Yellow Jacket or Testo Digital Gauges-Manifold?

[zandman]

I'm looking into going to digital gauges/manifold. The choices are either the new Yellow Jacket digital gauge manifold set (It looks like a DigiCool set mounted on a Titan manifold) or one of the Testo sets of digital gauges.

I just want the basics. I will use my trusty Fluke for temps (easy to do the numbers in my head). I'm looking for dependability and accuracy.

Anyone have any experiences with either brands?

Any advice is always appreciated

Zandman

[Reeferman]

zandman go with the Digi-Cool BTD1000. You can put it on any manifold you want and can get it at a really good price. You said you are going to use your Fluke for temps. I have it on a Titan manifold and it fits perfect. If you have any questions phone Doug Lockhart the guy who invented them and he will phone you right back. The man is a daily reefer tech and knows his ****. Number on the website.

http://www.digi-cool.com/?source=Overture&keyword=Digicool&OVRAW=digicool&OVKEY=digicool&OVMTC=standard

[mark beiser]

2 thumbs up for the Digi-Cool BTD1000 + Fluke stuff for temps!

My setup
http://home.comcast.net/~mbeiser/ACstuff/digicool.jpg

[davidr]

Gotta agree with Reefer & Mark, I am using the exact same set up.

[mark beiser]

Originally posted by Reeferman
If you have any questions phone Doug Lockhart the guy who invented them and he will phone you right back. The man is a daily reefer tech and knows his ****.

I knew the Digi-Cool had to have been designed by someone who actually works in the field.
Most of the other digital manifolds were very obviously designed by people who really just don't "get it" about what is needed in the field.

[sprintmj19]

My personal preference is the Testo. I have the software so I can data log it, save it as a file for future reference, and print out what I did. I use that feature all the time.

[Reeferman]

zandman have you contacted Digi-Cool yet? I have seen the Testo unit and it seems to be ok. But what I don't like about it and the other digital units ( other than Digi-Cool)is the fact that you have to use their manifold. You should do yourself a very big favor and phone Doug Lockhart at Digi-Cool.He has some great things in store for the next generation digitals. If you can compare the Digi-Cools with the other digitals you will see the differance in the construction of them. Other words built like a brick ****house. I near had a stroke after dropping them off of a truck reefer and hitting a cement floor, only thing that happened was a bent valve stem on the Titan manifold.

[zandman]

Thanks for all the replies. Digi-Cool is the way to go it seems.

Reeferman, you mentioned that the Digi-Cool fits exactly on the titan manifold, did you mean like straight up-down connections like the Yellow jacket version or do you still need the adapter 90s?

Zandman

[Reeferman]

The Digi-Cool BTD1000 and DS1100 are exactly the same case except for the sensor on the front of the 1100 and you will have to use the 90 connectors. Yellow Jacket had the 1100 case redesigned to fit the Titan manifold without the 90 connectors and the back of the case is also changed with a slight curve to it. I really do not think the Yellow Jacket one will be as strong as the original Digi-Cool case. You should phone Doug Lockhart and pick his brain so you can make the best choice.

1-866-511-cool

[Reeferman]

I forgot to mention that I have tried the Digi-Cool on various manifolds such as Yellow Jacket 41, Brutes,Imperial 2 and 4 valve and the 4 valve Titans seem to have the best balance and feel.

[MechAcc]

If you are not too big of a hurry at least wait till January Testo will reveal there new digital manifold. There will be changes on the Testo Kool. Will have some nice features. Can't tell you right now what the changes will be as I was asked not to reveal what they will be. Now he didn't say anything about not telling that there are going to be changes.

[sadlier]

Originally posted by MechAcc
If you are not too big of a hurry at least wait till January Testo will reveal there new digital manifold. There will be changes on the Testo Kool. Will have some nice features. Can't tell you right now what the changes will be as I was asked not to reveal what they will be. Now he didn't say anything about not telling that there are going to be changes. I asked why they didn't have a 4 valve manifold and the factory rep seemed puzzled as to why a tech would want/need a 4 valve manifold. Nod your head if that is what they are doing, ok?

[MechAcc]

Originally posted by sadlier

Originally posted by MechAcc
If you are not too big of a hurry at least wait till January Testo will reveal there new digital manifold. There will be changes on the Testo Kool. Will have some nice features. Can't tell you right now what the changes will be as I was asked not to reveal what they will be. Now he didn't say anything about not telling that there are going to be changes. I asked why they didn't have a 4 valve manifold and the factory rep seemed puzzled as to why a tech would want/need a 4 valve manifold. Nod your head if that is what they are doing, ok?

Wait and see even if Testo waits to Jan 31 to announce the new manifold it is only 40+ days from now.

[sadlier]

Originally posted by MechAcc Wait and see even if Testo waits to Jan 31 to announce the new manifold it is only 40+ days from now. I'll take that as a nod.

[mark beiser]

Forget the 4 way valve, Testo seriously needs a larger display. The display on thier current digital manifold is a joke. It doesn't matter what other cool things they put on it, if they don't make massive improvements to the display, its not even worth considdering IMO.

[Reeferman]

So zandman what are you going to buy??

[shaun66]

priced rebadged digi cool/yellow jacket, today 944 CDN $$ kinda high im thinkin

[MechAcc]

I'll take that as a nod.

