"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote in message
...
Too pig-headed to ask advice, I spent the best part
of two hours struggling to recover my 100cm thermometer
after someone (else) had lawn-mowered the two cords
which I thought were sufficient to ensure its safety. (The
chain had long since gone).

Various attempts at lateral thinking later, I resorted
to a weighted line with a bent nail at the end acting as
a hook, and within 10 minutes was successful.

Was there an easier way?

Hi, Philip,

When it happened to me, the only thing I could do was to dig the whole
steel tube up using a pick axe as a lever. I think you have been very
lucky, you also seem to be a lot more patient than I am!

Best wishes,

--
Ken Cook, Copley (5miles north of Barnard Castle), County Durham.
830ft
http://mysite.freeserve.com/copley
(MO climat. site updated before 10Z and 19Z daily)
kencookATcopleydurham.freeserve.co.uk
(All times GMT)


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.698 / Virus Database: 455 - Release Date: 02/06/04

Too pig-headed to ask advice, I spent the best part
of two hours struggling to recover my 100cm thermometer
after someone (else) had lawn-mowered the two cords
which I thought were sufficient to ensure its safety. (The
chain had long since gone).

Various attempts at lateral thinking later, I resorted
to a weighted line with a bent nail at the end acting as
a hook, and within 10 minutes was successful.

Was there an easier way?

(For anyone not familiar with earth thermometers, the
top of the instrument has a brass loop, so it doesn't
respond well to magnets ...)

Philip Eden

On Thu, 3 Jun 2004 11:34:05 +0100, Philip Eden wrote in


Too pig-headed to ask advice, I spent the best part
of two hours struggling to recover my 100cm thermometer
after someone (else) had lawn-mowered the two cords
which I thought were sufficient to ensure its safety. (The
chain had long since gone).

Various attempts at lateral thinking later, I resorted
to a weighted line with a bent nail at the end acting as
a hook, and within 10 minutes was successful.

Was there an easier way?

I have recollections of using a large lump of Bluetack many years ago - on
the end of a rod long enough to get to top of the thermometer. I doubt
this would work very well if there is dampness (as is likely) on the
thermometer housing.

--
Mike 55.13°N 6.69°W Coleraine posted to uk.sci.weather 03/06/2004 11:54:24 UTC

"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote in message
...
Was there an easier way?

Could you not fill the tube with water so the thermometer floats to the top?
then siphon the water out after?

A

When it happened to me, Philip, I used Blutak on the end of a cane. No
problem, it worked first time. I also now have a spring-loaded jaws device
( a large version of the things for recovering nuts and bolts from the
hidden recesses of electronic devices). It is 60 cm long, so should just
reach the top of the 100 cm thermometer if need arises. They can be bought
from Maplin, I believe.

--
Bernard Burton
Wokingham, Berkshire, UK.

Satellite images at:
www.btinternet.com/~wokingham.weather/wwp.html



"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote in message
...
Too pig-headed to ask advice, I spent the best part
of two hours struggling to recover my 100cm thermometer
after someone (else) had lawn-mowered the two cords
which I thought were sufficient to ensure its safety. (The
chain had long since gone).

Various attempts at lateral thinking later, I resorted
to a weighted line with a bent nail at the end acting as
a hook, and within 10 minutes was successful.

Was there an easier way?

(For anyone not familiar with earth thermometers, the
top of the instrument has a brass loop, so it doesn't
respond well to magnets ...)

Philip Eden

On Thu, 3 Jun 2004 15:06:35 +0100, Bernard Burton wrote:

I also now have a spring-loaded jaws device ( a large version of the
things for recovering nuts and bolts from the hidden recesses of
electronic devices). It is 60 cm long, so should just reach the top
of the 100 cm thermometer if need arises. ...

I got given a set one Christmas, short magnetic and two longer
grabbers, the longest is 80cm and needs a hole larger than 1cm.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

On Thu, 3 Jun 2004 11:34:05 +0100, "Philip Eden"
philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote:

Too pig-headed to ask advice, I spent the best part
of two hours struggling to recover my 100cm thermometer
after someone (else) had lawn-mowered the two cords
which I thought were sufficient to ensure its safety. (The
chain had long since gone).

Various attempts at lateral thinking later, I resorted
to a weighted line with a bent nail at the end acting as
a hook, and within 10 minutes was successful.

Was there an easier way?

(For anyone not familiar with earth thermometers, the
top of the instrument has a brass loop, so it doesn't
respond well to magnets ...)

Sounds like a job for... coat hanger man!

Seriously, an opened-up and straightened metal coat hanger - with
small hook fashioned at one end using thin nosed pliers - is good for
most jobs of this sort. Many others, too

--
Dave

Sounds like a job for... coat hanger man!

Yes, that was me, about 10 years ago at a certain climatological station where
I was deputy observer. I just managed to recover the errant thermometer - and
tube - and hence am *still* the deputy observer!

That was the nearest I have come to damaging an instrument - and it was a close
run thing. I remember that quite a bit of force was need to prise the tube out
the hole. Many, many bits of wire unwound hopelessly. I always think that the
readings from that depth are more interesting than the quickly varying shallow
depth temps, though the latter are obviously more relevant to plant roots etc.

Julian

Julian Mayes, West Molesey, Surrey