mastercraft any good?

What route should i take if all my thermoters give different readings?

Are they all measuring temperature the same way? Some have a larger diameter of reading. So at twelve inches you could be reading the temperature of 1/2 inch or 2 inchs in a circle, depending on the thermometer. Also, some thermometers provide the average temperature, while others provide the maximum they have detected, and yet others provide a sort of edd-covariance that is the temperature they are detecting at the time, second by second.

Make sure your therm guns are all measuring temperature the same way so you can try calibrating them. I calibrated mine on a block of ice that is just starting to melt.
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Lincoln, NE
0.1 Pastel, 1.0 Pastel het Pied, 0.1 Pied, 0.1 Cinn, 1.0 Black Pewter, 1.0 Woma (hidden gene?), 0.1 Yellowbelly
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You can read the FAQ at Tempgun.com for more info on a number of aspects of using a Temp Gun accurately and correctly, linked below.

The very quick answer is that a digital thermo reads AIR temps, and a temp gun reads SURFACE temps. Those are very different things.

I can have a monitor lizard basking spot setup with a 130F surface temp for basking. Using a probe thermo to measure the air temp just one inch above the 130F surface may give me a reading of 95F. That is a 35 degree difference, but completely accurate.

Surface temps and air temps are two different things. Those two tools are complimentary to each other, and each have a use, but they don't take the exact same type of measurement.
Tempgun.com usage FAQ

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robyn@proexotics.com

ShipYourReptiles.com
Pro Exotics Reptiles

Thanks for the info guys! So what should the surface temps be for a ball python? Care sheets state a gradient of 78-80 on the cool side and 88-92 on the warm side. Im assuming that my python never spends time on the warm side because the surface temp is far hotter than the air temps ( which is what i was probably reading with the normal digi thermos)

Thanks!

I tend to favor hot spot temps on the higher side of that range, 91-92F.
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robyn@proexotics.com

ShipYourReptiles.com
Pro Exotics Reptiles

Now is that temp for a surface or air temp?

I take that as a surface temp.
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robyn@proexotics.com

ShipYourReptiles.com
Pro Exotics Reptiles