Thanks. Maybe I'll just wait for the warm snap to end this week and start to play "get to know your wood stove" over the next several months. I'll see if I can work that pipe surface temp higher.I wish somebody made an inexpensive probe type thermometer for single wall pipe. I think it would be more accurate than a magnetic type that reads so indirectly. You can get an electronic k type thermocouple setup, but it's expensive.
Condar makes a probe one but it is not accurate for single wall application. I asked them about that.