Pyrometer options?

[Michael Kemp]

I'm building my 2nd propane forge - this one's more for forge welding - and I asked the folks at Omega what they'd recommend, given the temp range for forge welding. They came back with these:
http://www.omega.com/pptst/DPi_Series.html
http://www.omega.com/pptst/RAT_SAT_BAT.html
which add up to half a grand - more than I'm spending on the rest of the forge!

Unless there are good alternatives I'll just keep using ceramic cones! Figure if cone 5 bends I'm into the zone - if cone 8 starts to go, turn down the flame:
http://www.bigceramicstore.com/information/ConeChart.html

Any other suggestions?

 

[Mark Behnke]

Search ebay: ceramic thermocouple
Search ebay : PID control

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Type-K-Ther...720?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19daa5ca50

 

[Mark Andrews]

Try auberins.com I have two pyrometers from them and the are spot on even after two years.

 

[Michael Kemp]

Mark - thanks! To be honest - most of the price difference is between K type (2400F max) and R type (3000F max) thermocouples... Omega carries both (and more) - but Auberins also carried a nice low-cost battery powered readout - so I went with Auberins.

Thanks again!

 

[Doug Lester]

The last pyrometers the I got were from a seller on Ebay They had duel leads. I had to get ceramic probes from another seller there. I think both probes and meters didn't run me as much as those Omega units.

Doug