Hygroset Hygrometer Calibration...Inconsistent Readings?

[leonthebum]

I recently changed the batteries and am recalibrating my 5 Hygroset II hygrometers. I initially used the Boveda calibration kit and after several days got them calibrated perfectly to the 75% mark. Popped them back in the humidors, but after a couple days, decided to follow up with a suggestion I read:

Since I use the 65% humidity beads, I'm calibrating again, but this time with a 65% Boveda pack. Now, after 48 hrs in the bag, the hygrometers are all reading 68-69%.

Can anyone explain this? Are they hygrometers THAT inconsistent? I find it hard to believe that the Boveda pack would be at fault...

Thanks bros...

 

[GoingPostal]

first question is why did you feel the need to recalibrate? Personally feel lot of us cigar smokers worry too much about what are hygros are reading most important thing is how are the sticks smoking, that being said I personally use the hygroset and have full confidence in them. answer to your question ambient temp. or the ambient RH could cause those readings? It may in fact be the boveda pack, have you tried switching out with another one to see what the readings are?

 

[leonthebum]

It's a brand new Boveda pack...and the only one I have. I got it specifically for this re-calibrating. And the temperature has been in the same +/- 2 degree range).

My main reason for re-calibrating is curiosity. I've been using the Heartfelt 65% humidity beads in my humidors, and yet the hygrometers have always registered at like 72-75%. I don't think the beads are at fault, especially as I bought them at different times (so not from a "bad batch" or anything). While the cigars usually smoke fine, I've always wondered about the discrepancy.

I agree that the smokability is a better guide than the hygrometer readings, but if the hygrometer readings are inconsistent, seems we should either figure out why and fix it, or why bother using them at all? Otherwise we're just reassuring ourselves with faulty technology....

There must be a reason, and I'd rather figure it out so that I can actually trust the numbers displayed, rather than just having some interesting-to-look-at, but useless information.

Is it that their range is limited? Could it be that they're most sensitive in the small range close to where they're calibrated?

 

[GoingPostal]

If the readings are consistently inconsistent then they are consistent enough to be trusted are they not. opeyes: As i stated earlier many people use hygro sets and have no problems and the fact that you have five reduces the fact that you have a faulty one. your using 65%beads and say the hygro's read 72-75 was this after the calibration? are the beads white or clear? could be that maybe you need more beads to absorb the excess Rh. Also the layout of sticks in a humidor can cause dry/wet zones to be created. One can drive themselves crazy trying to get everything just right. When i first started was uber anal about my Rh, but that's why i changed to heartfelt and boveda's and really don't pay much attention to the hygro unless it jumps above 70rh or below 62rh

 

[Bleslie34]

I had similar issues with the Hygro II readings being inconsistent. I went through 3 of them with the same frustration. Possibly just my dumb luck as I have friends and other BOTL that don't have issues with theses hygros. I ended up switching to the Caliber IV hygros and love 'em. Easy button calibration that you can adjust inside the calibration pack without opening the bag (much easier then the dial). I have 3 and all took little adjustment. I have even re-calibrated with Bovedas after the initial set and they have been dead on. I would highly recommend them.

Like others I may have a little OCD about my rh levels. Makes me feel better about how I manage my sticks.

 

[jlschmitz]

You absolutely need to recalibrate your hygro - if you care what it says. What I mean is, most people that use Boveda don't even bother with hygrometers because they aren't very accurate and constantly drift - especially after a battery change. Bovedas in a plastic bag are accurate within 1-2%, but the reason the calibration kit uses 75% Rh is because that is dead on 75.5% due to using Sodium Chloride inside instead of a mixture of other salts.

 

[blueboy714]

View attachment 35999
You absolutely need to recalibrate your hygro - if you care what it says. What I mean is, most people that use Boveda don't even bother with hygrometers because they aren't very accurate and constantly drift - especially after a battery change. Bovedas in a plastic bag are accurate within 1-2%, but the reason the calibration kit uses 75% Rh is because that is dead on 75.5% due to using Sodium Chloride inside instead of a mixture of other salts.

if I calibrate using the one-step Boveda calibration test - I'll look to see where my hydro ends up. If it ends up at 73 then I stick a note on it "+2". If it's 80 then the note would say "-5". I used the same hygros as in these pics for years and it worked just fine. I recently switched to a Xikar self calibrating hygro which I like better (but it will cost a little more).

