[Novalug] Cheap (homebrew) room temperature probe?

[Jason]

Nick Danger wrote:
>
> In our server room right now I have a handy dandy little SNMP capable
> temp probe. Nice unit. Also costs like $400. I would like to keep tabs
> on the temps in two cabinets we have at remote locations but I cant
> justify the expense of these units (there are no problems yet, Im
> trying to be proactive with my monitoring)
>
> A long long time ago I took a thermister and connected it to an apple
> //c joystick port and threw it out my bedroom window. Lots of math
> later (which I sucked at so I tried splitting a curve into a few
> straight lines and do linear algebra on it) I had one of the first
> GBBS sites with a temp probe.
>
> There HAS to be a way to do this now with a PC. Probably a little more
> complicated since theres no analog joy port anymore but maybe via
> serial? Or parallel?  Im not looking for NASA grade accuracy, just
> something that I can watch to go "room is getting hotter". Ive found
> ones that clip into your case and give you digital readouts for your
> desktop but nothing I can remotely watch via scripts or otherwise.
>
> Anyone seen such a thing?

If you're handy with a soldering iron check out Dan Klein's thermd
scripts: http://www.klein.com/thermd/   The temp sensor kit is about $30
and you can get up to four sensors.  I used this years ago to measure
temps all over my house and for some experimenting outside. Each of the
sensors was about 50' away from the serial board using cat5 wire (I had
a spool of it so why not?) and it worked very nicely.

-Jason

-- 
   --- There are no absolute statements.  I'm very probably wrong. ---
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
                                        - Albert Einstein