What To Do With Old CBLs?

Nüsret Hisim (Walkersville HS, Walkersville, MD) was in the same situation as many other customers: He long ago updated his interfaces to newer LabPros or CBL 2s. Here are some creative ways he makes use of those older, original CBLs:

• Use them as stand-alone meters. The original CBL not only had a meter screen on the unit, but it also came with three inexpensive sensors—temperature, light, and voltage. Simply turn on the CBL, connect one of these sensors to Channel 1 of the CBL, and press the Mode button. You will have a great digital meter. No calculator program is necessary. Nüsret keeps one at each lab station to use as a digital thermometer.
• Use CBL sensors with newer interfaces. The CBL's temperature, light, and voltage probes all have BTA connectors and are auto ID. Simply connect them to a LabQuest, LabPro, or CBL 2, and start up your Vernier data-collection program. Make sure you gather up these very useful sensors before storing those CBLs on the back shelf!
• Put the CBLs back into service. We have customers who are new to a school who have found CBLs on a back shelf. They are unsure how to use them and give us a call.We are happy to help them set up their TI calculators with a data-collection program for their CBLs.