ThermoHawk 200 Touchless Infrared Thermometer

Instant temperature readings at the touch of a button

By Charlie White

If you need to know the surface temperature of anything, the ThermoHawk 200 Touchless Infrared Thermometer ($59.95) gives you accurate readings between -27° and 230°F with a resolution of .5 degrees. Intended for homeowners, computer users, fishermen, hobbyists, mechanics, gadget aficionados, or anyone who just wants to mess around with a fun gadget, the ThermoHawk offers impressive accuracy in a convenient form factor that's just 5 inches long, a half inch in diameter, and weighs 1.5 ounces. It's remarkable that you can carry around such a precise scientific instrument on your keyring.

The ThermoHawk 200 includes a keyring attachment, inviting you to carry it around all the time. And that's a fun thing to do, because once you take off its lens cover, you'll want to push its little rubberized button and take temperature readings wherever you go. According to its specifications, the size of the spot that it can measure is equal in diameter to the distance of the instrument from the surface you're measuring. So, for instance, you can get a highly accurate reading of the surface even when you're two or three feet away from it. If it's a smaller area that you need to measure, you'll need to hold the ThermoHawk closer to that surface or object.

This instrument is fast, too. You only need to push the button for an instant to get a quick reading. Even though the specs say it takes one full second to obtain an accurate reading, I observed that it usually took much less than that. The thermometer works with an infrared (IR) sensor behind a small opening on the end of the instrument (see graphic at left). Using a wavelength of 5µm to 14µm (microns), it reads the infrared energy emitted from whatever object at which it's pointed, converting that into a digital reading that shows up on a small monochrome LCD display. It's powered by two included button-sized LR44 batteries.

Q3 Innovations, the company that manufactures ThermoHawk, touted the accuracy of the thermometer at a 2.5% margin of error. Although I had no means to verify this, the temperature readings I obtained seemed reasonable enough. As I took a variety of readings around the Midwest Test Facility, it quickly became evident that having the ability to measure the surface temperature of various items without actually having to touch them is a definite advantage. Going into our garage area, I read the temperature of the engine of a car that had just arrived, getting a reading of 143°. Wandering into our kitchen area, I discovered that our Sub-Zero refrigerator's freezer section was not entirely true to its name ? it measured 4°. I discovered the refrigerator's temperature was very near its intended setting, though, right at 35.5°, close to the 35° at which the controls were set. Someone was making tea, and as the water was poured into the cup, I measured it at 171°. Pointing the thermometer at the flame on the gas range, I had suddenly exceeded the thermometer's capabilities, getting a reading of "Hi."

I only had two small problems with the ThermoHawk 200, and one is that its lens cap was too hard to remove. At first it looks like it screws on and off, but it requires a strong pull to remove it ? it's a little bit too tight for my taste. Another small problem is the button that you push to get readings -- it's in an exposed area, and if you keep it in your pocket you might inadvertently push the button, running down the battery unnecessarily. A small switch that locks this button would have solved this problem, but perhaps that would have added unnecessary complexity. 

I could get used to this infrared thermometer concept. To take a surface measurement with a conventional thermometer it could take up to 30 seconds, but this IR instrument takes less than a second to do its work. Plus, if you wanted to actually take that surface measurement with an old-school thermometer, it might be hazardous or even impossible to hold it in place long enough to get a reading ? for example, if you were trying to read the temperature of boiling water, you wouldn't want to hold that thermometer nearby for too long.

Q3 Innovations offers three models of the ThermoHawk, the model 200 that we tested, and the ThermoHawk 400 ($79.95) which is capable of measuring hotter items such as car engines and tools (anything up to 428°F), and then the ThermoHawk 400 L ($99.95), a similar device that's shaped more like a ballpoint pen and equipped with a flashlight on its tip rather than a keychain.

The ThermoHawk 200 is a fast and easy-to-use device for finding out the temperature of just about anything, as long as it's not hotter than 230°F, and not colder than -27°F. However, at an MSRP of $59.95, it's not exactly an impulse item, so you might want to determine exactly why you would like to have an instrument to such as this. If you're in a position to spend $60 on an impulse item, this would be a good choice, because it's fun to play with and interesting to know the temperature of various items in your world. It's a fun gadget, highly recommended.

Find out more about the ThermoHawk 200 and its brandmates here.