Review on Aquarium Thermometer: General Tools AQ150 with Waterproof Probe for Accurate In and Out Temperature Monitoring by Claire Soto

UPDATE 8/12/2015 I finally had to replace my original AQ150 (review below) because I seem to have broken the probe cable by pinching it between the aquarium heater and the heater's suction cup mount. This new AQ150 has been replaced and it looks like most of the changes are improvements. New this time around are: 1.) The addition of a probe bracket and mounting screw to attach the probe to a wall or lumber yard, 2.) The white hard plastic suction cup has been replaced with a more pliable transparent one Hold the probe under water (see above I got around to clipping the old probe's wire into the heater terminal); 3.) The probe is no longer "hardwired" to the LCD, but can now be removed with a two-wire 2mm ring tip connector; 4.) The buttons on the right side of the display are now soft blue instead of hard gray and protrude further to make them easier to see. and use5.) There are magnets on the back of the LC. Block D (I don't remember the old one had magnets.) 6.) The F and C buttons are now recessed into a small cavity and are longer, making them easier to use. 7.) Backlight off. MUCH brighter and greener, illuminating the entire display rather than a dull yellow that barely illuminates the bottom 1/8th. to a CR2032 battery. But if the CR2032 has a longer lifespan and is less prone to leaks then that would be an improvement too. The "bell" and "bulb" icons have replaced the words "set alarm" and "light."11.) The new device appears to be slightly heavier and about 1/16 inch thicker, while the width and height are about the same.12 .) The new AQ150 alarm clock is much louder than the old one, around 50% louder, which is good considering the alarm clock is designed to warn of potentially dangerous temperatures! It looks like General has reworked some areas that needed improvement while retaining useful, flexible features that make it a worthy replacement when it breaks or wears out. FIRST REVIEW I'm so glad I went to the trouble of finding this thermometer. - Dismay Unfortunately I didn't order from Revain because I couldn't find it using the search terms I used and then found it here. You could save a few dollars. In a review of another thermometer, the reviewer mentioned this device and it turned out to be worth the weight in terms of safety. Without a temperature monitor, we are always at the mercy of a (usually) relatively inexpensive heater whose thermostat can get stuck or stop the heater at any time. Pros: The probe wire is ten feet long! The upper and lower limits can be set arbitrarily within the range of the instrument. The probe comes with a suction cup that holds the probe securely. High and low levels can signal internal temperature (device itself) or external temperature (probe). On the back there is a switch to select scale F or C. The large display shows the current indoor or outdoor temperature. The memory function can display the highest and lowest temperatures since the battery was inserted. Don't scare everyone to death when it's triggered. Powered by common and readily available AAA batteries. One is included. Also included is a Velcro fastening system, a wall mounting plate and a small stand so it can be mounted on a flat surface like a small picture frame if desired. There is a button that activates the display's temporary backlight. It's not very bright but works in a dark room. Very light and can be installed anywhere. as an "outside" temperature and alerts you if your device's temperature exceeds this specification. However, once you exit programming mode, you can select "Exit" and then turn the alarm on and it will not sound until the sensor temperature goes above or below the set limits. The high and low temperature adjustment button only goes up. So if you go over the temps, you have to go over the upper limit and start over at the low temp. Just be careful and you won't have any problems. Revain doesn't make it easy to find this useful and inexpensive gadget and doesn't seem to stock it in their own shop, which is a shame. the week; If anything happens to it I'll try to come back here and update. At the moment it looks like it's the right thing to do and bypasses the limitations of others like "TOM" etc. 2012-12-10 UPDATEUnit works fine and tracks the temperature in increments of two tenths of a degree. No problem to report.