Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The Taylor 1730 Thermometer (Taylor 1730 Wireless Digital Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer, Black) arrived today, and I couldn't be happier with it! The picture is correct, but underplays the clarity of the display. The temperatures are provided to the nearest tenth of a degree, which are displayed (at one-half height) to the right of the whole degree. The unit itself is about 2 5/8" tall, 1 3/4" wide, and 5/8" deep. With the stand 'deployed', the thermometer's display tilts backward; it uses up about 2" of depth when on a tabletop or desk. The large numerals of the temperature display are 1" in height. One of the reviewers provides erroneous information, leastwise it does not match the unit I received. The reviewer deducted a star, in all likelihood, because the reviewer didn't even try to use the product. A large round switch is present on the front of the base unit, which can be depressed to alternate the display the local or remote temperature in large numerals on the display. The smaller numerals (at the lower left) display the other temperature. Always! Another reviewer called out the "small date in lower right corner." Puhleez! That small date is, in fact, the clock time. Setting the clock takes place using the marked buttons on the reverse of the base unit, and is well described in the instructions. This is a replacement to a two-year old Acurite Digital Indoor / Outdoor Wireless Thermometer 00380W with Daily High/Low thermometer, the main display of which went south last week. The unit's display -- back when it worked -- is not up to par with the Taylor 1730. Other pluses for the Taylor 1730 includes: - The remote sensor unit being rated for use from -40 deg F (and C, don'cha know) to 140 deg F (60 deg C) if lithium batteries are used in the remote ... -4 deg F (-20 deg C) with alkaline batteries. The remote sensor has a molded-in opening on the back for hanging it somewhere (out of the weather). - The instruction sheet actually contains meaningful information, and was written (or at least edited) by someone who knows English. No chinee-nglish here! - The base unit and the remote sensor use AAA-format batteries. The Acu-Rite unit uses AA in the problem-plagued remote sensor, and AAA batteries in the base unit. For context, the remote sensor is installed in the computer/server room in our house, so the temperature range was never an issue here. The base unit is installed less than fifty feet away, with several intervening walls. No transmission problems ... which is the same as the AcuRite unit. The base unit displays the temperature in the computer room in large numbers ... because I want to know if that temperature is warmer than normal. Potential down side? None ... leastwise sufficiently bad to detract from the well-earned five stars (as of yet, will update if necessary). But the Taylor 1730 Wireless Digital Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer, Black is not perfect: - The product is made to Taylor's "exact specifications in China," and not in the USA. - The base unit lacks a molded-in hole on the back surface that would allow me to reuse the hook in the wall left over from the AcuRite version. It's now on a convenient tabletop, using the fold-out support for stability. All in all, this was a great buy. I will update this review if something material changes. I'll report battery usage ... but this initial go-round is using the batteries from the broken AcuRite unit (and the replacement set, I used to try to 'fix' the display). Hopefully it'll be a long time before I install replacement batteries. (posted 12 June 2016) Update: (9 August 2017) Just replaced all four Duracell batteries (2 AAA in the tabletop unit, 2 AAA in the remote sensor) because the remote temperature was no longer being displayed. Fourteen months service from the old batteries -- used to some extent or other -- ain't shabby in my book <g>. I'll report the service of this new complement of Duracell batteries when I replace them again.