Elitech Digital Temperature Humidity Data Logger Medical Refrigerator Thermometer Vaccine Fridge Temperature Monitor, RC-4HC

I have been using this device continuously for a week now, and have to say I am extremely satisfied in its performance. I needed a data logger to monitor the temperature and humidity in my refrigerator, and given the cheap price and good reviews on their other products, I figured it was worth giving Elitech a go.The device itself is very easy to use. It has a single button, which you press to begin recording, and to cycle through the current, maximum and minimum temperature values on the LED display. It therefore lets me crudely monitor the conditions without having to upload all the data.The software is a little clunky, but lets you do all the essentials - configure the device, stop recording, upload the data from the device, and erase memory. I have found it more useful to use my own scripts to analyze the data, but the pre-packaged software does let the non-programmer visualize the temperature and humidity over time, and zoom in to get a closer look.The biggest issue I had with operating the device, was identifying which driver to install for my mac. The instructions were not immediately apparent, and it was only when attempting to install the python module that I came across the solution. I installed both the CP210x USB-UART bridge VCP driver and the CH340 Serial Driver, and it was only after installing the second that the software was able to recognize the device.I have not had any issues yet with operating it continuously at 0-10°C (and once briefly below freezing). Once I have satisfactorily monitored all the different regions of my fridge, I may be daring enough to throw the thing into the freezer and see how it fares. But I know that batteries and sub-zero temperatures are not good friends, so don't have high expectations.

You have to install proprietary (free) software in order to use this device. This is on contrast to some other USB-based devices that allow you to access the device as if it was a thumb drive and simply copying a data file. You also have to use the maker's software to change settings like how often the temperature/humidity sample is taken. The ability to control the device itself is limited pretty much to just staring and stopping the logging. Finally the data can only be saved as a PDF, a complex Excel spreadsheet, or an archive format that can only be read by the maker's app.If you have no issues with these requirements and limitations, the device itself is easy to use and works well. My first use case was to see how long it takes for a new air condition to cool down a bedroom to the desired temperature. For recording the temperature, either the internal sensor can be used or a plug-in sensor is supplied. Unfortunately the device will not record readings from both the internal and external temperature sensor. But then that would make this a 3 channel data recorder (internal temp, internal humidity, external temp) which I suppose is asking a bit much give the relatively low price. But it would have allowed doing things like comparing inside and outside temperatures for things like rooms and refrigerators.A tip on using the graph view on the application. There are very few timestamps displayed on the X-axis and you cannot change this (AFAICT). But if you place your mouse cursor on the curve itself, a pop-up will be displayed showing the recorded value and timestamp at that point in the curve. A better X-axis scale would still be nice to have.

Bad: Not that much bad stuff, actually.> Cannot set up or start/stop logging without a computer connected> Product data says the computer is just Windows (see below)> Not ideal as a temperature monitor, as the display times out after a few secondsGood:> Worked out of the box, after putting in the battery> Elitech download site has a Mac version! It's compatible with my MacOS 10.14.2 laptop. No bugs either - I made a few changes (turn off logging and enable button stop/start, change to F from C) and they showed up in the device after I hit Save on the laptop.Note: The download file description is deceptive: for USB interface, you do not need to load the driver (an odd thing on a Mac anyway). Just run the app, and it finds and talks with the device. It may require that driver for serial interface, but that's not what I needed anyway.I would definitely buy again. I'm a HW/SW engineer, always impressed by good performance and trouble-free software - especially at a very fair price.It worked immediately

This small device is excellent at recording and charting the temperature, either stand alone or with probe attached. You can program alarms for out of range temps, set it to record at intervals needed, up to 16,000 samplings recorded! You can even set a delay before recording. Rechargeable internal battery. Convenient USB data/charge connection, and the application is very easy to use and understand. It's hard to believe this very accurate scientific device is so AFFORDABLE!I use it to verify the temperature of probiotic yogurt I incubate. Turns out my 'cooker' runs a degree or two high so I now know I need to set it lower accordingly.I am SO GLAD I thought to choose this one!

Poorly made product. Display shows nothing unless connected to computer. Software and documentation are poor. Battery compartment doesn't close properly. Internal and external sensors differ by about 4 degrees F. The external sensor is more accurate (internal reads higher), but the external one is off by 2 degrees or more when compared with reference thermometers. I'm returning this product.