It's not on their web site, but it was shown in the RSES Journal


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/mechacc/scan0001.jpg

[shaun66]

went to wholesaler today, got them to call ritchie/yellow jacket,
got a yellow jacket set being shipped to me to use for $0.00
got them for a 1 month trial, if i like them, will have to whine to boss to buy them for me :)
KUDOs to ritchie/yellow jacket

[shaun66]

have my demo set from ritchie/yellow jacket, got a WIF to start tomorrowm a Protocol to start monday - will try it out

[sadlier]

Ok, you've had them for about 2 weeks... What can you tell us?

[sadlier]

It looks like the new Testo unit (the one pictured above) will be tagged around $1,550 and they said something about more information in May.

[mark beiser]

It looks like the new Testo unit (the one pictured above) will be tagged around $1,550 and they said something about more information in May.

If you don't want to wait until May for a little more info on the Testo set, see my 2nd post in this thread. ;)
http://www.hvac-talk.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=128502

I spent a good bit of time at the Testo boot at the AHR Expo, more out of interest in the 435-4 multifunction meter than out of interest in the refrigerant manifold. I also spent a good deal of time at the Digi-Cool booth, and plan to stick with them for my digital manifold needs.

[shaun66]

gave them back to ritchie, after 2 weeks,loved them, saved allot of time, ordered a set from local wholesaler, the 944 price came down to 680, should get them friday. now to find a way to hide this from wifey :)

[dngtig]

gave them back to ritchie, after 2 weeks,loved them, saved allot of time, ordered a set from local wholesaler, the 944 price came down to 680, should get them friday. now to find a way to hide this from wifey :)

Any problems with leaving them out in the ice cold truck at night? I was quoted $650.00 no hoses. Still trying to pry that money out of my hands.I'm getting closer though.

[mark beiser]

Any problems with leaving them out in the ice cold truck at night? I was quoted $650.00 no hoses. Still trying to pry that money out of my hands.I'm getting closer though.

I haven't had any problems this winter with mine, outside of the typical slow LCD that you get with any digital meter when it is cold. It has only gotten down to the upper 20's here though.

[sadlier]

Am I correct in presuming that the new Yellow Jacket is the Digi-Cool DRSA1200 on a Titan manifold?

Yellow Jacket: http://www.yellowjacket.com/PDF/Digital_Analyzer_Spec_Sheet.pdf

Digi-Cool DRSA1200: http://www.digi-cool.com/product_information/index.php?action=features

[mark beiser]

Yes, they are the same instrument, just the Digi-Cool has a different face,

There are new versions coming out soon also.

[shaun66]

no prob with cold, slow for lcd to light up, took them out of truck one morning at -26C they were fine
dropped demo model from rack suction height, didnt break
hit low side with 400 psi N2

[dngtig]

I just put my order in yesterday at my local Sid Harveys for the Yellow Jacket, should see it midweek. I guess I should start digging up some mason jars out of the back yard.

[sadlier]

or withdrawing from the swiss bank account... :D

[cg2]

Or cancel the order and learn some simple math.

[mark beiser]

Or cancel the order and learn some simple math.

Math isn't the issue, its interpolation errors from viewing analogue gages, and sometimes gross inaccuracy from gauge to gauge.

Hook up a set of analogue gages and a thermometer to a system and ask 10 different people to tell you the superheat and subcooling, you are likely to get at least 5 different answers, maybe even 10.

Hook up a set of digital gauges and thermometer to the same system and all 10 people will give you the same answer.

Analogue gages have not been good enough for modern systems for many years, but they were the only choice. Now that there is a variety of digital sets at reasonable prices, we need to be switching over to them.

[davidr]

Math isn't the issue, its interpolation errors from viewing analogue gages, and sometimes gross inaccuracy from gauge to gauge.

Hook up a set of analogue gages and a thermometer to a system and ask 10 different people to tell you the superheat and subcooling, you are likely to get at least 5 different answers, maybe even 10.

Hook up a set of digital gauges and thermometer to the same system and all 10 people will give you the same answer.

Analogue gages have not been good enough for modern systems for many years, but they were the only choice. Now that there is a variety of digital sets at reasonable prices, we need to be switching over to them.

Kind of scary how far off those readings can be when compared to the digitals.

[sadlier]

Kind of scary how far off those readings can be when compared to the digitals.Especially when the gauge goes out of calibration or drifts after it is zeroed....

[cg2]

Ok then get digital guages on your manifold and keep the paper charts. I can interpolate accurately.

[sadlier]

You can get some nice Robinair digital gauges for a little more than $400... But it is only a 2 valve manifold. I guess TIF sells replacement didgital gauges which will go on a normal maniflod in the mid $100 range or less...

I would have a harder time losing the manifold than my chart. Having the chart digitally recorded in the manifold is just what I've been looking for. I'm sure that nobody else in the company will go digital for years to come, though.

[davidr]

Ok then get digital guages on your manifold and keep the paper charts. I can interpolate accurately.


Why go to all that trouble?
The saturation temperature is displayed on the digi-cool.

[dngtig]

Or cancel the order and learn some simple math.

Well I cancelled the order and I have enrolled in some math courses at the local community college, turns out the courses cost more than the gauges. I just can't win.:rolleyes:

[rango]

Do eitheer of these have dual temp inputs or do we have to keep switching the probe from suction to liquid line?

[dngtig]

I have been using my new Yellow Jacket / digi cool for a couple of weeks now. I really like them. Will they be worth the money spent in the long run we will see. The bar graph is really cool, you can see the tx valve open and closing but with very little pressure change. Couldn't do that with my anolog gauges. I installed a Mitsubishi triple split last week. With these gauges and an ammeter you can really see every little speed change the compressor made.