 

[rdomfoto]

Sorry for resurrecting an older thread but I am having the same issue and I thought it would be cleaner to add this that start a new thread on the same topic.

(edited for much needed clarity)

I bought a Hygroset II hygrometer and I can't seem to dial in the calibration. I've tried five times and each time the RH reading is way off of what it should be. It should have been really accurate after the first calibration test, but it's all over the place.

I used the salt test the first two times I tried to calibrate it and then swtiched to a 67% Boveda pack the next three times. I could never get it to read the 75% for the salt test nor 67% for the Boveda pack. And, each time, I let the test run for anywhere from 30-36 hours.

So here is my question: Inside my Tupperdor (a 6.4 gallon container with a sealing/locking lid) I have a 2oz. jar of the Xikar humidifer beads that are set for 70% and a two cedar planks that I lightly dampened with distilled water. Can/Should I forget about the hygrometer and just toss the stupid thing out and trust the jar of gel beads and cedar to maintain humidity?

Right now I only have 4 sticks in there (this is a new hobby) but my first box order of 20 is arriving on Friday and I want to make sure that I have proper environment to keep them in.


Thanks everyone!

 

[mmchugh84]

I got a little lost when reading your post But when you calibrate have the hygrometer still in the sealed bag and you need to turn the amount of clicks(if you cant hear clicks go by numer of dashes 1dash:1%) to reach 75 (left for lower ..right for higher) once you turn the correct amount to reach 75% hit the set button and you should be good to go...if this is what you did do please disregard there is always a chance you got a bad hygrometer...im sure someone else on here has had a similar problem

 

[rdomfoto]

I got a little lost when reading your post But when you calibrate have the hygrometer still in the sealed bag and you need to turn the amount of clicks(if you cant hear clicks go by numer of dashes 1dash:1%) to reach 75 (left for lower ..right for higher) once you turn the correct amount to reach 75% hit the set button and you should be good to go...if this is what you did do please disregard there is always a chance you got a bad hygrometer...im sure someone else on here has had a similar problem

Yeah, I should have gotten more sleep before writing that post. Sorry about that!

So, to translate my original rage-fueled rant, I have the Hygroset II, have tried to calibrate it 5 times and each time I get readings that are all over the place. Even when in the sealed tupperdor it can read in the 50s or it can read in the 80s. Since I am using a jar of humidifying beads, do I really need a hygrometer as long as I am keeping an eye on the beads?

 

[Rupe]

Just my opinion here, but I think that a good chunk of this issue may be that you are trying to calibrate to an RH other than 75%. Hygrometers like the Hygroset II are designed to calibrate to 75%, not 65, 67 or some other number. In my experience, the Hygroset II is one of the most accurate hygrometers that I have owned but is also among the most difficult to calibrate.

To calibrate them properly it usually takes me a couple of days. Generally what I do is the following:

1) I let them sit in the sealed environment for 24 hours with either a Boveda calibration kit or table salt in solution (both work equally well)
2) depending on how far they are away from 75%, I will adjust the knob the appropriate amount of clicks either up or down.
3) when I hit the recalibrate button it is designed to set them at 75, not any other number.
4) because I want them to be completely accurate, I will then put them back in the sealed environment and let them sit for another 24 hours
5) if they still read 75% after 24 hours they are good to go. If they are off by a point or 2 I will adjust the knob appropriately, hit recalibrate and then put them back in for another 24.
6) repeat step 5 as necessary.

This definitely takes a little bit of patience but is worth it to me since I have had some issues with other brands (specifically Xikar) in the past. The key here is that digital hygrometers like the Xikar and Hygroset II are designed to recalibrate to 75%. When you hit the recalibrate button on them, 75% is the number that they are supposed to go to, not something else.

