How Hot Was It?

A couple of years ago a new car came into the household and my workhorse Integra lost it's privilege of parking in the apartment's underground parking area. Now exposed to the elements I was surprised this summer when I found a couple of hard candy tins had become so hot, even out of the sunlight, that the hard candy had at one point melted into a near liquid and later resolidified.

The lowest melting point for a sugar I found was 85^oC (185^oF). That's at the low end. Common sucrose doesn't melt until nearly 150^oC (over 300^oF)! So my question is: How Hot Was It?!

I don't care about the candy, but I do care about my digital SLR camera. I couldn't find the recommended storage temperatures on the camera's spec sheet. I did find the Compact Flash cards are only rated to about 80^oC (176^oF), storage maximum, not operation. I suspect the camera is much more sensitive.

It's obvious storing the camera in the car during the summer is a bad idea. Yet when might it be a good idea? Could I keep some extra doses of my prescription medication in the car for those time I forget to take them with me? Would my chocolate truffles ever be safe in my car!?

This rather unimportant question kept running around in my head. How could I measure and store the temperature minimums and maximums? I once used a high/low mercury thermometer when I grew indoor plans. But with how I throw things around the car I'd end up crushing it and getting mercury in the upholstery. I could drive around with mercury vapors too! Weeee to dying brain cells.

So this is where the new training comes in. Could I build a temperature sensor/datalogger that would record the ambient temperature over a period of weeks or months? Sure I can! For the ignorant everything is easy!

Tomorrow I'll consider the requirements.