What type of recorders should I use?

I need more than one channel, which units should I choose?

I have a very cold and wet environment, is your equipment suitable?

What is the life of the battery

What happens if there is a power cut?

How easy is it to expand the system after installation?

How easy are the sensors to install?

What types of sensor are available?

How are sensors all identified in printouts and screen displays?

What calibration certificates can you offer?

Do the units conform to any recognised standards?

What technical backup and support do you offer?

Can Scouts operate (log and transmit) through a closed fridge or freezer

Does System5 equipment need a radio licence?

Will System5 interfere with, or be subject to interference from other equipment like mobile phones or electrical plant?

What is the range of the System5 Scout?

What is the function of Echo Units?

Can I install a system myself?

How many readings can the Scouts and Base take before they are full?

What alarm types does System5 cater for?

You need to decide how important under- and over-temperature conditions are to your situation. If you only need to know once a week that there has been a problem then the MR recorders may well suit. The MR is a robust, stand-alone, manual download recorder. The temperature data can be downloaded direct to a printer or stored on a PC.

For a more sophisticated approach with real-time data, immediate notification of any problems on your mobile phone, and a flexible but tamper-proof temperature record you should consider the System5.

If your application involves monitoring a moving product then a System5 Mini-System is worth considering and for a hostile environment look at the T-Bar.

System5 can be supplied to operate with hundreds of channels, all channel data being sent to a central collection point where values are continuously displayed and updated. There are no wires between the sensors and the recording unit.

Each SCOUTplus has one internal temperature sensor and an optional external sensor that can measure a variety of parameters.

MR units have one internal sensor for temperature, and the option of two external sensors: one temperature and one door open/close sensor. Each sensor needs to be visited and connected to a printer or PC to obtain the readings.

Probably, all our equipment is constructed and sealed to IP65 and IP67 standards and to operate from -80ºC to +140ºC with correct choice of sensors, thus making them suitable for most environments. If you are still not sure, please contact us.

Sysytem5 SCOUT and SCOUTplus under normal operating conditions have a battery life of up to five years.

The MR and RL sensors, under normal operating conditions, have a battery life designed to be ten years.

The BASE unit, and System5 ECHO, are mains-powered but have backup batteries to cover power-cuts for over 8 hours.

No effect on System5 SCOUT and SCOUTplus as their power source is a long life battery. All System5 BASE and ECHO's will operate from internal batteries for up to eight hours in the event of a power cut. The units will continue to record normally until these batteries run down. An internal battery powered clock keeps track of the time. A "power-down" alarm can be sent to the user. In the event of a long term power failure, the SCOUT will continue to log data regardless and the data can be retrieved via the Bridge and wireless backfill function.

Very easy!  With the System5 you just purchase extra sensors and install them. The BASE unit will automatically find them and immediately start recording their data.

When you have more than 60 sensors on System5, you will need to add an extra BASE.

Very easy!  SCOUT and SCOUTplus come with a special mounting plate that can be either tie wrapped or screwed in place.

Apart from temperature sensors we can also supply door open/close sensors, humidity sensors and general 4-20mA input.

Each recording unit has a unique serial number programmed into it when manufactured. In addition, each has memory space for allocating meaningful names such as "Chilled Veg.", "Ice-cream" or "Culture Incubator 3", etc.

We can offer traceable certification (to national standards) for any sensor we produce. This service is more cost-effective if carried out at the time of manufacture. But even without certificates, every sensor is guaranteed to be within its specified accuracies (usually, for standard temperature sensors, better than +/- 0.5°C).

All systems carry a CE mark (protection from electromagnetic interference) and conform to food hygiene regulations

System5 is also designed to conform to EN12830.

Silvertree is an ISO9000/2000 accredited company.

We provide a full technical help service. All IceSpy sensors and recorders are designed and manufactured by Silvertree so we are able to provide the best and most appropriate help possible. Much of the support is via a software tool that allows us to remotely view your PC (with your help and presence).

All units are covered by a 12-month guarantee covering parts and labour.

We can also arrange for long-term service contracts if required.

Generally yes - if they have rubber or plastic seals to allow the signal out and the distances to the nearest Echo or Base is not too great. Many of our customers use our Scouts in this way. The Scouts operate down to -40C. If there is any doubt about the transmission is is safer to use an external temperature sensor through an access port and fix the Scout to the outside of the fridge.

No, all IceSpy equipment operates on 434MHz licence free EU harmonised band. The radio transmitters have Type Approval for most countries and the system carries a CE mark.

No. Please see our special page on this issue. Many hospitals use our equipment with no interference issues.

There is no simple answer to this as the range is influenced by so many factors. In the open  a range of at least 1000 metres (1km) can be expected. Where there are obstacles such as walls of buildings and cold room enclosures, the range can be substantially reduced. The attainable range can be increased by the addition of our Echo units. If in doubt please contact us: a plan of your site will help us assess your needs.

Echo units are used where the distance between a Scout or group of Scouts and the Base Unit is too great for reliable operation. An Echo placed between Scouts and a Base will receive signals and re transmit them to the Base Unit. Several Echo units can be used on a site to increase the distance even further.

Depending on the size and complexity of your site it is possible to install a system yourself. A single user, non-networked system should be within the ability of anyone who understands the basic objectives of the system, knows why it has been acquired and is capable of installing and operating Windows software on a PC. The mini System5 comes with full instructions on how to do the installation.

System5 Scouts have a memory 6000date/time/temperature records, divided between three separate logging intervals:

• 2000 records with 1-minute data, covering the last 33 hours
• 2000 records with 10-minute data, covering the last 13+ days
• 2000 records with 60-minute data, covering the last 80+ days

When the memory for any logging interval is full the logger will overwrite the oldest records, thus storing only the 2,000 most recent records.

The Base provides data storage for 64 sensors (dual channel sensors count as two sensors).  Like the Scouts, data is recorded for each sensor at 1 minute, 10 minute and 1 hour intervals. The maximum time capacity (for a full set of 64 sensors):

• 18+ days of records at 1-hour intervals
• 3+ days of records at 10-minute intervals
• 7+ hours of records at 1-minute intervals

When the memory is full, the oldest data will be overwritten.

The data is automatically and continually downloaded to the connected PCs for permanent storage in database

System5 caters for under-and over- Temperature or Humidity alarm conditions as standard, as well as alarm for extended door opening.

System5 has the most comprehensive alarm system of our products

• Critical (remote) alarms relayed by email or text message to different personnel, according to parameters set via PC
• Critical alarms relayed during periods of power down (provided that complete communication channel has backup power).
• Separate alarms can be raised at different times to different personnel.
• Alarm if mains power fails (optional modem required)
• Alarm if radio signals fail
• Repeat alarms at definable frequency

It is recommended that a PC is continuously available. This increases the alarm options available to the user.