Edit: Once again my opinion here....I may be way off base but I think that the reason you are getting readings from the 50's to the 80's is as follows:

Low reading: When you open up the sealed environment the ambient air in your room rushes into your container which is why you are getting a low reading in the 50's. I live in MN so I am painfully aware of what the humidity is in our houses this time of year. The reason that you need to let them sit in a sealed environment for 24 hours is so the Boveda pack or salt solution can effectively fill your sealed space with a 75% environment.

High reading: if you are trying to calibrate your hygrometer using a 65% Boveda pack, here is what probably happened. The environment you created was 65% but your hygrometer is designed to recalibrate to 75% so when you hit the recalibrate button you have now created a reading that is off by 10 points (65% is now reading as 75%). If you now put this mis-calibrated hygrometer into an environment that is 70% or 75% it is going to read 80% or 85% (10 points higher).

 

[rdomfoto]

Thanks Rupe!

While a part of me is impatient and just want the damn thing to work, I know that I am trying to set something up to store thousands of dollars worth of sticks for a very long time, so patience now will be rewarded later on.

I followed the base procedure you listed above, but maybe I shouldn't have given up on the salt test and moved to the Boveda pack. I'll restart the calibration tonight with the salt test and just keep aiming for 75%. I'll post back again in a few days to let you know if it worked.

Cheers!

 

[MDSPHOTO]

I got a little lost when reading your post But when you calibrate have the hygrometer still in the sealed bag and you need to turn the amount of clicks(if you cant hear clicks go by numer of dashes 1dash:1%) to reach 75 (left for lower ..right for higher) once you turn the correct amount to reach 75% hit the set button and you should be good to go...if this is what you did do please disregard there is always a chance you got a bad hygrometer...im sure someone else on here has had a similar problem

Yeah, I should have gotten more sleep before writing that post. Sorry about that!

So, to translate my original rage-fueled rant, I have the Hygroset II, have tried to calibrate it 5 times and each time I get readings that are all over the place. Even when in the sealed tupperdor it can read in the 50s or it can read in the 80s. Since I am using a jar of humidifying beads, do I really need a hygrometer as long as I am keeping an eye on the beads?

Some good advice shared by the experts. To your question about the gel jar, that's exactly what I did, filled it tossed it in and never looked at my hygrometer. I would add water to the jar once a month and if I had to relight the sticks a lot I pushed it to every 6-weeks. If your cigars are burning well stop worrying about Rh readings. Focusing on a black digit on a piece of plastic made in some cheap labor country will drive you mad!

 

[rdomfoto]

...<SNIP>...

Edit: Once again my opinion here....I may be way off base but I think that the reason you are getting readings from the 50's to the 80's is as follows:

Low reading: When you open up the sealed environment the ambient air in your room rushes into your container which is why you are getting a low reading in the 50's. I live in MN so I am painfully aware of what the humidity is in our houses this time of year. The reason that you need to let them sit in a sealed environment for 24 hours is so the Boveda pack or salt solution can effectively fill your sealed space with a 75% environment.

High reading: if you are trying to calibrate your hygrometer using a 65% Boveda pack, here is what probably happened. The environment you created was 65% but your hygrometer is designed to recalibrate to 75% so when you hit the recalibrate button you have now created a reading that is off by 10 points (65% is now reading as 75%). If you now put this mis-calibrated hygrometer into an environment that is 70% or 75% it is going to read 80% or 85% (10 points higher).

Damn, that's brilliant! I had no clue about it wanting to calibrate to 75%, so this makes perfect sense!!

The thermometer part of the device is accurate so I was surprised to think that the hygrometer was so off. Besides, I could understand it being off by quite a bit but to be constantly changing just seemed odd.

Thanks again - this is just one more reason I am so thrilled to have found this group.

 

[rdomfoto]

Rupe,

Thank you, thank YOU, THANK YOU!! And a thousand times 'thank you'!

It took three days, but I set the dial to the midpoint, reset it, popped it into the sealed Ziplock with a cap of dampened salt and, 24 hours later, it read 73%. Adjusted it and 24 hours after that it read 76%, so I adjusted it once more last night. After 3 hours it read 75% so I decided to leave it as is in the bag overnight and all morning. Just checked it now (about 20 hours since that last adjustment) and it is still on 75%.

It's now properly calibrated and sitting in my tupperdor.

Seriously, this place rocks!