Jetart Technology ThermoEye Instant Temperature Detector

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes

October 18, 2005

Today I am going to take a look a the Jetart Technology ThermoEye, a device with dual temperature sensors, which can be used to monitor the temperature of two separate locations - or two separate devices.

Included in the packaging are the ThermoEye device, a CR2032 battery, a dual sensor cable, a Velcro mounting patch for the ThermoEye and two small pieces of tape with which to affix the sensors. The tape reminds me of the paper bandage tape that doctors sometimes use.

After unpacking the contents, setup is a simple matter of pulling off the Thermo Eye's Velcro half-backing to expose the battery compartment and red Fahrenheit/Celsius switch. The ThermoEye ships reading Centigrade temperatures, so only those that desire their readouts in Fahrenheit need press the switch. A CR 2032 battery is included in the tray, but a thin piece of film must be removed for the battery to make contact.

The ThermoEye device measures approximately 3" long x 1.6" wide and 0.5" thick, and it weighs 0.8 ounces. It is composed of white plastic with bright silver trim around the LCD screen. A round white button to the right of the screen initiates the green backlight, which will stay on for about 40 seconds.

The sensor cable is approximately 80" long, with a white plug in the center which goes directly into the bottom of the ThermoEye. The ThermoEye is capable of detecting temperatures in the range of 0 ~ 120ºC and 32 ~ 248ºF, so unless the user is in a below freezing room, almost any temperature should be detected. However, the ThermoEye was not made to go inside an oven, as evidenced by the 248ºF temperature cap. ;0)

Once the cable has been plugged in, it is time to determine what items will be monitored. Configurations are only limited by the users imagination, but here are some ideas: One cable end can be affixed to the wall to display the room temperature while the other cable end is affixed to the desktop computer's case. If there is no need to monitor the room's temperature, then the other cable end's sensor can be affixed to a separate hard drive, additional computer, or any other item that needs separate temperature monitoring.

Up to two locations can be monitored by a single ThermoEye, so it is possible to monitor multiple hard drives or multiple computers with the same device. The LCD display always stays on, giving immediate information about the regulated temperatures.

Of course, computing is not the only way in which the ThermoEye will come in handy. One sensor can be affixed to an interior wall and the other can be slipped underneath a closed window, giving indoor and outdoor temperature readings on the same display.

When the ThermoEye sensors are placed on an item, they will immediately begin to ascertain the item's temperature, as evidenced by the climbing or declining readout on the display. After a couple of seconds the temperature will stabilize, and the correct temperature reading will be easily viewable.

The ThermoEye is a convenient device for monitoring how hot or cool various items or their surfaces happen to be. There are many ways in which it can used - not the least of which is in gauging whether one's hard drive is overheating and / or under-cooled.