wireless probes

If you've gone through that many, it's probably not the probe's fault. It's something you are doing. Like cooking at too high a temperature, or letting the tip touch a bone, or kinking the cable, or, well you get the picture.

Or it could be something wrong with the device you are using. You didn't mention the brand. All of mine work well after many years of use.

Spring "No Major Kinks" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

I've lost only two probes in about 6 years. One thing I do is not put the probe in until the meat is almost done. Why let it sit there for 16 hours for a butt or 5 hours for a turkey. I put it in in the last 2 hours or so. Making sure the cable is not in direct heat.

Mine is a Redi-Chek. I don't know which model #. It has one probe. I've had it for at least five years, maybe seven. Got it on sale for $9.99 at Sears. Use it on every long cook. Works perfectly every time from about 50 to 60 feet away. Even the temperature matches other probes.

I have a Polder knockoff that I bought from a scientific supply site on-line probably eight or nine years ago. Looks exactly like the Polder but without the word "Polder" on it. I think I paid less than $5 for it. Still works great. In fact, I purchased all they had and gave them away as gifts. Everyone I gave them to are still using theirs.

The only probe I've replaced was for my BBQ Guru. Kinda expensive to replace so I'm cautious not to expose it to anything that might ruin it again.

Oh, I keep all of my electronics in my outdoor kitchen but I keep them in sealable plastic boxes.

Good luck.

Spring "Old Stuff Keeps Getting Older" Chicken

I've had my Maverick( I think it's model 72 or 73) for about 3-4 years it's got two probes.I bought the high temp (500'-550') probes from Fred's Guitar & BBQ after I fried the original probes.It's been pretty reliable and I have somtimes use it about 20'-50" from the outside wall and it works fine.

 
Get a Thermapen.

I had a ET-7 (2 meat probes) for 5 years now, ET-73 (meat & pit probe) for 4 years using it multiple times a week, Polder single probe 3 years.I have never had to replace any probes on any of the units.

If you have gone through that many probes on different thermometers I would guess you using them in too hot an environment. Check the manual's for heat ranges.

Most of the units will handle up to 450° easily. Cooking above 450° I don't use any remote type thermometer as the cooks just don't take that long. At that point I use time as a guide and final check with the thermapen.

Some folks foil probe wires in order to protect them. There are two thoughts, one being the foil protects the wires. The other is that the foil acts as a heat sink and possibly causes more stress on the wires. Try holding the edge of a 2" square piece of aluminum foil in you fingers an holding a match under the opposite end and see how long it takes before your fingers start to burn. The question is, is the foil protecting the wires or providing more surface area to conduct more heat into the wires.

If you want to protect the wires get some tube Cotronic material or similar material and protect the wires properly.

GG

eggsrgreat wrote:

Not sure what's going on. I never use them above 350.

Man that is tough problem. Different brands going out. I have never had a lick of problems with leaving the probes in and cooking at that temperature.

Are you getting the probes wet, where the bread meets the probe shaft?

Probes falling into the lump bed or close to the lump bed.

I have done some 7 hour Dutch Oven cooks using the Maverick ET-73. The 73 connected to the DO (which will radiate heat higher than the dome). Never a problem.

On any of the cooks I have always had both probes connected and mostly I connect the pit probe to the grid and left it there.

There has to be something that is causing the faults other than just cooking on the different units.

GG