A Comparison of Precision Among Temperature Loggers at Typical Stream Temperatures

Temperature is an essential factor in evaluating condition of bodies of water across the globe. We compared the precision of three different types of loggers, all manufactured by ONSET®: the Pendant, Pro v2, and Level loggers. Company-provided specifications of precision are available for the temperature loggers with the greatest variability in precision occurring at temperatures beyond the range typically observed in streams. Our hypothesis was that at normal stream water temperatures the precision difference between the three temperature loggers would be negligible. Five loggers of each type were submerged in water and exposed to three cycles of warming to cooling at temperatures reflecting the typical range observed in streams of the conterminous U.S.