Use an el cheapo coolant tester from AutoZone - $4.95 - works like a battery hydrometer.
"Water wetters" have been discussed at great length both in here and in Northstar Performance. They may transfer heat to coolant a bit quicker, but they cannot override the thermostat, which is designed to control coolant flow in order to allow the engine to run at its design temperatures. The ONLY way to get an engine/cooling system to run cooler is to change the thermostat, and with all the Northstar engine controls which depend on coolant temperature, that's not a good idea. Water wetters may have a limited application for track and autocross engine applications, but for a daily driver: completely unnecessary. Our thermostats are set to begin opening at 188 and be fully open at 206. The cooling system is extremely efficient, so most of the time the thermostat is open about 75% or so.
The gauge was originally done by
JimD using cardboard over the radiator and an IR thermometer. I updated it with a ScanGauge (
www.scangauge.com) and an IR thermometer. The engine is designed to run in that 12:00 area. Normal. Also normal to see 225 in traffic with the A/C OFF (fans don't run all the time with A/C OFF.)