Fireboard Pulse

[fzxdoc]

...and just when I went and bought a CI for myself for Father's Day. (I celebrate all gift-based holidays for myself.) JK. I just took advantage of the FD deal that CI offered.

I heart Fireboard stuff, including its amazing app, which makes logging, saving, and searching cooks a breeze. And link via cloud? Yes, please.

At least my CI setup will be well used by the time the rest of you have put the Fireboard version through its paces and report back. There's always another gift-giving occasion around the bend, and I may need to gift myself again by then.

Kathryn

[Steve B]

You crack me up Kathryn.

[Henrik]

That's the spirit, you're definitely worth one! ...at least that's what I usually tell myself when in "need" of cooking gizmos ;-)

[Porkies]

I follow a similar line of thinking, but I just use my tax refund on a "me" thing.. usually fishing or hunting related, because I don't really celebrate holidays nor my own birthday

[jfmorris]

This might be the thing to finally push me into buying into the Fireboard cult. So far Thermoworks has worked well for me, but the fact that this wireless thermometer can work either with your phone OR a Fireboard series 2 is pretty slick.

[Uncle Bob]

I don't have particulars, just saw where some YT creators were recently at a meeting with Thermoworks and they were shown the prototype for a wireless system from Thermoworks. No projected date was revealed, but can't be too far off.

[Spinaker]

Yes!!! I have been waiting for this! No more wires!

[Richard Chrz]

I hope the durability is in line with the 149 price, that's a premium.

[Bogy]

Not having to fuss with wires, and the wires eventually failing would be great. If the durability would mean not having to replace probes that have gone bad it would make it more cost effective.

[Spinaker]

Yeah, I had a deal with mine on the 4th. two of the 4 probes were reading incorrect. such a PITA. Just makes me not wanna use them at all. I HOPE at this price point I will be in the clear.

[Henrik]

Now THIS could finally push me into trying a wireless probe. Love love love the FB, had v1 and now v2. Would be interesting to see if it can transmit through a 1/4" offset smoker...?

[Steve B]

Good point. This would be one of the main reasons for me getting one.

[GolfGeezer]

One interesting thing I note is that none of the competitors seem to be doing a wireless ambient probe, that I have seen. All tout the ambient sensor in the end of their probes, but no pure ambient that you can place wherever on your grill. With the Pulse, I would still have a wired ambient connected to my FB2 independent of the probes to get that "grate level" temp which guides my fire management. Wonder how it will work with the built-in Yoder FB controller?

[Richard Chrz]

I think there is some dual luxuries to having both systems. They have added like others, the ambient on end, I love it, the data could be fun, depending on where located. But I wonder if one probe can then take two read out zones, do port 1 and 2 off the same probe, IT and ambient.

[Uncle Bob]

I seem to recall seeing in either one of their videos or written commentary that it (the mounting/charging base) will plug into the Yoder controller, so that should be a plus. On the temp sensor thing, my guess would be that any of the companies involved would "argue" that the temp at some random grate location may or may not be representative of what the protein feels/see/is subjected to, I.E. the probe mounted ambient sensor is most relevant to what's being cooked.

[GolfGeezer]

Uncle Bob I guess my question is, does anyone manage their cooking temp using the ambient readings that these probes register at the meat’s surface? I mean, even Chris Young from CI sets a temp for his cooking device (oven, smoker, grill, whatever) at, say, 250*, while the ambient at the probe end is never that high. So, measuring the grate temp is how most us look at ambient cooking temp. Many use the dome thermometer. Pellet poopers use their own thermocouple. Why not a wireless version?

[Porkies]

I'm not a fan of wifi anywhere in my house. I wouldn't have any wireless connections if I was still a single man. I always ran cat 6 for connections and therefore have a huge built in trust of wires.

[realdocBBQ]

GolfGeezer in answer to your question about the wireless 'ambient'.

I've used my TempSpikes extensively and found the ambient readings to be pretty useless. Part of my low temps on the ambient sensors I thought was likely related to the "cold air bubble" around large pieces of meat. Then I watched Steve Gow's looooong and thorough video (Smoke Trails BBQ) comparing around 5 or 6 of these devices and his assertion is that it is the insulation they surround the ambient probes with as well as conductive heat loss from the probe being buried in the meat. It's a great video, but be prepared to be overwhelmed with lots of testing and probably take it in stages, which is what I did, I think I watched it in about 3 or 4 sittings.

