data logger purchase

[Joy]

Hello all
We have been given a last minute addition to our science budget and would like to purchase our first datalogger. We have $500! We want something that can be used beside the computer (we have several in science lab) or teachers lap top. Have looked at Go!Link. Teacher plan to start with resistance sensor. Anyone have any recommendations?
Joy

[Labbie]

Seratta did have a special going on Data Harvest loggers. Very easy to use, set up, and understand. Give Seratta a call.

Regards

[Joy]

Thanks but after reading about Ian's problems with DataHarvest I think I will steer clear. We only have up to grade 10 science here so we don't want anything too complicated. Has anyone tried the Go!Link, Go!Motion or Go!Temp advertised by Haines?
Joy

[cactus155]

Hi Joy

I understand that the DataHarvest ones are fine if you are using a PC not a MAC, so if you can find a good deal on those I would go for them.

[Labbie]

Yes Ian's, problem is with the COMPUTER, not Data Harvest. They are very good, and simple to use.

[Joy]

Thanks Andrew and Sue. I will look at Data Harvest a bit more. Any more info on any data loggers would be greatly appreciated. It is tricky buying stuff out of catalogues!
Joy

[Labbie]

The head teacher before: purchased CASIO data loggers, the books had gone missing, along with a few pieces. When we rung CASIO up for help, well it just did not appear. No one could come out to help, NO information could be faxed to us. On checking at our local network meeting, 20 labbies, 15 said they have Data Harvest Loggers, so away we went.

We purchased three Data Harvest loggers two from Serrata and one from Q-stores. Serrata told us in (Writting) they would come out up to 6 times to train the teachers to use these. But at least one Data Harvest logger had to be purchased from Serrata.

Hope this helps

[labman]

Hi Joy,
Our Physics teachers purchased, and used last term,Go-motion from Haines. So far, so good. They say it is easy to use, and does everything that they need it to do. I suppose it is a bit early to know if we going to have problems with repairs etc. It comes with it's own software,too, so I am assuming it is a fairly standard installation process.
Happy shopping,
Cheers,
Lisa

[Teresa]

Hi All,
I haven't been online for ages (been on Long Service Leave), but thought I would add my thoughts to this discussion.
We have purchased PASCO data loggers from Cider House and have found them to be excellent.
Regards
Teresa

[Trudy]

Hi there, We also have a Data Harvest data logger and are very happy with it. They're very user friendly and the back up from Serrata has been very good. (I should qualify that with the fact that we are only 15 minutes drive from them however.) We had a problem with the battery not long after we first bought our unit and they relpaced the whole thing with out any problems. The variety of probes available is also great although they are expensive. I'm not sure if they still do it but when we were looking initially we got both Serrata and Casio/Texas Instruments to come out and demonstrate their units.

Regards Trudy

[Ian]

Yes. It is the computer software that has been my problem, not the Data Logger. The Easy Sence does seem like a very good one and easy to use. Having said that, we have a staff member who is currently completing her Dip Ed. (you can get away with that in the Independant system!!). On the Residential that she attended on Data Loggers, she was told that "Vernier" were the "Bees Knees" in Data Loggers. (Go-Link is by Vernier) (And they work with Macs!!!!!)

My HT is now slowly going to Vernier. We have a Go-Link temperature probe, light probe and pH probe. They are exceptionally easy to use with a choice of "Lite" software or "Pro" software. You just plug the probe into the USB port, and boot up the software. The software identifies what probe you are using, and gives you the appropriate readout (real time). Just click "collect" and it collects the data and gives you a graph which can be manipulated, calculated upon, etc. You can even plug the old Casio probes in to the Go-Link and it will identify them correctly, although we found that we had to calibrate the Casio probes.

I get the impression that where the Data Harvest was easy to use, the Vernier may be just a bit EASIER!

I read that there is an adaptor that will allow the Vernier probes to work on a Data Harvest logger, but unfortunately (for us) I have not heard of anything that will allow us to use ourt old Data Harvest stuff with the new Vernier! Does any body know differently?

One advantage of the Data Harvest over the Vernier is that the Data Harvest (Easy Sence) can be used INDEPENDANTLY of a computer!. Take the "Box" into the field, collect your data and then download it to the computer when you get back to the lab! That used to work well with Bio Field Trips. As far as I can see, the Vernier Go-Link requires at least a Lap Top to be where ever the Go Link is, which, of course will require chargers, Electricity, etc. especially if you will be "Out in the Field" for more than a few hours. (We u8sed to do a three day Bio Field trip to a place with no electricity. The Data Harvest coped fine for that length of time, but I know my Lap Top would only last 4-5 hours!)

I hope this helps

Ian

[RosalieM]

I have been looking into data loggers as well. You can get a LabQuest (recently released) from Vernier which has its own screen and you can use it without the computer and get your graphs etc on the screen. You can save it to the USB for later use on a 'real' computer as well. We've also been looking at the Pasco Xplorer GLX which also has its own screen. We don't have room for computers in the labs! Has anyone got any experience with either of these?
Rosalie

[cheltie]

We are also looking at the Labquest so any info re these would be greatly appreciated.
Helen

[Joy]

Thanks for all the replies. Sorry I didn't get back sooner but I have been away on a long weekend (nearly a week in fact). The teacher in charge has decided to go with the Go!Link which uses Vernier sensors mainly due to its cost effectiveness and the fact that it looks easy to use. All we need to decide on now is which sensors to start with. A current probe is high on the list. What sensors are popular with grade 7/8/9/10?
Joy

[lita*]

We have recently purchased one vernier labquest. We already had two data harvest things. I am really impressed with the labquest so far. Just need to purchase more probes - so that will take time. I believe it is more user friendly as you can see your results before you head back to the lab or computer. I think this is also its advantage over data harvest. To get the attention of computer-savvy-immediate-gratification-now-students its the only way to go.

[sunray18]

Have a look on-line at the "The Logical Interface" site... Phil Jones has a document there comparing Data Loggers...we had him at our local In-service on Friday - brilliant!