GQF 1502 Incubator users:

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

Date: 9 Jan. 2006
Partly sunny
Winds 10-20mph
Outside temperature: 54* (degrees)
Humidity: 30% digital reading.
Relative Humidity: unknown

Inside building temperature: 66* (degrees)
Humidity: 32% digital reading.
Relative Humidity: unknown

Incubator: GQF 1502 Sportsman
No water in tray.
Humidity reading Digital: 22%
Relative Humidity: unknown


I have found that with the minnie rocker switch settings set at position 3 with the ambient temperature of 66*(degrees) in my incubator house, the incubator will run a temperature of 100* at the water try on top.

The temperature readings on all 3-egg tray levels will be at 99*(degrees). This was check using (2) two mercury bulb thermometers.

Moving the rocker switch settings to position 4 with the ambient temperature of 66*(degrees)  the incubator will run a temperature of 101* at the water try on top.

The temperature readings on all 3-egg tray levels will be at 100*. This was check using (2) two mercury bulb thermometers.

I will assume that by moving the rocker switches to the next levels of, 5,6,and 7 this will increase the incubator temperature by (1) one degree, also showing the higher temperature reading at the water tray and a (1) one degree drop at the 3-egg trays.

Again, this was tested with the ambient temperature at 66*(degrees) in my incubator house.

Prior to checking the temperature, I re calibrated the GQF 1502 analog thermometer that was supplied with the GQF 1502 Sportsman incubator. Using the incubators heat source and the two mercury bulb thermometers.

Has anyone else check to see if there reading are 1*(one) degree different between the water tray and the 3-egg trays?

These readings were performed on 2 GQF 1502 Sportsman incubators at the same time.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

 

[magnumhntr]

Although I don't run the sportsman incubators, that is one of the reasons I didn't go with them. When I was getting into the hobby, I did a lot of research on different brands, styles, etc. The number one complaint about the sportsman that I saw was that because the temperature is taken above the water tray, which is directly in front of the heating elements, that the temp reading would be higher than what was actually at the level of the eggs. So without spending the extra money for a clear door, you would have a hard time checking the temp at egg level. That was one of the reasons I went with a Dickey. It has a small window in the door where the thermometer is located. Temp is taken where the eggs are, not where the heating coils are.

Not sure if it would work or not, but you might be able to drill a hole the size of the thermometer shaft on the side at the hight of the middle rack support. That would allow you to take the temp in the middle of the unit. problem would be making sure it didn't touch the metal rack, resulting in a false reading.

Now I've got one for everyone. I've noticed that in my Dickey, on average, the eggs that are in the front of the racks seem to hatch 1- 1 1/2 days before the eggs in the back of the unit. This happens with both of my incubators, and my friends. I'm thinking there is a degree difference between front and back, but not sure why. Could it be the vents open too much? Too little? Not enough airflow inside the unit. I'll be doing some tests in the next few weeks to try and narrow it down, but am always open for some insight.

Thanks

Chris

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

magnumhntr,

What I did to compensate the one degree,was to reset the 1502 thermometer to read the tray temperture.

There is no way to insert the thermometer in the center side, due to the egg rotation angles. I do like the idea of the thermometer in the glass door. Is it in the door or attached to the outside of the door.

I will have to check the front to back temps as well.

I did not get scammed into purchasing the plastic front door @ the price tag of $50.00 each.  I went to the hardware store and bought two sheet of plexiglass and cut out the center of the wood door and replace it with the plexiglass on the inside and outside giving an air space in between. All this cost me was $12.00 with screws,washers, and nuts.

Even though I didn't have bad hatches the actual temperature was not a 99.9* it was actually 98.9*. You would think that the Manufacture would mention that (1) one degree differance.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[magnumhntr]

Yeah, the clear doors are outrageous in price. I bought my hatcher used, and the guy I bought it from had the clear door put on right from Dickey's, so I made out pretty good.

I wasn't clear on the relocating of the thermometer. Maybe the internals of the GQF are different, but I was meaning to drill the hole about 1 inch or so back from the door, in front of the turning racks. Here are two pix of the dickies.



This is the inside of the door. The thermometer is mounted so its in the middle of the rack area, and can be read from the outside, as seen in the next pic. As to remounting the thermometer, if you look at the inside shot, I was talking about the area just above the 2nd mounting bracket for the turner. There should be about 2 inches of space between the door and the turner when the door is shut.

Another way would be to mount a bracket of some sort on the door, and zip tie or rubberband a mercury thermometer to it within the sight window. That would allow you to see the actual temp at egg level without drilling another hole in the unit.






As you can see, the setup is a more accurate way of reading actual temp at the level of the eggs.

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

magnumhntr,

Is that the stock door on the Dickey? I would have though the viewing area would have been larger.

