“Once again my family is moving because of my husband’s career in the military. This time he’s getting stationed at a base in South Carolina. This will be my first time ever living in the South and all my friends tell me I’m going to DIE in the Summer when I go for my daily jog. They say the ‘heat index’ is going to wipe me out. Can you tell me what that is and how I can measure it? Thank you. Jan.”

Your friends have obviously have your best interest at heart, Jan. The South has extremely hot temperatures in the Summer and packs an extra punch with its brutal humidity levels. Most people working outdoors or exercising outdoors in the Summer down here know to keep themselves hydrated and watch for signs of heat exhaustion.

With regard to your question about ‘heat index’,

“The heat index (HI) is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity in an attempt to determine the human-perceived equivalent temperature — how hot it feels, termed the felt air temperature. The human body normally cools itself by perspiration, or sweating, which evaporates and carries heat away from the body. However, when the relative humidity is high, the evaporation rate is reduced, so heat is removed from the body at a lower rate causing it to retain more heat than it would in dry air.” ( source )

In a nutshell, heat index refers to what temperature a person’s body THINKS it is because of the actual temperature AND relative humidity. Therefore to measure heat index, one must accurately measure both temperature and humidity.

With both numbers in hand, one can look up the heat index on the appropriate chart… like the one below:

For those times when you just can’t get to a computer, though, you can always use a Heat Index Monitor which will measure the temperature and humidity for you and then calculate the heat index — with the push of a button.

Heat Index Monitor Psychrometer: Digital 32° to 115°F Heat Index Range (SAM800HI) Also Measures Humidity, Temperature & Dew Point w/Pocket Clip	SAM800HI
Heat Index Monitor: Digital 70° to 151°F PEN TYPE (SAM700BAR) Also Measures Barometric Pressure, Temperature, RH & Dew Point	SAM700BAR
Heat Index Monitor: Digital Wet Bulb Globe Temperature WBGT Meter (WBGT8758) with 40mm Black Bronze Globe	WBGT8758
Heat Index Monitor: Digital Wet Bulb Globe Temperature WBGT Meter (WBGT8778) with 75mm Black Bronze Globe	WBGT8778
Heat Index Stopwatch: Digital 70° to 122°F Heat Index Range, 1 to 99% RH (HW30) Also Measures Temperature, Humidity & Lap Memory w/Lanyard	X-HW30

]]> http://test-for.com/blog/2010/02/question-what-is-heat-index-and-how-can-i-measure-it/feed/ 1 http://test-for.com/blog/2010/02/question-what-meters-do-ghostbuters-use/ http://test-for.com/blog/2010/02/question-what-meters-do-ghostbuters-use/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:03:03 +0000 Test For Admin http://test-for.com/blog/?p=332 This next question through us for a loop. We actually had to go and watch an episode (or 12) of one of those ghost hunter type shows to figure out how best to answer the following question:

“Not sure if you can help, but my wife and I think we need to test for ghosts in the attic of a house we just bought. Things keep getting knocked over in the middle of the night and we hear other ‘weird’ sounds coming from up there. At first we thought rats or bats, but the exterminator guy told us no… so we think we must have ghosts. It IS a really old house we bought… So can you tell us what equipment to buy? Hope you can help!”

Now can you see why we had to think first before we answered? Wow. Just… Wow.

So anyways, after spending a full afternoon watching one of those ghost hunting shows — strictly for research purposes, of course — we determined that ghosts apparently generate some sort of electromagnetic field and make rooms get really cold, really fast.

Therefore we figure you will need an EMF Meter and sort of Infrared Thermometer that will allow you to scan the average temperature over an area.

Conveniently for you, the lucky owners of a potentially haunted house, someone must have already pondered the same question as you because you can pick up something called the Paranormal Kit which contains both of the meters mentioned above.

Happy Hunting!

This year’s jellyfish swarm is one of the worst he has seen, Hamano said. Once considered a rarity occurring every 40 years, they are now an almost annual occurrence along several thousand kilometers (miles) of Japanese coast, and far beyond Japan.

Scientists believe climate change — the warming of oceans — has allowed some of the almost 2,000 jellyfish species to expand their ranges, appear earlier in the year and increase overall numbers, much as warming has helped ticks, bark beetles and other pests to spread to new latitudes. ( source )

So for all of you oceanographers out there we have a simple piece of advice for you: Make sure your thermometer can resist the elements and watch out for jellyfish! They sting!

4 Input Data Logger Thermometer Waterproof

Data Logger Thermometer Water Resistant

Pen-Style Thermometer Waterproof

]]> http://test-for.com/blog/2009/11/relationship-between-temperature-and-jellyfish/feed/ 0 http://test-for.com/blog/2009/10/meters-for-taking-temperature/ http://test-for.com/blog/2009/10/meters-for-taking-temperature/#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:03:31 +0000 Test For Admin http://test-for.com/blog/?p=152 One thing you can count on: You will always need to take temperature. In today’s blog installment we show you some meters you can use to take temperature. Granted these meters do things faster and more conveniently than a simple thermometer, but hey… sometimes you need make sure you get the most accurate reading possible.

Infrared Digital Non-Contact Pocket Thermometer 5:1, -4° to 600°F (iT1) with Laser Targeting $59.95 $49.00

Infrared Digital Non-Contact Thermometer, 50:1, -76 to 1832°F (TN425LE) w/Dual Laser Targeting, LED Tip Light & Hard Carrying Case $499.95 $399.00

Inspection Kit: Clamp Meter/Circuit Tester, Hook Adapter, Infrared Thermometer & Voltage Detector (HVACKIT) with Padded Carrying Case $449.95 $295.00

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