Is there a decent remote smoker/meat thermometer? NOT Maverick

[rexlan]

I have had two of the Maverick Redi Check ET-73 units and both are not what I consider usable.  They claim it will work to 100' which i might if it is a clear line of sight.  My experience says it won't work 25' if there is a wall involved.  I guess if your smoker is in the living room it might work but mine is outside!

Has anyone found a "reliable" remote smoker temperature unit that actually works with the smoker outside and a couple of walls involved?

Thanks

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Has anyone found a "reliable" remote smoker temperature unit that actually works with the smoker outside and a couple of walls involved?

No! Any of several that I've had have had issues of some sort or another.
The Maverick 732 works at a distance, but I'm not comfortable calling it 'reliable' for other reasons.



~Martin

 

[timberjet]

There is a super easy modification you can do to the maverick units I saw on here a while back. google instructables and antenna modifications. You can increase your range and power by one heck of a lot in an hour with some wire and a soldering iron.

 

[rexlan]

There is a super easy modification you can do to the maverick units I saw on here a while back. google instructables and antenna modifications. You can increase your range and power by one heck of a lot in an hour with some wire and a soldering iron.

Did that and it made no difference for me.  I also found another one and did the same mod on the receiver ... still not much better.

 

[jrod62]

When I got my Maverick 732 I walked 3 block away and it was still reading it.
Had it over two years, works every time ( I smoke every weekend) lots of 12 hours days.
It will read it in every room in the house, I think that reliable enough for me.

 

[rexlan]

That 732 sounds good ... just ordered one!

 

[roadkill cafe]

Love my 732. I will sometimes lose signal, most likely due to frequency interference, but after a few seconds it regains the signal. Great distances too! Haven't tried to go 3 blocks but I have gone a few doors down.

 

[fagesbp]

Oregon Scientific 131

 

[timberjet]

Did that and it made no difference for me.  I also found another one and did the same mod on the receiver ... still not much better.

aluminum siding, or some vinyl siding does a pretty good job of blocking signal. if you have that you may be out of luck. too bad no one makes a repeater.

 

[dward51]

aluminum siding, or some vinyl siding does a pretty good job of blocking signal. if you have that you may be out of luck. too bad no one makes a repeater.

Some of the new homes also have that new aluminum faced bubble wrap or foil faced ridged insulation under the siding.  It does the same thing.  I have a buddy who's home is like a huge Faraday cage and there is no cellular service at all inside, but 5 bars as soon as you get near a window or door.  He has the foil faced insulation under a residing job they did for more energy efficiency.  It started after that.

Not that no cellular service can not also be a good thing. Nope, phone never rang....

 

[doctord1955]

I also have the Oregon Scientific 131 had it about 9 years now smoke almost every weekend!

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I too have the Et-73 and never had good luck with the remote. Not to mention that one of the sensors never worked from day one. So now I just use the sending unit for it. Let us know how the ET-732 works for you. I have been considering it too, as others have had good luck with it here.

 

[kathrynn]

I have a Traeger thermometer...it's not wireless.  I do use it....but I really like this one.  Master Forge Wireless 23557. Got it at Home Depot and I take it all over the house with me.  Also...went next door to the neighbors and it still worked just fine.

 

[zahlgren]

Ive got the 732 and took off on the golf cart with it out at the campground and got a good 200-250 yards away and it was working fine, went a little further maybe 50 yards and got behind some trees and the signal was in and out but still reading at times.  That was when I first got it and have used it over a year now with no issues, I'm impressed with it and think you'll enjoy it.

 

[rabbithutch]

Well, my ET-73 is sitting here beside my right now about 50' away from my smoker and it's telling me both the smoker temp and the meat temp. It's been awhile since I calibrated it, but I trust it far more than the built-in units in the MES 40.

I've had this unit for a long, long time - maybe 10 years. I used it for years in the kitchen oven. I also have a Maverick ET - 901 that I got at about the same time. It doesn't alarm which is the only reason I got the 73.

I don't have any problems with reception but I don't ask a lot of it either. My house is brick and too old to have insulation that would block signal.

That OS AW131 looks like a sweet unit if you want to monitor only the meat temp. If it has the means to monitor smoker temp, I missed it. I am sometimes clumsy enough to futz up the MES; therefore I need to monitor the smoker temp, too. I should think that those who stick fire on large smokers might also want to be alerted if the temp drops. The price of the 131 on Amazon of just under $35 is a good price point.

None of what I said means that you don't have problems. I'm just trying to add M2CW.