Anyways, I think it's a combination of many things that lead to these 'ambient' sensors being essentially useless in a BBQ pit. Steve's testing showed that my TempSpike was actually one of the more accurate of the sensors in its ambient reading - although the unit he tested was a different head style than mine. Mine were purchased when it was a brand new product, so I'm assuming his version with the 'slimmer' head on it is newer, and also more accurate - but this is for testing accuracy and not real world use accuracy. He was not testing them in a large piece of meat while smoking, he was attempting to control for variables, thus was testing them in a water bath, and side-by-side in the smoker but NOT while in use in a cook. This is the problem for me - while inserted in a piece of meat and trying to get an idea of the ambient temp of my smoker's interior, they are useless.

Thus, I am kind of WITH you on wishing for an ambient wireless probe, as well!

I think the problem is, most manufacturers have decided the way to snag market share is to stick 47 temperature sensors in their wireless thermometer and try ti figure out how to wow consumers with predictions about doneness and such. Personally, IDGAS about any of this - I want a temp in the deepest part of my meat, I want it accurate, and I'll handle the predictions and planning myself. I don't care about any of that, and don't use it.

I want to know how many ambient probes the new Fireboard system will display. I RECENTLY found out that the app will combine probe readings from multiple Fireboards, so you could have a lot of probes running at once, which is awesome. I didn't know this, but made me feel much better about my plan to buy a 2nd (newer) FB - if it'll combine those wireless probes in the app, and if I can get several of them to display side-by-side with wired probes, I'll be stoked. I will use wireless probes for meat monitoring and wired probes for grate ambient temps, likely. Or some combination of both, but having wireless in big hunks of meat would be nice, for rotating, flipping, turning and wrapping without wires.

We'll see... though this isn't cheap. FB has always been notable for being the most expensive player in the game, so... this is right in line with their history.

[Alan Brice]

I like the thought of determining when my cook will be done. It gives me more planning ability. I thought the beauty of these new fangled probes was that ability or was developing. I don't have to have precision in this regard, just accurate temps.

[jlazar]

Where am I thinking wrong. If you stick one of these in your smoker without putting it in the meat, shouldn't both the ambient end and the meat end read the same temp? For example, unless I am controlling a fan, I can use any Fireboard probe to measure ambient temperature. Would be expensive to have two pulses just for this purpose. Initially, I will use the FB probes to measure ambient and compare to my Silverbac actual temp. Those probes do not have to be moved. The pulse will go in the meat which will allow for easy turning, flipping, wrapping, etc. Thoughts?

[Richard Chrz]

Bogy, I’m really looking forward to some clarity in this, as I have absolutely have used a meat probe as an ambient probe. Ambient is never high enough to ruin a probe, at least not where I would set one,

[GolfGeezer]

Richard Chrz The limits I see apply only to wireless probes, not wired. That is because they all have a fair bit of electronics from the probe tip to that "line" they all have. That line is the minimum distance you have to insert those probes to protect the electronic innards. No need for this with wired as they are just Thermistor or RTD sensors, no electronics per se.

[realdocBBQ]

GolfGeezer is right, the temp 'cutoff' for food probes is only on the wireless ones. They may use a more sensitive, but also less robust sensor in the meat end, while the ambient end is rated for much higher temps. Wired ones, I've found them pretty interchangeable. For wireless, if the temp is much over 200ºF, it has given me an error (the Tempspike, anyways).

[Porkies]

I kept wondering why $149 was high for a FB ( I knew I couldn't afford to upgrade my TW Smoke ), until I checked out the FB site and saw ONE probe was that price! I won't be using those anytime soon .

I am a "less is better" person. I love tech and spent 30 years in IT. Perhaps that is why I am more a minimalist regarding my other adventures. For example, I've been fishing kayak bass tournaments this year and have not used any electronics (not counting the camera for youtube video). I'm not winning either so there is that.