ET-73 Reasonable Expectations


 
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John W.

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There has been so much discussion on the ET-73 defect thread that I wanted to start from scratch.

My ET-73 receiver will work indoors through a dual pane window if it has line of sight with the transmitter. It doesn't seem to work through exterior walls of the house. With both transmitter and receiver indoors it will work through one or two internal walls.

I would love it if the receiver could be on my nightstand with the transmitter outside on the patio 50 feet away (through two internal walls and one exterior), but after all the discussion it doesn't seem like that is reasonable. I don't want to keep returning a product that just has some practical limitations.

Is this as good as it gets or should I expect more?
 
No question - expect more.
I use mine from a 2nd floor nightstand
through 2 walls, a ceiling/floor, another
wall and then a sliding glass door.
I've done this over and over and over again
without flaw.
Yours isn't working properly.
I give the ET-73 the highest praises.
 
I can use mine through an exterior and two interior walls, the only problem with mine is I have to remove the batteries from the reciever or it stays on even when switched off. I thought about calling for a replacement, but I am worried I would get stuck with a few bad ones before I get it all going again.

Tom
 
Mine works fine through an exterior wall (with aluminum siding), a floor/ceiling, and an interior wall. I would say the distance is about 50 feet.
 
I must say here that mine is brand new and it lost connection tree times during a 13 hour cook. The receiver went blank with "---" I had to reset the unit which sux since you have to turn of both and then back on??

Is this typical?

Mike
 
My ET-73 only lost its signal once & it wasn't the fault of the unit. The receiver suddenly showed "---" on the display. When I went outside I found that the transmitter had been blown off the table I had it on & the probes were unplugged.
 
I used my ET-73 for the first time and I can't get it to work inside (1 external wall and less than 10 feet from the smoker) at all.

I called Maverick today and talked with a Lady and she said they did have a problem with some bad crystals, but had asked all their stores to send them back and replenish them with new ones. I just ordered it two weeks ago and she said it should have been fine.

There is a tech guy who works 7am - 3pm easter, I belive Kevin and I plan on talking with him tomorrow before asking for a new unit. I post after my call.
 
I am having the same problem as many others on this board with the Maverick ET-73--short transmission distance, erratic updates, losing the transmission signal, and will not work through walls. I had contacted Maverick, and they sent me a new receiver because there were some problem receivers out there. That didn't work, so I called again and they sent me a new package with a new transmitter and receiver, and it was no better. After getting frustrated I decided to return the whole unit.
Yesterday I received a phone call from Maverick (Gadget source notified them of my call for a refund) and I was told of the several problems that were encountered after the ET-73 was manufactured. They are trying to nail down these problems and correct them, so if you are having these problems there is nothing that can be done in the way of fresh batteries, different brand batteries, contact cleaning, etc, to help it work . There are a few known issues they pointed out with the unit and I wanted to post to pass along the info.

1. If the smoker and meat temperature stay the same for 15 minutes the transmitter part of the thermometer will shut off as a battery saver. This is there in case you leave it on by accident without using it--the thermometer will still display, but no signal will be sent again until they are shut off and turned back on.
2. If the transmitter is too close to the smoker prolonged exposure to the heat will cause the transmitter to not work well.
3. There were units that were shipped with a transmission distance of no more than 2 feet (not on purpose).
4. There were units shipped that had a transmission distance of no more than 20 feet (not on purpose).

I tried a test with my gas grill heating up. This insured the temps would be rising fast, the transmitter would not be hot, and I could see exactly where the 2 lose touch. Seems I am in the 20 foot range. To confirm and make sure that there was no interference from a metal utility trailer that was nearby, I set the transmitter on the sidewalk, with nothing within 15 feet of it, as the probe cooled down from 300* and I walked away holding the receiver. I lost the signal again at approx. 20-25 feet and the two wouldn't connect again until they were 12-15 feet close to each other. This test was performed with new energizer batteries in both.

