<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <META NAME="Generator" CONTENT="MS Exchange Server version = 5.5.2651.67"> <TITLE>RE: Dickson Data Loggers </TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> These look like = great tools! Thanks for the tip Ken, I just ordered 2. All our HVAC systems = are supposedly monitored 24 hrs via computer for temp and humidity, but = all the monitoring in the world can't seem to improve things. Perhaps = some outside monitoring with impressive computer charts (if it is a = computer chart, people listen for some reason!) will give us some = leverage with the people pulling the strings. Eric ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eric Wolfley, = RPT Head Piano = Technician Cincinnati College = Conservatory of Music University of = Cincinnati ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <UL> -----Original Message----- From:   Ken Eschete [SMTP:k-eschete@nwu.edu] Sent:   Tuesday, August 15, 2000 3:43 PM To:     caut@ptg.org Subject:       = Re:Dickson Data Logggers Dear List, Our Keyboard Maintenance Dept has just = started using two Dickson Data Logger's (model Tp120) to chart the = temperature and humidity levels in sensitive areas.  These are small = electronic measuring devices, (the size of a pager), which take digital = measurements of temperature and humidity every minute over a period of up to several = weeks.  The information is downloaded using the provided software, and is = displayed on the screen in the form of a chart.  Humidity from 0% to = 95% is recorded with accuracy of 2%. Temperature from -40 to+176 tracked = within 1.8 degrees. We have found many interesting uses = for this method of gathering data: - We placed one on the concert stage = and at the same time, placed the other one  off-stage where the piano = is usually kept.  A comparison of the two charts showed that the conditions = were close to being the same, belaying our fears about this.  We did, = however discover that there was quite a large swing in humidity on one = weekend.  Since we have the date and times this happened, we can ask Facilities = Management to track down what happened, and try to prevent it from = happening again. -  One of our professors had been = complaining about the conditions in his studio for years, so we placed a data = logger in his studio.  The chart produced the evidence that this was = true, and Facilities Management was able to locate the problem. -  Charts of the organ loft in = the chapel revealed a pattern of temperature changes during services (all those = people).  This information is used to duplicate conditions during the = tuning process. - Anytime we have had a problem = proving to Facilities Management that we need  something fixed, this = system has been our "smoking gun". The TP120 costs $159.  The = software is for PC.  No Mac version available. More info and sample charts at = www.dicksonweb.com.  Other models can be connected to the telephone line and = will call you if things are going wrong! I would be interested to hear if = anyone else is using a data logger system. Thanks, Ken Eschete Northwestern University Ken Eschete, RPT Keyboard Maintenance = Supervisor School of Music Northwestern University 847/467-6970 </UL> </BODY> </HTML>