Meters

Meters

We use meters every day for lots of things. You probably have one on your wrist right now (a chronometer) for measuring time. There are a number of meters on the dashboard of your car for measuring speed, fuel level, oil pressure and engine temperature etc. Some cars have trip computers that tell you how far you'll get with the amount of fuel you have, under the current conditions.

It's fun to know what's going on, so I have a collection of meters for measuring all sorts of things. Not only can I do what one might normally do with a thermometer, that is tell how warm it is outside in January, here in sunny Florida, (almost 70 F) but now I can test the temperature of our freezers, air conditioners, ovens and grills with this professional Thermocouple Thermometer.






















For testing temperatures of hard to reach places, I have this Laser Thermometer. All you have to do is hit something with the laser beam and the correct temperature will bounce back to the infrared sensor and show up on the LCD display. It even reads below zero temperatures of the sky when there is enough moisture for it to get a reading. Some of the applications are measuring temperatures of:

• Electrical panels, circuit breakers, generators and gearboxes
• Gasoline and diesel engine cylinders and railroad axles and bearings
• Industrial maintenance
• Refrigeration applications and depleted media
• ISO 9000 maintenance
• Electrical work
• Registers air stratification and duct leakage
• Food, frozen food preparation, safety and storage
• Icing and de-icing on planes and asphalt
• Bearings and motors
• Power Distribution
  

• Temperature range: -18 to 260°C (0 to 500°F)
• Distance-to-spot: 6:1
• Backlit display
• Selectable °C or °F
• Optional wrist strap and soft carrying pouch

I need to check the voltages of so many things and even test transistors with this multi meter:























There are a lot of two way radios around here and it's good to know on what frequencies they are broadcasting. This frequency counter does the trick.























Camilla and I walk every morning and we have often wondered just how fast the cars are going filled with the people rushing to start their day. This hand held radar gun was just the tool we needed. I haven't taken it on the road yet, but it might be interesting to see how fast the cars that speed by us are going.

What is radar?
Radar is an acronym for radio detection and ranging.

How does the Speedster work?
Once you press the trigger, the Speedster sends out 24 GHz radio waves at the speed of light, which is 186,000 miles per second. It measures the difference between the signal it transmitted and the signal bounced back to it and relays this information to the DSP to quickly calculate the speed of the object with an accuracy of +/-1 mpg.

How is speed calculated?
Speed is calculated using the difference between the transmit frequency and receive frequency (also known as the Doppler shift).

Many times when playing outdoor concerts there are local laws about how loud the sound coming from the stage can be. Once several policemen approached Camilla and told her they were pulling the plug on the concert. At first she laughed because she thought it amazing that I and my lone guitar could possibly be exceeding the local sound ordinance, but she soon realized they were serious. She begged them to let me finish the song and that she would go to the stage after it was over and tell me to end the concert. They agreed. She smiled as she approached the stage, I was already singing the last song of the show. This Sound Pressure Level Meter is great for keeping it all legal.

Have you ever wondered how much radiation is bombarding your brain cells? Well with this handy radiation detector, you never have to wonder again. We find it interesting that the radiation level in some hotels registers up to ten times the normal level. "It is difficult to account for a reaction like that." said Dr. Clayton Forrester.

* Protect against leaks and contamination
* Measure contamination of accident spills
* Survey groundwater for radium content
* Secure freight, transport and storage areas
* Monitor shielding and personal exposure
* Test for potential radioactive materials
* Check internal medical test levels (iodine-125)
* Monitor environmental air and water quality
* Maintain regulatory safety compliance
* Demonstrate radioactivity / nuclear principles
* Locate lost dangerous radiations sources
* Verify radiation levels at landfills and dumps
* Measure ambient background radiation
* Check watches, jewelry, and household items
* Check for safe food and water while traveling