Problems with my new Maverick ET7 - Help!?!

Hub

I've been egging for a couple of years now and visiting these forums often. I've wanted a remote thermometer but put if off and off and off. Finally, I bought myself a brand new Maverick ET7 for father's day.

I was so excited to use it, that I took the day off and prepared a brisket. I followed the instructions of the Maverick to a T. I am having two problems ...

The first and biggest problem is that the receiver keeps losing the signal from the transmitter. No matter how many times I pair them or which way I pair them, the signal works fine for a few minutes and then the receiver loses the signal and just kind of sits there without updating. This doesn't happen if they are side by side, but if I take the receiver into the house just a few feet away (and I have a thin glass back door) the signal gets lost. It defeats the purpose of having the thing if I have to leave the receiver sitting right beside the transmitter! :blink:

The second problem, which probably isn't a problem at all, is that the Maverick is displaying a grill temp about 50 degrees lower than the thermometer on the dome of my egg. The egg thermometer currently reads 275 while the Maverick internal sensor is coming in at 224.

Are these problems normal? Surely the sending/receiving thing can't be right. Can anyone please offer assistance?

Grumpa

You may want to read the reviews on this unit on Amazon and then try to get a refund.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004SZ10

:( :( :(

Ripnem

Hub,

Try changing the batteries. Then check you dome thermometer calibration. (in boiling water, should read 212*+/-)

A few have had problem with them, but mine has been a great tool.

Unknown

For the calibration issue I can't help. As Ripnem said, the BGE thermometer is sometimes mis-calibrated - hopefully it is just that which is an easy fix.

The Mav has known range issues. There are hacks around that seem to work well and look relatively straight forward:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Increasing-the-Range-of-a-Wireless-BBQ-Thermometer/

Good luck.
TT

tach18k

I had one for a few years, once in a while it would loose sinc but re-sync and it was fine. I'd replace the batteries, I would never go beyond 20 feet line of sight. I keep leaving mine in the rain I have lots of probes now. Your dome temp should be 25 deg or so higher than the grill temp, heat rises. that is why some say 250 degree dome, it puts the grill temp at 225 which is perfect. I'm sure it is fine. Oh one more thing, it DOES matter which unit you turn on first, main unit first, then the remote second.Both must beep at the same time.

Fidel

Where is the maverick sensor? If you are cooking indirect and the sensor is attached to the cooking grid then a 50&deg difference wouldn't be abnormal. The top of the dome is routinely hotter than the cooking grid, and if your probe is next to the brisket there another likely cause of cooler air there as well.

As for the reception, I can't help. Sometimes there are reports of bad reception with them - especially if you have a lot of wireless devices in your home (cordless phones, wireless internet, etc.) you may have interference on the same or a proximate channel. Mine works very well with the egg on the back deck I get signal on the front porch, upstairs, or anywhere in the house - through multiple walls including brick or cement fiber siding.

Hub

I am cooking indirect with the sensor sitting on the grid and getting about a 40 degree difference, which now makes sense after reading the replies here.

The receiver is working now but only if I have it inside the house just inside the door that leads to the back deck. Fortunately, there is a table there and I can put the receiver on the table. It's not as convenient as being able to move it around the house, but at least I don't have to go outside (in the heat and letting flies come into the house) to check the temps.

I'm still a bit disappointed in the Mav, but all in all it will work. Thanks for all the suggestions above!

Grandpas Grub

 
As you can see some folks hate the Mavericks and some people love them.

I first bought an ET-7. Horrible sync problems and when it did sync the distance was through a window and down a hall but not into the bedroom.

A few years ago I bought an ET-73. I can't say I have ever had a sync problem. For some reason the range on the receiver is anywhere in the house an as far as two houses up and down the street.

Your Maverick is new so call the mfg and let them know of the problems you are having and see about them sending you a complete new unit.

Yours is too new to be making modifications on it.

There was a post recently about someone making the antenna mod and they said it worked fine.

Here is a picture of the circuit board in my ET-73. As you will see it is a different design than the one shown in the link above. Also the connect point which the mod. antenna was supposed to be connected to (shown with a red arrow) connects to nothing. It is a no connection on the PCB.







Call Maverick.

Sometimes I can clip my ET-73 probe right nest to another pit probe and will have a different temperature, usually not more than 15° I just note the difference and set my alarms to the difference.

Fidel covers the dome to grid temperature. Don't expect the dome and grid to be the same. I have recorded as much as 60° difference.

GG

Bordello

I've had mine for several years and it will do that also,especially on long lo and slow cooks but I leave it alone and it will eventually sync back up.

Annoying but I have gotten used to it.

Good Luck,
Bordello

Grandpas Grub

 
Most antennas are polarized and signals can be affected.

If you lay down the transmitter keep the receiver laying flat. If the tx is on the stand about a 45° angle again try keeping the rx at that same angle. Verical tx. vertical rx.

It probably won't make a huge difference but there will be some difference.

As far as signal interference, its possible but not real likely - this would more than likely manifest as intermittent signal and the close the rx is to the rx less of a problem. Determine the frequency of the Maverick then look at a computer router, wireless phone, radio controlled models, planes and cars or wireless security video cameras.

GG