Okay, I got ya on the hole in front of the racks. I usually tape a bulb thermometer on the inside of the door at the center. I leave the other two stock thermometers where they are. The one thermometer I keep a wick on to keep an eye on humidity along with a Radio Shack digital thermometer and Humidity % and just cross reference.

My wet bulb usually reads between 81*- 84* relative and the digital will read between 42-54% so I am in the ball park and the hatches work out pretty good.

I use an old Humidaire for my hatcher. I can get an easy 800 pheasant eggs with the 3 racks that I have.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[magnumhntr]

Yeah, that's the door they come with. I too thought the window would be a little larger. But I guess if you're not hatching in it, its no big deal. I personally like to be able to see inside the hatcher to keep tabs on the little guys when they start to hatch. If my hatcher didn't come with the clear door, I would've bit the bullet and bought one.

I'm not doing as many pheasants as you, so my dickey hatcher works fine. If I were, I'd definitly look at somthing like the humidaire. The demand is pretty low here in michigan, as people can't/don't want to pay the higher costs of pheasants. So I'm going to be doing mostly quail now, and the hatcher covers me there too. I'll keep enough pheasants for selling eggs, but that'll be about all.

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

magnumhntr,

Good morning to you. I will have to take a picture of the two Sportsman and show you how I did the first window and then the second window.

I don't have the auto water system that you spoke of. They wanted something like $50.00 a pop.

I use a gravity feed bag that is used for G-tube feedings in people that can't swallow. works out pretty good. All I do is fill the bag one a day and set the drip for 30 drips a minute.

I don't have a huge demand for pheasants here either. It comes in spurts. I like to release and see them flying around the area, besides the dogs enjoy the hunt. When we go out for a random release count, this is what the dogs really enjoy. The dogs know enough not to kill the bird.

We had heavy rains last week and some of the hens were total mud. I brought them in the house, and washed them in the deep sink, and then set them on stools by the fire. They stayed there all day. The dogs just layed there and watched them. It it really something to see how restrained the dogs can be.

When the pens are dry, I don't have a problem bringing in 5 dogs to feed the birds. They behave quite well. I'll look for those pictures as well.

I never got into the quail or chukar for the reason of raising on the wire floor. Just seems like to much trouble. My flight pen area is 55'x 100'.

Well my friend, time to pull the plug and get started. Farm work never ends!

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[magnumhntr]

Good morning to you Steve. Hopefully the weather is nicer around you than here. Rainy and dreary. Weird for the middle of January. Figured I'd be ice fishing by now, but that doesn't look too promising.

I agree with the pheasant releasing. That's pretty much all I raise them for anymore. I raise up 75-100 roosters a year to release and hunt. Usuallly we might kill 20 a year, and I really enjoy seeing them throughout the year milling around the pens and the bird feeder in front of the house. Spring time is like a comedy club around here with the liberated ones pacing the breeder pen and trying to get to thier girlfriends inside. Comical to watch them do thier thing.

Anyway. Daylight's coming, and like you, work to be done.


Have a great day Steve
 

Chris

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

Good morning to you Steve. Hopefully the weather is nicer around you than here. Rainy and dreary. Weird for the middle of January. Figured I'd be ice fishing by now, but that doesn't look too promising.

I agree with the pheasant releasing. That's pretty much all I raise them for anymore. I raise up 75-100 roosters a year to release and hunt. Usuallly we might kill 20 a year, and I really enjoy seeing them throughout the year milling around the pens and the bird feeder in front of the house. Spring time is like a comedy club around here with the liberated ones pacing the breeder pen and trying to get to thier girlfriends inside. Comical to watch them do thier thing.

Anyway. Daylight's coming, and like you, work to be done.


Have a great day Steve
 

Chris

Chris,

You had mentioned about the released birds along the flight pen, ya it is funny. I had this one cock bird trying to have a fight with one of the males inside the pen. They would make all kinds of racket and pace back and fourth.

We had some more heavy rain this morning and cleared later in the day. Now it is cloudy and winds doing 15-20 mph. Warm and balmy @ 58*.

Here are some pictures of the GQF with the plexiglas and regular thermopane window glass I had laying around.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

and some more

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

and some more

[magnumhntr]

Very nice setup Steve. I like the door modifications you did. Very clean work.

BTW.... are those 2 empty Budweiser bottles on the hatcher there? LOL

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

Chris,

No there are 3 on top.

Did you notice my water bag on the one incubator? We are supose to get 63* and sun today. Talk about some crazy weather. Then on Saturday 30* lite snow and wind. This is one strange Jan.

Have a nice day!

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[magnumhntr]

Yeah, forgot to mention that. That is a great idea. I never would've thought of that.

HIgh of 51 degrees here in michigan today.... wild weather this year.

Have a great day!!!

Chris