Archive for the ‘Learn’ Category

Why Calibrate?

Posted on: February 28th, 2012 by Matt No Comments

Our catalog (PDF link) continues with new updated content that we started this year. This month's inside cover article discusses why you should calibrate (available below as well) and the inside back cover highlights a very common application: Refrigerator Monitoring. 

Inside cover shot Why Calibrate?

The most simple answer is the following: A unit must be calibrated in order to confirm the readings and data you collect are accurate and correct.

Due to environmental conditions and the handling of an instrument, a unit will lose accuracy over time. Typically the more extreme the conditions or handling the more this is a concern, but even a device that is in moderate conditions and lightly handled is susceptible to losing accuracy.

Your Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) or the organization that audits your company may also require that you calibrate your instruments at regular intervals (six months to one year are common).

Timely and regular calibrations ensure your instruments are reading correctly and protecting the safety of those who use your products.

 

Next month's topic: Why Should I trust Dickson to do my Calibration?

Beat the Heat (part 2)

Posted on: August 2nd, 2011 by Matt No Comments

Recap

In Beat the Heat (part 1) I talked about issues someone recording temperature (and humidity) may face when going through the extreme heat of the summer. Also, here's the weather for the week my experiment/sample was conducted (same image from part 1):

the weather channel screenshot Beat the Heat (part 2)

Knowing the weather is important so you can get a baseline of the conditions I talk about. In part two of this mini series I'm going to give you a real life example of why the summer heat can be so dangerous. What I discuss below is the real life data of how hot your car can get on a sunny day. 

Read more about the setup, results, and significance >>

Beat the Heat (part 1)

Posted on: July 20th, 2011 by Matt 1 Comment

Much of the country has been getting slammed by heat waves this past week. According to the Chicago Tribune we may see record breaking temperatures in Chicago today. The hot weather wreaks havoc on utilities, people, and products. In part one of this post I'm going to discuss how the hot weather can affect your goods and then make the case for monitoring them. In part two I'll provide an example and real temperature data as evidence as to why this is a serious issue. 

First, let me set the stage. Here's a screenshot I took this past Monday of the weather forecast for the week:

the weather channel screenshot Beat the Heat (part 1)

So, it's a hot one for Chicago (yeah, yeah – if you're in the Southwest I know it gets up over 100F all the time, but the humidity! That's the killer). The weather has only gotten more severe as well. We are, and have been, in an Excessive Heat Warning for some time now. Today's high was potentially going to break the 100F barrier (I don't know if that has happened yet EDIT: it happened with temperatures reaching 102F in some areas) and the humidity has been between 45-80% for the week with no signs of breaking until over the weekend. 

 

So what does this mean? Read more >>