The company seems to be trying to handle my problem well, with yet another package on it's way. I will test and update the post when I receive it.


jeff
 
I've seen it work through a wall and a refrigerator, at about 50 feet. If you can't get it to do that then send it back.

Tom, my ET-73 wouldn't turn off either, so I sent it back and they got it working free of charge. I also wanted to order an extra food probe for when they sent the unit back (to save on shipping), and they sent me one for free for all my trouble. Great customer service!
 
This is good stuff Jeff, it's great to get the facts. Since my ET-73 should be arriving any day now, I'd personally like to thank you for taking the time to dig in to this and post the info for the community, as well as commend you for sticking it out, not just giving up and buying something else. Ever thought about a career in computer hardware or software support? /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

Did you happen to hear a model, revision number or anything else that would would identify a bad unit?

Is there a date after which the problem is completely corrected (buy direct from Maverick?)?

After speaking with them do you suppose others experiencing this issue could contact and deal with Maverick directly instead of returning it to the vendor?

Would it help to sacrifice a hot baked potatoe for your range test?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Ever thought about a career in computer hardware or software support? /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That is done already Shawn. I suppose that explains the patience i working out the problem--I've been on that end many times.

I received the replacement today and I beleive it works much better. Still not getting 100 feet from the smoker into my house, but I am pretty sure it works through most of the house. I am doing an overnighter tonight and will post again tomorrow.

As far as contacting Maverick, I would do what you think is best. If you want to throw in the towel on this device (if it doesn't work for you) then just return it. I don't know why I have stuck it out...I guess because the people at Maverick were so willing to try and work it out I went along with them.

No identifier that I know of to tell if it's bad. Just try it. The potatoe is a good idea, but the temp must be changing in order for the unit to update so it may not work. They sent me 2 replacements so far, so I would guess that if they knew the good from the bad they would have made it right with the forst replacement.

Good Luck !

Jeff
 
I just got my replacement and tried it out today. Just like you, it doens't get 100 feet, but it gets where I need to go. I have a pretty open floor plan and my bedroom and living room are toward the back of the house (1 wall to the smoker). The kitchen is a clear line of site to the living room so I'm good in all three areas. About 80 feet, though, it gave up, but came right back when I went back to the kitchen.

Great customer service from these guys, just kinda sucks they have so many defects (or just 1 really huge bad batch).

Anyway, I'm satisfied, but it only took 1 return. Don't know if I would have tried again if this one was a dud.
 
After a thorough test I can say that the newest unit function most like it is advertised. I was told that they tested this ET-73 before sending and it's range was 95 feet. While I am not getting 95 feet, I am getting around 60 through walls. Maybe 95 feet in an open space with a line of site, but I haven't tried that yet.

Anyhow, I just wanted to update to say that Maverick was standing by their product. And they did what they had to to make it right. All that for a $40 purchase. Seems like they must have lost money on this one, but they kept a happy customer who is sharing the story.

jeff
 
My ET-73 has arrived and I am pleased to report it works very well. I set the temp probe out and the smoker probe in some boiled water with an ice cube (cools off, causes updates to be transmitted frequently) ET-73 worked everywhere on my property, including the basement, and 60' entirely through the house to the front of the property from the smoker. I didn't test it beyond that, I'm satisfied.
 
I just used my ET-73 for the first time yesterday. The reciever got a signal (temp. reading) and then never changed. I checked the transmitter and the little antennea symbol had stop flashing. Does this mean it stopped transmiting?
 
Yes. Move the receiver next to the transmitter and see if the signal will come back. Otherwise, you will need to shut both units off and restart them. Remember, the receiver needs to be turned on first.
 
The ET-73 appears to only transmit when there is a change. The temps will display on both units and they will read the same if it is operating properly. If the transmitter numeric display goes blank, it is not functioning and the receiver will just stick on last reading it received.

It could be as simple as the batteries provided are no good. It could also be a defective unit. My transmitter was defective and the good folks at Maverick asked me to send it back for replacement. Apparently, they had a batch that wasn't up to snuff.
 
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